The Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) has proposed dropping one advanced-level centralized exam in secondary schools, according to a draft regulation prepared by the ministry.
Currently, high school graduates are required to take compulsory exams in Latvian, a foreign language, mathematics, and two advanced-level courses.
This academic year, in addition to the five existing centralized exams, students must also take a compulsory test in physics, chemistry, or biology at least at the optimal level, or in general-level natural sciences.
However, students who have already completed a monitoring test in one of the science courses within the past two years will be exempt from this requirement.
To avoid increasing the overall number of state-mandated assessments in general secondary education, the ministry proposes reducing the number of advanced-level exams by one. As a result, graduates this year will still be required to complete a total of five exams, according to the proposed amendments to regulations on the national general secondary education standard and curriculum guideline.
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