The centralised maths exam caused proved to by the biggest challenge for 9th graders in distance learning in Latvia – one in five pupils failed the exam, according to data compiled by the National Education Content Center (VISC).
Similar to the year before, the biggest difficulties for 9th grade pupils were caused by the maths exam – it was failed by 593 pupils. The number of pupils who dropped out of the exam was 233 lower than the year before.
A total of 18 254 pupils passed this exam at a sufficient level. Of these, 2 113 obtained a score of 10-19% in this exam, which is 193 pupils more than a year earlier. The proportion of pupils who scored 90-100% in the mathematics exam has decreased. At the last examination session, 2.34% of all examinees received the highest score, but the year before they were 7.91%.
The VISC referred to the conclusion of the Center for Interdisciplinary Education Innovation that a year earlier there were not enough tasks with a high-level of cognitive activity in the maths exam. Therefore, this year there have been more such tasks in the exam, so that pupils with a higher level of abilities can demonstrate their knowledge and skill.
Pupils who were on distance learning demonstrated the worst results.
22.16% of the pupils just exceeded the threshold for a successful assessment and scored 10-14% in the exam, but 18.24% of the pupils of these schools fell in the exam. Compared to a year ago, the number of unsuccessful pupils decreased by 0.05 percentage points.
The number of pupils of state gymnasiums who showed high scores in the mathematics exam has decreased. A year earlier, the performance of one-fifth of pupils or 21.87% was scored at 90-99%, while 0.33% of students in the exam received a rating of 100%. This year, 10.78% of all gymnasium pupils in the country received a score of 90-100%. In turn, the proportion of gymnasium pupils who received a rating in the exam range between 30% and 60% increased by 3.95 to 5.25 percentage points.
A slight improvement in pupils’ performance was observed in primary schools. A year earlier, students most often scored 20-29% in the exam, while this year, scores between 25% and 34% were more often received in the exam. Also in secondary schools, students most often scored 25-34% in the exam this year.
In order to reach the 10% threshold or eight points, the exam included easy-to-understand tasks, defined in very short and simple text, which must be able to perform calculations with integers. Most pupils were able to complete these tasks. Like other years, pupils have had more difficulty in the second part of the exam, where complex tasks had to be solved.
In the Latvian language exam, 18 352 pupils received a score of at least 10%. 88 pupils failed the exam. 22.11% of pupils received a score between 60-69%, 19.89% received a score of 50-59%, and 18.99% received a score of 70-79%.
Students have shown the highest scores in the speaking part of the exam. In turn, the biggest difficulties were caused by the task in which pupils had to write 200 to 250 words of text on one of the three proposed topics. “A significant number of pupils” in this part of the exam did not reach the minimum number of words, failed to write a text on the proposed topic, or did not complete the assignment at all, VISC reports.
Similar to the year before, pupils had the best results with the English exam – the average score among primary school graduates was 63.8%. The English exam above the 10% threshold was passed by 18 266 pupils, of which 20.02% or 3 690 pupils scored 80.89%. Pupils showed the highest scores in the speaking part. 0.85% or 156 students were not able to pass the English language exam at a sufficient level.
This was the second year the score of 9th graders in all state exams will be rated as a percentage. To pass the centralized exam, pupils have to get at least 10%.
If a pupil fails to score at least 10% in any of the centralised exams, this pupil will be handed his or her graduate certificate and will have to undergo the exam at the end of the next school year.
It is planned to raise the passing threshold to 20% for the 2025/2026 school year.