After years of changes and reforms, the final test of upper secondary school regains its historical name: we are back to talking about Maturity exam while the Ministry of Education has made it known which subjects have been chosen for the second test.
We will start on June 18th at 8.30 with the Italian theme, followed the next day by the address test, while the oral exams will start the following week.
Written subjects: tradition and specificity
For high schools, the subjects of the second test confirm the classic choices: Latin for Classics, Mathematics for Scientific and Language 1 for Linguistics. The other courses also have dedicated tests: Human Sciences for the Human Sciences High School, Design Disciplines for the Artistic High School, Theory and Composition for the Musical High School, Dance Techniques for the Dance High School, and specific technical subjects for the Technical and Professional Institutes.
Oral: four selected subjects and more targeted connections
The big news concerns the interview: all the subjects of the last three years will no longer be discussed, but only four disciplines chosen by the Ministry. In Classics, in addition to Italian and Latin, they will also be tested in History and Mathematics; to Scientific, in addition to Italian and Mathematics, History and Natural Sciences; to Linguistics, Italian, Language 1, Language 2 and Natural Sciences. The goal is to reduce anxiety and unpredictability, enhancing students’ actual skills.
Curriculum and worthy activities at the center of the evaluation
The interview will also take into account the student’s CV, including Invalsi results and extracurricular experiences. “Particularly worthy” activities are valorised, from sport to cultural courses, in line with the prospect of integral development of the person. Attention is also returning to civic education and school-work alternation paths, simply renamed “at work”.
Streamlined commissions and clear rules
The commissions will be reduced: four members, two of which are external plus the president, instead of the traditional six, simplifying the organization and containing costs. The exam will be considered valid only if the student regularly participates in all tests, including the oral one, under penalty of failure in case of deliberate refusal.
The Minister’s words
«From this year we return to the Maturity exam, with a radically new oral exam», declared the Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara, «We removed the discussion of the document, which required forced interdisciplinary connections to be made, creating unnecessary apprehension in the children. The new interview allows us to evaluate not only knowledge, but also autonomy, responsibility and particularly worthy actions carried out by students.”
