A teacher reads instructions before the written part of the Slovak language and literature school-leaving exam at Ján Adam Rayman Grammar School in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, on March 11, 2025. (source: TASR - Veronika Mihaliková)
Final-year secondary school students took their Maturita school-leaving exams in a foreign language – both a test and an essay – on Wednesday.
More than 36,000 students sat the English language exam at all levels, making it the most popular choice. German followed with 763 students, while 502 opted for Russian. French was chosen by 28 students, Spanish by 14, and one student sat the exam in Italian, according to the Education Ministry.
Just a day earlier, 38,000 students took an exam in Slovak language and literature and 1,600 also in Hungarian language and literature. On Thursday, 5,000 students sat mathematics exams, while Ukrainian is scheduled on Friday. Just 28 students will sit the exam in Ukrainian.
Students had 150 minutes to complete the English test. The C1-level exam (answers here, recording here) comprised 90 questions, including some based on an interview with British author Sophie Kinsella. The B2-level test contained 80 questions (answers here, recording here) and had a time limit of 120 minutes, featuring a passage on Winston Churchill. The B1-level test had 60 questions (answers here, recording here), with a 100-minute time limit, and included texts on actress Emma Watson and the history of afternoon tea.
In addition to the test, students wrote essays according to their chosen level:
C1: Consumption-oriented ways of living – Students were asked to write an essay (260-320 words) proposing solutions to consumerism for an international magazine, suggesting at least three ways to address the issue.
B2: Books and literature – Students wrote a 200-220 word article for the school magazine on whether reading books is becoming less important for young people. They had to discuss the role of reading in their lives, the pros and cons of printed books, and the benefits of reading in a foreign language.
B1: Books and literature – Students wrote a 160-180 word letter to a British friend about what books their peers are reading. They had to mention preferred genres, two factors influencing young people’s reading choices, and the best book they had read so far.
Written exams in other languages, including English, can be found here.
In total, 689 secondary schools and more than 41,000 students were involved in the Maturita Week this year. Students will take oral Maturita exams from a wide range of subjects in May.
