Belgrade – Prior to the first mock final exam, which should prepare students for the final exam itself, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development is making efforts to provide the largest number of eighth grade students with online testing.

School principals will provide information on the number of students who need a suitable device, phone, tablet or computer, or Internet connection in order to be able to do distance testing. Upon providing the information, every effort will be made to supply the students with the necessary technical support. There is another way to solve the issue of tests and all primary schools have been informed about it.  

Students will be provided with tests in hard copies, ensuring full coverage of the generation of eighth grade students. Teachers are expected to explain to the students the key purpose of the test – the self-assessment of mastery of the subject matter in the final exam and the planning of additional support for students in the program areas in which the students had the most learning difficulties.

The mock final exam for the eight graders will be held on April 22, 23 and 24.  The eight graders will first do the Serbian language test, then the math test and finally the combined test.

The final test for the eight graders will be conducted by assigning tasks through online platforms and RTS, while the students will have 12 hours to do them. The authorities stated that the types of questions would be such that they would only need to supplement or circle something, which is just for the sake of checking themselves.

“Thus, we want to let them know that there is no need to copy from each other or to cooperate while doing the test, since there is no point in doing that. These tests will not be graded and serve only to reach a sort of diagnosis, so that we could establish what they have gone through, what they have not, and so that we could,  in the next month and a half,  support them in getting better prepared for the final exam," the Ministry of Education stated.

When it comes to the entrance exam, the Minister of Education points out that a whole strategy is being made. He also says that epidemiologists claim that schools should be the last to open.

“We are already in the process of making a strategy for it to be in June and beyond. It is important for us to spend May on doing various trials”, Minister Sarcevic said.

He also said that they would start sending a model of “how to turn formative grades into summed-up ones” on Monday, adding that all the teachers would get those instructions. 

Source: Jugpress and Coordination Body