The 2024 National Assessment Exam has entered the straight line: there are only three days left until the first exam, the one for Romanian Language and Literature, and the teachers are coming with the latest recommendations and advice.
On June 25, the Romanian Language and Literature exam begins. Photo source: archive
Tuesday, June 25, 8.30am. Students taking the 2024 National Assessment exam are expected to return to the banks. It is the decisive moment, for which they have been preparing for four years and on which their future depends. Romanian language teacher Ruxandra Achim has some tips for candidates that students should keep in mind for success in the exam.
Students must have a pen, watch and a water bottle
“First of all, students must have their writing instruments ready. I mean blue pen, a pencil for drafting. Children should have a water bottle and a simple wristwatch, not a smart one. In some exam rooms there is no wall clock, and students are guided by the clock drawn on the blackboard by the teaching assistants. But it is not much help to them because they will never know exactly how much time they have left”recommends Prof. Ruxandra Achim.
Children should eat something easy to digest in the morning at home. “Exams are very energy consuming, glycemic crises can occur and nobody wants that. Even a piece of chocolate to eat at home would help.” the teacher also advises the students.
National Assessment 2024. Pay close attention to the requirements!
Once they have received the topics, students should read the texts very carefully and then the requirements. “Here is the key to the correct answers.” the teacher continues. Then, for the writing topics, the teacher recommends that the students jot down one or two ideas on the draft, before actually writing on the exam paper. “So that they don’t have to cut later if they changed their drafting intention to a small or large extent. I mean, although it looks like you wasted three minutes to put two ideas on the draft, in reality, you gained precious time for the drafting part.”
Candidates should also be careful and avoid confusion. “Not to confuse the theme of a text with moral or cultural value. They should be careful if they are asked to compare a character or a work from Romanian Literature”.
Students should avoid vague and general explanations. “It is fundamental to explain in detail because in this way they will be able to demonstrate that a meaning. They should not use general wording. All must be applied to the requirements”. Regarding the composition, the teacher recommends using the draft, but not to write the entire composition, but to make a plan of ideas. “A few ideas, at least knowing in which direction you are going to formulate your composition are very useful because by writing them you reflect much more deeply on them. An idea not written on paper looks, the next second it can fly”.
Logical and correct statements
On the grammar side, in subject 1B, the teacher also states, students must carefully read the requirements and check the solutions they note for the items where they have multiple choice. “And when it comes to constructions with statements or sentences, they also have to be very careful and follow the requirements. For example, they may be asked to formulate a sentence and they may be asked to make a sentence-like utterance. They can be asked to make a negative statement and they can make an affirmative statement. They may be asked to make an interrogative sentence and they may not think it appropriate to formulate it as such.”
The statements made must be logical and correct. Because even if they meet the requirement regarding a certain syntactic function, if the statement is not logical they will lose points. Also, the teacher says, if they are asked to transcribe sentences from the text, don’t forget to transcribe them with quotation marks.
National Assessment 2024. How do we control emotions?
If they feel stuck or panicked, students should know how to manage their emotions. “To lie down on the back of the chair, take a deep breath, drink a mouthful of water, try to calm down…then get back to work.” teacher Ruxandra Achim also advises the students.
