At the end of this month, we will witness a first in the education system: 12th grade graduates will take the first stage of the Baccalaureate, more precisely the winter session, during which their skills will be assessed. Advancement of the national exam remains, however, a double-edged sword, a controversial and intensely debated topic, as it comes with both advantages and disadvantages. The latter seem to be more and hit directly in the way oral tests are organized, say the professors. On the other hand, as far as students are concerned, things will be simplified for them.
The first skills test, the one for the Romanian language, will start on January 27. Archive
“On the one hand, the children will be protected from the extreme temperatures during the summer, which are getting higher and higher from one year to the next. On the other hand, in the summer their program will be more airy, in the context in which they are already bombarded since the spring with tests, evaluations and simulations. We are no longer talking about the entrance exams that also follow immediately after the Baccalaureate,” Professor Marius Perianu, the coach of the junior Olympic team in Mathematics and the director of the best high school in Slatina, told “Adevărul”.
Teacher: “Heat, a very real problem for children”
The idea behind this change in the organization of the Baccalaureate was the fact that the exams took place in the middle of summer, from mid-June to the beginning of July. We are talking about a period that is often hot, and this in the context where many schools in Romania are not equipped with air conditioners. Therefore, the exams were held in rather difficult conditions, and the students’ stress was also high. “At least last year, as far as I remember, it was very hot in the summer, and the conditions in which the students supported skills tests and the written ones left a lot to be desired. From this perspective, children can now enjoy a great advantage”, continued prof. Perianu.
The adaptation of students to the new organization will not, from his point of view, be a problem, since the proficiency exams have a lower degree of pressure than the written tests. This, in the sense that the qualifications received – medium, advanced and experienced – do not influence the participation in the written tests nor the final average. “And you can adapt more easily. It’s true, it won’t be easy for kids who really want to learn, do well and want to get an experienced qualification,” continued the teacher. “For them, the Baccalaureate is a high stake and they will have to make an intellectual effort, but also a physical one”.
Students will have a more breezy schedule and be more rested
Another advantage for students is the fact that they will have a more breezy schedule throughout the year. “The exams that were given in past years, all crammed into the summer, were immediately followed by college entrance exams. Basically, the students left the Baccalaureate and entered the exam organized at the universities. These tests come with extra stress, but also with huge pressure”, explained the teacher.
We no longer count the tests and simulations organized by schools and inspectorates in spring-summer. “The students had to give simulations, some organized by the school, some organized by the county school inspectorates. Then came the national simulations. Let’s not forget the fact that the students also wanted to participate in the simulations organized by certain faculties such as Law, Medicine, ASE. Pre-admissions in Bucharest also started sometime around April. So here’s a bunch of testing in just two, three months!”
This year, however, we will no longer be able to talk about such a large agglomeration of tests. “The baccalaureate “fractured” in such a way that now students will be a little more liberated. There won’t be so much pressure on their shoulders.” said the teacher from Slatina, who admits that last year it was very difficult for him to organize the simulation for the Baccalaureate. “Last year, we tried to organize one in May simulation of the Baccalaureate exam. Basically, it was about the last time when such a test could have been done. But we were struck by the fact that on one weekend there was a medical simulation in Craiova, on another weekend, there was a medical simulation in Bucharest, on another weekend, at Drept”.
The winter baccalaureate remains a disputed decision for organizational reasons
However, there are also extremely many voices coming from the system that challenge this decision to change the structure of the national exam. It is about teachers and school principals who will be faced with a rather complicated organizational process. While some complain about the lack of classrooms dedicated to oral tests, others raise a problem that the ministry has not been able to clarify either. Namely: how will the teachers who sit on the evaluation committees divide their time between the exam and their own classroom hours? “Most likely, we will call on the help of teachers who are not involved in conducting these tests. Let them stay with the children in the lower classes. But what if we don’t have enough teachers?”, asks prof. Claudia Orasanu. “Then, we will have to change the schedule during that period, in such a way that students from the twelfth grade can come to classes in the afternoon, as recommended by the Secretary of State Sorin Ion”declared other teachers whom “Adevărul” consulted.
Baccalaureate 2025. Exam calendar, first session
- January 27-29, 2025: Assessment of oral communication skills in Romanian – test A;
- January 29-31, 2025: Assessment of oral communication language skills in the Mother Tongue – sample B;
- February 3-5, 2025: Assessment of language skills in a language of international circulation – sample C;
- February 5-7, 2025: Assessment of digital competences – test D;
- May 30 – June 4, 2025: Taking tests A, B, C, D for students receiving scholarships to study abroad;
- June 2-6, 2025: Registration of candidates for the written tests of the first exam session;
- June 6, 2025: End of classes for the 12th/13th grade;
- June 10, 2025: Romanian language and literature – test Ea) – written test;
- June 11, 2025: Mandatory profile test – Ec test) – written test;
- June 13, 2025: Test to choose the profile and specialization – Ed test) – written test;
- June 16, 2025: Mother tongue and literature – test Eb) – written test;
- June 20, 2025: Displaying the results of the written tests, viewing the written works and filing appeals;
- June 23-24, 2025: Viewing of written works and submission of appeals;
- June 30, 2025: Final Results Display.
