Assessment of the Matriculation Examination
Updated
The Matriculation Examination Board is responsible for the final assessment of all candidates' tests. Before submission to the Board, teachers in general upper secondary schools conduct a preliminary assessment. The Board’s assessors, called censors, then undertake the final evaluation, reviewing each candidate’s test and applying criteria determined by subject-specific sections. Once the assessment is complete, the Board determines the score-to-grade conversions, or grade thresholds, which may vary with each examination period.
Grades
According to Section 7 of the Government Decree on the Matriculation Examination the following grades are awarded for tests in the Matriculation Examination:
| Abbreviation | Grade | Corresponding points |
| L | Laudatur | 7 |
| E | Eximia cum laude approbatur | 6 |
| M | Magna cum laude approbatur | 5 |
| C | Cum laude approbatur | 4 |
| B | Lubenter approbatur | 3 |
| A | Approbatur | 2 |
| I | Improbatur | 0 |
In the early stages of the examination, only grades laudatur, cum laude approbatur, approbatur and improbatur were in use. Lubenter approbatur and magna cum laude approbatur were taken into use in 1970, and eximia cum laude approbatur in 1996.
Criterion Based Assessment
In the first phase of criterion-referenced assessment, the candidate's test is preliminarily assessed by a teacher from their own educational institution. In this process, the teacher applies the rules of the Matriculation Examination as well as the initial criteria for good answers specific to the test. These preliminary criteria are prepared by subject sections well in advance of the exam day, at a time when candidates' answers are not yet available.
The final evaluation of the test is conducted by the Matriculation Examination Board. The board’s censors assign scores according to the assessment criteria agreed upon in the board’s censor meetings, along with each subject section. The assessment is anonymous and the censor does not know the person or the school that is assessed. When the examination results are published, the final criteria for good answers are also released, reflecting the decisions made during the censor meetings. The scoring process considers the specific skills each task is designed to measure and how well the candidates demonstrate those skills.
A censor is not permitted to assess tests from a school where they teach or when there is a familial relationship with the candidate.
Grade Thresholds
Ensuring comparability of grades is essential for the reliable and fair use of Matriculation Examination results in the selection processes for higher education institutions. The Matriculation Examination Board sets grade thresholds separately for each examination period. The main mean of calculating the tresholds is through the Average of Standardised Total Scores (ASTS) method.
Average of Standardised Total Scores (ASTS) method
Based on the points achieved by candidates taking the test for the first time each test performance is assigned a z-score, which is the difference between the candidate's points and the average points in that test, divided by the standard deviation. The ASTS score for each candidate is the average of their z-scores, regardless of when the candidate took the tests.
Candidates are then ranked according to their ASTS scores. This ranking also includes candidates from the previous examination period who are not participating in the current period. However, this ranking is not the one used to assign individual grades; rather, it reflects the overall performance of the test population in the Matriculation Examination. Based on this ranking, candidates are awarded grades as follows: 5% receive laudatur, 15% eximia cum laude approbatur, 20% magna cum laude approbatur, 20% cum laude approbatur, 20% lubenter approbatur, 15% approbatur, and 5% improbatur.
The subject-specific grade thresholds are determined according to the grade distribution obtained using the ASTS values. Each grade is assigned in proportion to the participant population’s ASTS scores, and each test performance is awarded a grade based on the order of test points.
The ASTS method is used to determine grade thresholds in subjects where the point distribution allows it. For example, in subjects with a small amount of candidates, where the size of the population does not allow for grade thresholds to be based on statisitical analysis, other criteria for determining grades are applied.
Request for Administrative Review of the Assessment
A candidate who is dissatisfied with their test assessment may request the Matriculation Examination Board for an administrative review of the assessment. If the Board discovers that an error was made in the assessment, the error will be rectified. A Request for Administrative Review is subject to charge stipulated in legislation. If the assessment is discovered erroneous, the charge will be refunded.