Matura Season

Now that the Maturas are in full swing, I thought I ought to take some time to explain the madness that are the exit exams that my third graders are being subjected to at the moment. In America, we take the SATs or ACTs to prove to colleges that we are up to snuff and that we can handle the academics rigor of higher education. We can also chose to take Advanced Placement tests in certain areas of expertise. (I know that the IB program exists as well, but I don't know that much about it, so I'm intentionally leaving out.)

Matura tests are similar to the SATs because all students are required to take Polish, Math, and English, but they are also similar to AP tests because the students can chose to take tests in areas that they wish to study at university. For example, if someone wants to be a doctor they would chose to take biology and chemistry. However, one unique attribute is that students can chose whether they would like to take the test on the basic or advanced level. They can pick their poison. But if they chose to take it on the advanced level, they must do BOTH the basic and the advanced tests.

Last week the students took their Math test and the written portions of Polish and English. There are also speaking components to the Polish and English (and other foreign language) tests. The speaking for Polish consists of each student making a presentation and then being asked questions about it by a committee. From what I understand it is sort of like a shorter thesis defense.

I have become intimately connected with the English speaking component as I worked it countless times with my 3s and now with my 2s! For both levels the students have to talk about pictures and have conversations. On the basic level the student engages in three short conversations with the examiner. The first conversation is about asking for/giving information. The second is about relating some type of story. The third is a negotiation where the student is trying to convince the examiner to change his/her mind. Following these conversations, the student must describe a picture and answer two questions about it.

On the advanced level students describe and answer questions about a set of pictures, quotations, and a chart of some kind. These pieces of information are all connected in some way and the student is to explain their relationship and the problem that they represent. The students then must create an argument answering one of two questions. They must talk for at least three minutes without stopping and then answer questions related to structure and content.

These are some of the other subjects that students can choose to take tests in: French, German, Spanish, Russian, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, WOS (Society Studies), and Music. I think there are others, but I'm not sure. I also don't know much about the structure of these other tests.

I do not envy the students in all of the testing they have to go through. I remember vividly how stressful the two weeks of AP testing were, so I can hardly imagine having this last for three weeks! Despite this, I am happy to report that they seem to be in good spirits and with each test they complete they smile a little bigger. Just a week and a half left until they are completely free!

Blessings,
Colleen