In all countries, certificates are awarded to students who complete general upper secondary education and have met the set requirements. Upper secondary education certificates normally constitute the minimum requirement for admission to tertiary education.
In six countries – Spain, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and Turkey – the certificate is awarded on the basis of continuous assessment during the final year or years of general secondary education. In Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, two certificates may be awarded at the end of general upper secondary education: one is based on the marks received for work during the final school year; and the second is awarded on the basis of a final examination.
Thus, in the majority of European countries, certification follows some form of final examination. In most cases, it is based on a combination of internal assessment and external examination. However, in Belgium, Finland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the certificate is awarded only on the basis of an internal final examination, whereas in Ireland, France, Malta, Romania, Slovenia and Croatia, it is based exclusively on an external final examination.
Figure F16: Certified assessment at the end of general upper secondary education (ISCED 3), 2010/11
Source: Eurydice.
In the majority of countries, the final examination is in two parts, written and oral. In Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, Portugal, Finland and Croatia, only written exams are taken. At this level of education, the written examination is very often compiled by a body external to the school, or it may be administered by the institution and externally verified as in the case of Austria and Liechtenstein.
Final grade based only on the marks and the work over the year
Final grade based on work over the year and an internal final examination
Final grade combining internal assessment and an external (or externally verified) final examination Final grade based only
S E C T I O N I I I – A S S E S S M E N T
In most countries where the final examination is in two parts (written and oral), these are organised in the same manner, either within the school or by an external body. In the Netherlands, the final examination consists of two tests: an internal test (schoolexamen), which is oral and/or written and set and marked by the teacher, and an external test (centraal examen), which is written, set by an external body and marked by teachers according to the standards established by the external body. In the majority of countries, the final grade is awarded by teachers within the school who decide what marks students should get. Teachers decide whether to award the certificate on their own initiative, or on the basis of externally defined criteria or by weighting the student marks with reference to an ex- ternal grade. In several countries, the final grade is awarded solely by an examining body or persons from outside the school. This applies to Ireland, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom (Scotland) and Croatia. In the United Kingdom (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), the final grade is also awarded by examiners from outside the school. Although internal assessment may also contribute, the external awarding organisation remains responsible for the control and moderation of any internal assessment and for the overall grade awarded.
Figure F17: Characteristics of certified assessment at the end of general upper secondary education (ISCED 3), 2010/11
When there is a WRITTEN/ORAL examination, it is set by:
the school (internally) the school with external verification an external body/authority
Written Oral
The final grade is given by:
students' teachers, based on their own criteria teachers, but weighted by an external grade teachers, on the basis of criteria defined by an external body external examiners
Source: Eurydice. UK (1) = UK-ENG/WLS/NIR
Explanatory note
The map shows the certified assessment at the end of general upper secondary education giving access to tertiary education. In the case of countries where two certificates are awarded, both have been taken into account when choosing the categories for the map, even if one certificate on its own does not provide for admission to tertiary education.
In the category ‘final grade combining internal assessment and an external (or externally verified) final exam’, the internal assessment can mean a final internal test, an evaluation of the marks obtained or the coursework done during the year or over several years.
Country specific notes
Belgium (BE nl): Schools have a large degree of autonomy for assessing students. They can decide whether or not examinations are organised and, if so, whether they are written or oral. Legislation only states that students need to obtain the final targets; it is up to the school, or class council, to assess whether or not students have succeeded.
Estonia: Oral examinations apply for languages and the practical component of some subjects, e.g. sciences, arts, etc.
Ireland: Some elements of course work (project work completed throughout the school year) count towards the final mark that students achieve in the external examination. The marks for this work are, in almost all cases, assigned by external examiners for work carried out in school.
E D U C A T I O N A L P R O C E S S E S
Greece: According to a regulation submitted to the House of Parliament, students in the third class of day-time general upper secondary schools had the option to acquire a secondary school leaving certificate without having to sit for the National Greek exams of the school year 2010/11. Students were examined at school level in all the subjects of the third class of general upper secondary in matters defined by the relevant teaching association.
Latvia: One part of the foreign languages examination in upper secondary education is oral, and is set by the National Centre for Education.
Hungary, Poland and Finland: At this level, two different certificates may be obtained.
Malta: Oral examinations exist for languages and the practical component of some subjects, e.g. sciences, arts, etc.
United Kingdom (ENG/WLS/NIR): Apart from written exams, there may be practical assessments. Oral examinations only apply to certain subjects such as modern languages. External qualifications are taken on a single-subject basis. They are certified by independent awarding bodies, which are government-regulated. Assessment schemes vary but always incorporate external assessment. Some also include externally moderated internal assessment. GCSEs (age 16) incorporate controlled internal assessment for most subjects; this is assessment taken under supervised conditions and is either set externally and marked internally or set internally and marked externally. A levels (age 18) are assessed externally for most subjects but may also incorporate some externally moderated internal assessment.