Czech Culture: Maturita Exams

Written by Brittany

During the first and third weeks of May, our fourth year (senior) students took their final exam called the Maturita.

This is different than any type of exam we do in the US. Each student picks 3 or 4 subjects they want to graduate in. Within those subjects there are 25-30 topics they must be prepared for. So within the subject of English, they could be asked anything ranging from American cuisine to Irish history to places to visit in Australia. Needless to say, the range is very broad.

Students begin with the written portion during the first week of exams. They take a written exam for each of the subjects they have chosen. Most of our students said that the written part was the easy part. In English, the written portion consists of reading, writing, & listening.

The second week of exams is the more difficult part: the oral exam. For their oral exam, students pick one of the 25-30 topics from a bag and have 15 minutes to prepare what they will say. The oral exams are “open to the public,” which means anyone can come and watch them. We were able to watch three of our students do their oral exams. This is helpful for the younger students so they can see what the exams will be like, but I’m sure it is an added pressure for the students being examined.

There are two types of Maturita:

1.     The State exam – the state exam is a little easier. This type lasts for 15 minutes, but the students have to speak on their chosen topic for only 5 minutes, and then their teacher gives them other speaking tasks. These tasks would include describing & comparing two pictures and then having a short conversation with the teacher based on a given prompt.

2.     The School exam – the school exam is more difficult. Students have to speak for 15 minutes on their chosen topic. The teacher is allowed to ask questions to help the student think of more things to say, but for the most part, the student should be able to fill the full 15 minutes.

We were able to observe both types of exam, and the students we watched did very well. This exam is also much more formal than any US testing as the students and teachers (and even observers) should dress up for the exam. All our students wore suit coats and ties or skirts and blouses.

And Hallelujah, all our fourth year students passed! We are very proud of them & all the hard work they had to do to prepare & complete their exams. Now they are preparing for their university entrance exams – here you don’t just apply to university, you have to take a test to be accepted. So if they want to apply to a few universities, they have to take an entrance exam with each one. We wish them so much luck as they continue!!

Prayer Requests:

-       We go home in less than a month (yay!), but we still have 3 full weeks of school before we leave (Czech schools don’t get out until June 30), so prayers that we finish well and with good focus.

-       Our Visa situation – we’re now playing the waiting game again, so prayers for our peace/patience and that everything goes well.

-       Some members of our Teach Beyond team are moving back to the States this month and many others are traveling home, so prayers for safe travels as well as good transitions back into life in the US.

-       The American university students from CRU were a great group to have in our classrooms and have made some good friendships with our students, so prayers that those will continue even once they’ve left Prague.

Praises:

-       Our power went out for a while on Saturday night, but our landlord came over after 9pm to fix it for us. So grateful for him & his kindness!

-       We have friends from home coming to stay with us today, and they’ll be here until Friday!

-       We’ve had hot days, but have managed to find good shade outside & bought a new fan, so we haven’t suffered too much without air conditioning!

-       We have been meeting new people and making new friends at our church!