Communication

National Centre for Education
Vaļņu iela 2, Rīga, LV-1050.
Phone: +371 67216500,
Fax: +371 67223801.
E-pasts: visc@visc.gov.lv

map_en.jpg

Office hours:
Mon 8.30–18.00,
Tue–Thu 8.30–17.00,
Fri 8.30–16.00
Before the visit it is recommended
to contact the relevant specialists.

Stay connected

draugiem.lv

twitter.com

youtube.com


Statistika.gif
National Centre for Education administrates state examination system in Latvia.

Examinations

State examination system in Latvia is administrated by National Centre for Education, former Centre for Curriculum Development and Examinations (CCDE). CCDE or NCE is under the direct auspices of the Minister of Education and Science. NCE was established in 1994. Since 2001 NCE organises State language attestation and since 2002 NCE seeks to provide professional development opportunities for all teachers who are involved in comprehensive and interest education.

State examination (test, exam and centralized exam) is a special procedure developed on the basis of certain regularities to determine the knowledge and skills of a person.

Students in comprehensive secondary education have to pass state exams in 3rd grade, 6th grade and 9th grade.
Students in general secondary (upper) education have to pass minimum 4 state exams:

  • mandatory State exams: in Foreign Language, Math, Latvian Language;
  • one exam in subjects of the student’s choice.

Tests are evaluated by teachers of the relevant subjects, Exams by the examination commission of the educational establishment or educational board and Centralized exams by reviewers (teachers and lecturers of higher educational establishments) prepared by NCE.

State Examination is organized on a national level, so students can’t decide when he wants to pass the exam. Every year State Examination Schedule is approved by Cabinet of Ministers.

The progress of the students in centralized exams is expressed in points which are analysed according to the statistical formulas to arrive at an assessment in levels. The achieved progress is certified by the NCE Certificate. We have 11 centralized exams, 10 (three of them are mandatory minimum) in upper secondary and one in 9th grade.

Till 2011 the success in centralized exams was expressed in levels and the proportional performance in each part of the exam. The result is displayed in 6 levels - A, B, C, D, E and F. A is the highest, F is the lowest level. The levels are determined by the number of points (%) gained and the experts’ evaluation based on the description of the levels. Now results are trasfered just in % scale in each part of the exam and overall.

All results of centralized exams are used to arrange students for entering in University. Such system was established from 2004. Before that, Universities had their own entering exams. Some of them still have their own entering exams, but these are special cases (Medicine, Arts, Engineering, Law enforcement, Military etc.). Each year any student who has finished secondary school can take centralized exams as many as he wants, but each exam just once in the year. Then he can use the highest result to enter in University. These cases are very popular for people who have finished their secondary schools many years ago. When student take exams after secondary education or take them to rise his results, he receives new NCE Certificate, but NCE certificate is just appendix to his secondary education diploma, so it’s not affecting status or contents of this diploma.

We don’t have any age or prolong limit in upper secondary education and student can prolong his studies in secondary educational establishment, but in most cases they quit their studies or change educational establishment.