Almost 80% of the eighth graders passed this year’s National Examination, up 10% compared to last year, said the Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu.

The Romanian grading system varies between 1 and 10, with 10 the highest grade and 1 the lowest one. To pass an exam, students must get over 5.

“The tests had an average difficulty level,” said the Minister, but several parents and teachers said the tests were light, reports local Hotnews.ro.

The number of candidates who took part at both examinations, namely Romanian language and mathematics, amounted to 158,568, similar to last year. In Bucharest, the percentage of those who received grades above 5 reached 89%.

Students in Romania need to pass the National Examination, when they graduate from the eighth grade. High school admission is based on the National Examination results and the average grades during the four secondary school years.

editor@romania-insdier.com