Due to the pandemic, the Matura was made much easier from the main date in May and June 2020. For example, the oral Matura was only voluntary, and the grades of the final classes were included in the Matura grades (from 2021 only after reaching a threshold). In addition, the working time for the written exams was extended by 60 minutes, the presentation of pre-scientific work or diploma theses was only voluntary.
More passed and weir privileges
Not only did more students pass the exams overall – more merits were also achieved (maximum grade point average of 1.5 and no “sufficient” or “insufficient”, note). In 2021, 23.6 percent of the students completed their Matura with excellent results. Before the pandemic, only between 15 and 17 percent managed to do this; in the first year of the pandemic, 2020, it was 19 percent.
Due to the better exam results and the inclusion of the grades from the final year, only around two percent of the total grades in the written math Matura were negative in 2021 at both the AHS and the BHS (before the pandemic: at the AHS four to six percent, at BHS five to seven percent), in English it was only 0.6 percent at both AHS and BHS (before the pandemic: at AHS two to three percent, at BHS two percent).
All this does not mean, however, that there are now masses more high school graduates. Most of those candidates who had not passed the exam on the main date before the pandemic caught up on one of the side dates. Nevertheless, at least after the first Corona year (the second has not yet been evaluated, note) there is a higher success rate even after including the first two side dates in autumn and winter.
This year, the simplifications are to be taken back somewhat: For example, the oral Matura must be completed again and the pre-scientific work or diploma thesis must also be presented. However, the grades from the final year will still be included in the Matura grades, as will the longer working hours for the written exam.
Source: Nachrichten
