Ten high school graduates had their graduations canceled for using cell phones during exams; they will have to do it again.

As of now, 10 candidates have had their exams cancelled, with potential cancellations in mathematics exams being discussed by the School Examination Board. Vinko Filipovi, the director of the National Center for External Evaluation of Education, confirmed this information. All cases of cancelled exams involved students having cell phones in the exam room, which is against the rules. A single cancelled exam results in the cancellation of all other exams within that period, totaling 30 compulsory subject exams and six optional subject exams. These candidates have the option to take the fall term or wait until the following year.

Specific instances mentioned include two candidates with mobile phones during the English language exam, and eight with mobile phones during the Croatian language exam, five of whom had phones while writing essays. Further reasons for exam cancellations, such as impermissible content like threats, discriminatory messages, or vulgar content, may be revealed after evaluations. The rules regarding electronic devices and inappropriate content during exams have been emphasized this year, with strict consequences for violations.

The National Center for External Evaluation of Education has not reported any other issues with the matura exams conducted in 381 schools and six examination centers. Previous incidents of harsh penalties for minor mistakes in exams have prompted changes in the rules to prevent disproportionate consequences for students. Overall, the focus remains on maintaining the integrity and fairness of the exam process to ensure accurate assessment of students’ knowledge and skills.