La Spezia student fails high school exam after being caught with a smartphone

A student in La Spezia was discovered using a smartphone during the written portion of Italy’s 2026 high‑school graduation exams (Maturità). Under Ministry of Education (Miur) regulations that ban phones, smartwatches and any portable electronic devices, the candidate was immediately excluded from all exam sessions, resulting in an automatic failure.

The exam commission’s report remains confidential, and the Ministry’s zero‑tolerance policy applies even to potential artificial‑intelligence assistance. Minister Giuseppe Valditara reiterated that the exams are intended to be a “living test” for students, emphasizing rigorous enforcement of the rules.

Both local reporting by Il Secolo  XIX and the ANSA news agency highlighted the incident, confirming that the student will not be allowed to take the oral exam, the final component of the Maturità.