North Macedonia state exam implementation

In the 2025–26 school year, North Macedonia implemented a new concept for external state exams, featuring three tracks: standard, professional, and artistic. The June session saw 14,587 registered candidates, resulting in an overall average score of 3.66. Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska described the results as “objective,” noting that while the average was slightly lower than the previous year’s 3.69, it represented a significant improvement over 2024’s 3.26.

Following the June session, an August exam session was scheduled for August 12 and 14. This session included 1,328 students for the state matura, 126 for the vocational matura, and six for the arts matura. The August session specifically accommodated 226 graduates whose June exams were annulled due to irregularities. To mitigate cheating, the State Examination Center planned to hold exams in amphitheaters to limit mobile phone usage.

For the August session, the State Examination Center (SEC) confirmed that on August 12, students will take elective external exams in either mathematics or English, as no candidates registered for history or other foreign languages. The mandatory external exams in literature and mother tongue are set for August 14. Due to the reduced number of candidates compared to June, testing will be consolidated across eight locations in four cities: Skopje, Tetovo, Prilep, and Shtip. In Skopje, exams will be held at the ‘Boro Petrushevski’ sports hall and the Economic, Civil Engineering, and Pedagogical faculties.