The grading was once again digitized. So, the organizers also took an exam regarding the proper functioning of the system. There had been some technical issues during the national evaluation simulation for the 8th grade conducted a month ago.

Intensive work was done in many classes. The simulation covered all the material covered up until March.

"For mathematics, for example, I felt very prepared, or so I considered myself... for Romanian, I still had some work to do, as there were more literary works and more material to learn".

"It usually takes me about two hours to memorize an entire literary work, and another 2-3 hours to understand it properly".

With three months until the first exam sessions, future graduates should do practice tests almost daily, following the Baccalaureate subject model.

"- What grade do you think you will get on your practice tests?

- Between 6 and 9, depending on how attentive I was, how tired I was, and how much I had done before".

And a direct message to the candidates. The simulation should show you as accurately as possible what you know and what you can do in stressful situations. So, follow these rules before tests.

Put your ID card in your coat pocket the night before. Go to bed early, to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Have a sandwich in the morning. You can have a coffee, but make it weak. If emotions cause you physical discomfort, take a mild analgesic. And pack a banana, which you can eat before entering the exam room.

That way, you won't be tired, you won't feel hungry, so if things go wrong, you won't have anything to blame.

The grades will only be entered into the register upon request from the student or parent, yet the average from the simulation should be regarded as the baseline. Aim for more in the actual exam.

"- At what level do you think you are now?

- I think 8.

- Is that enough?

- Yes".

The exams were scanned at the end of each session and were graded once again online, on a dedicated platform. Even at this moment, there are reports indicating the absence of a warning system if the grading teacher deviates from what is established in the answer key.

Mihaela Popa, mathematics teacher: "I raise an alarm that differences between evaluators should not be allowed when grading multiple-choice questions. The evaluation of multiple-choice questions is clear, we can answer with a, b, c or d, so there is no room for interpretation".

The results of the simulation were published on March 15th.