georgia – Page 2 – National Assessment and Examinations Center

Student Grant Competition 2023

Grant competition 2023 started on Wednesday, the 12th. More than 3,000 students who endeavor to obtain or improve educational funding joined the examination process. The Grant Competition has been held since 2007 and is a unique opportunity for students to get or increase merit based state grants.

All undergraduate students of accredited higher educational institutions, who have either not received a grant at all, or have only partial funding, have the right to participate in the competition. If the student is unable to improve the funding, he/she retains the previously obtained grant and remains entitled to re-register for the student grant competition each subsequent year (the grant does not finance additional semesters).

The National Assessment and Examinations Center has developed a test format specifically for this exam, and each year, test items are tailored for students to assess their general academic skills. Conducting the grant competition in the form of a centralized exam creates equal conditions for students of different universities and increases the motivation to study harder.

A foreign language exam for entrants was also held on the 12th of July. The next exam will be in biology on July 14.

Exams 2023 Have Started

On Monday, July the 3rd, centralized exam rollercoaster took off in Georgia. The first exam from the list of the Unified National Examinations was held in two sessions. The registration for the first session began simultaneously at 24 exam centers throughout the country at 08:00 sharp. The exam started at 09:00. The second session started at 15:00 and the registration was open from 14:00.

The Director of the NAEC Sophia Gorgodze as well as the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Giorgi Amilakhvari and the Deputy Minister Gela Geladze visited the exam centers to observe the process on the spot.

The first exam sessions have passed peacefully, however many more intense days are ahead for the National Assessment and Examinations Center as the record number of registered applicants (more than 45000) will be testing out their skills and knowledge within the upcoming weeks.

This year the exam centers operate in Tbilisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Poti, Akhaltsikhe, Gori, Ozurgeti, Rustavi, Telavi and Khulo. For the first time, the examination center was opened in Ambrolauri.

All centers are equipped with a cooling system and all the necessary infrastructure. Ambulances, rescue service and patrol police are mobilized at the examination centers. Additional public transport with a standard rate has been allocated to get to the exam centers.

The 2023 exams will conclude on the 26th of July. In parallel with the Unified National Exams in 2023, the National Assessment and Examinations Center is also conducting a Common Master’s Degree Exam and a Student Grant Competition. The center will also conduct the Subject/Professional Skills/Senior Special Teacher Examinations. In total, more than 75,000 applicants are registered for the 2023 exams.

Annual Meeting with Exam Center Administrators and Coordinators

On Monday, the 26th the National Assessment and Examinations Center hosted exam center coordinators and administrators to discuss the final updates regarding exams 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by the Director of the NAEC Dr. Sophia Gorgodze and the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Gela Geladze.

24 administrators and the same number of coordinators attended the annual working meeting. The heads of the various divisions shared the latest improvements and modifications of the examination process.

Annual meetings are usually held a week before the examination period to ensure the exam center representatives are fully equipped with relevant information and operate the exam centers efficiently, so that all applicants have a fair and standardized testing experience.

The exams 2023 will begin on July the 3rd and conclude on the 26th of July. Examination centers will be operating in Tbilisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Poti, Akhaltsikhe, Gori, Ozurgeti, Rustavi, Telavi Khulo and Ambrolauri.

Exams Schedule 2023

On Thursday, the 15th Dr. Sophia Gorgodze, the director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center held a briefing regarding the 2023 exam schedule.

Unified National Exams will start on July 3 with the Georgian language and conclude on July 26.

Detailed information about times and dates as well as the address of an exam center will be indicated on the exam card. The examinees will be able to print the cards from their accounts after June 20.

More than 75,000 applicants registered for Exams 2023.

A record number of examinees registered for the Unified National Exams – more than 45,000 entrants;
Student Grant Competition – more than 3,000;
Common Master’s Exam – more than 10,000;
Teacher’s Subject Competency Exam – more than 16,000;
Special Teacher Exam – about 2,500.

24 examination centers will be operating during this year’s exams throughout Georgia. Exam centers will be available in Tbilisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Poti, Akhaltsikhe, Gori, Ozurgeti, Rustavi, Telavi and Khulo. This year, for the first time, the examination center will be opened in Ambrolauri.

Exam schedule in Georgian can be found here.

The National Assessment and Examinations Center wishes success to all the applicants!

TIMSS 2023

On Friday, the 9^th Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2023 was completed in Georgia. 10 000 fourth and eighth grade students from 166 public and private schools took part in the research.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study is conducted in more than 70 countries worldwide. It is organized by International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). This year TIMSS marked the eighth cycle of the assessment since the inauguration of the study in 1995. Providing over 20 years of trend data, TIMSS has been a valuable tool for monitoring international trends in mathematics and science achievement at the fourth and eighth grades. Georgia has been participating in TIMSS from 2007 and the NAEC has been conducting the study ever since.

Like the previous TIMSS assessments, TIMSS 2023 will collect detailed information about curriculum and curriculum implementation, instructional practices, and school resources.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2023 was conducted in a fully electronic format. Like in other developed countries, for the first time in Georgia, students were tested using the online administration method. Together with the students, their parents, teachers and school principals participated in the research.

TIMSS achievement data are accompanied by a rich array of contextual questionnaire data about how countries around the world deliver and improve learning in mathematics and science. Trend results across study cycles permit countries to monitor the effectiveness of their educational systems in a global context.

In order to ensure highly efficient administration of the survey, the National Assessment and Examinations Center conducted nationwide trainings for survey proctors and administrators. 242 representatives of 166 schools participated in the trainings.

It is important that in the current cycle the participation rate of students, teachers, principals and parents were particularly high in Georgia. The research was conducted across the country in full compliance with international recommendations and standards. The research process was monitored and evaluated by international quality control monitors.

The results of the study will be available in 2024.

“Assessment for Development” Pilot Testing

On Friday, the 5th intensive pilot testing was successfully completed within the framework of the project “Assessment for Development”. Four days of testing started on the 2nd of May. Each day, up to 14,000 students from 770 public schools were involved in each session.

4th and 6th graders were tested in mathematics, as well as in Georgian language and literature. Pilot testing aimed to test the functionality and the test format of the e-assessment platform.

Dr. Sophia Gorgodze, director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center visited the public school No 122 and observed the testing process on the spot. No errors were detected during the testing, the system proved to be fully functioning smoothly with 14 000 simultaneous entries.

The National Assessment and Examinations Center started working on the project “Assessment for Development” back in 2019. Since then, a number of pilots have been conducted in order to refine the electronic platform and the testing format, as well as adapt it to the needs of the school as much as possible.

The project “Assessment for Development” aims to assess the achievements of fourth and sixth graders in Georgian and mathematics. The testing is conducted entirely by electronic software: students complete the tasks electronically, and the results are also available electronically.

In the future, the project will give the school the opportunity to observe the trends in teaching and learning both at the individual class level and at the school level in general. In addition, the results will help students and parents gain information about students’ strengths and weaknesses. It should be noted that the obtained points are not reflected in the student’s annual assessment.

CERTUS – English Language Proficiency Testing

On Wednesday, the 19th the representatives of the public and private universities of Georgia got together at NAEC to discuss the partnership within the framework of the project “CERTUS”.

The National Assessment and Examinations Center’s assessment platform “CERTUS” is a great way to test English language proficiency and obtain a certificate in a flash.

During the presentation the author of the project, the Head of Foreign Languages Subject Group Rusudan Tkemaladze spoke about the contents of the test. According to Ms. Tkemaladze the test evaluates examinee’s level of grammatical structures, vocabulary, as well as reading, listening, speaking and writing skills.

The level of language proficiency is determined in accordance with the levels set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – C1 (high) , B2 (above average), B1 (medium), A2 (below average), A1 (elementary).

The test consists of four parts:

1. Reading and use of English;

2. Listening;

3. Speaking;

4. Writing.

The examinee can take the test fully or partially. The parts of the test can be passed in any sequence.

“CERTUS” is a computer based test. Therefore, the results of reading comprehension and use of English will be revealed upon completion. However, the results of the speaking and listening parts will be known within 10 working days.

The CERTUS language proficiency certificate is recognized by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia, as well as accredited private and public higher education institutions.

The registration for the very first “CERTUS” exam is now open.

Unified National Examinations 2023 Statistics of Optional Subjects

More than 45,000 entrants registered for the Unified National Exams 2023.

About 22,200 entrants chose history;
Mathematics – more than 15,700 applicants;
Biology – more than 3,600 applicants;
Chemistry – more than 2,600 applicants;
Geography – more than 2,200 applicants;
Physics – up to 700 applicants;
Literature – up to 1,300 entrants;
Civic education – more than 2,000 entrants;
More than 300 entrants chose fine and applied arts.

Registration for the 2023 exams concluded on April 3, however applicants had the opportunity to make changes to the list of subjects to be taken or to change the language of the exam until April 13 at 18:00.

The participants in the unified national exams will be able to make changes in the list of educational programs until the day after the publication of the appeal results. The specific number will be published in August.

National School Olympiad Results

National School Olympiad results are already available. 120 brightest minds from around 60 000 pupils have won the major national educational contest in twelve different subjects.

The National Assessment and Examinations Center has been organizing and administering National School Olympiads since 2009. The winners of the national rounds are typically awarded with diplomas and gifts. These students also compile teams for international Olympiads.

National School Olympiads are an excellent platform to hone the learning process of students. Olympiads improve the performance of students in a big way. These exams let in an optimistic approach in students. By participating in Olympiads, the students develop a natural aspiration to learn and gain knowledge.

The questions that come in National School Olympiads are mostly based on the syllabus of the school. The pattern of questions in this exam is somewhat different from that of the school. The students need to have a better and quicker ability to answer such questions.

More and more students are willing to participate in National School Olympiad. One of the reasons for these dynamics is the hybrid assessment model offered by NAEC. The first round of the Olympiad is held online giving all of the interested students an opportunity to try, while the second and the third rounds are administered in person.

Exams 2023 – Registration is Open

Online registration for the Unified National Examinations, Unified Masters Exam and Student Grant Competition started today at 10:00 AM. Eligible applicants should register at online.naec.ge until the 3^rd of April 18:00 PM.

The Unified National Examinations are centralized, high-stakes and computer based. The whole process is standardized, every procedure including test development, administration, marking and appellation is in compliance with established regulations and applicants are in equal conditions. By means of valid, fair, and reliable educational assessment the NAEC contributes to the improvement of the quality of education in Georgia.

On Wednesday, the 1st the director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center sat down with media to discuss the registration procedures.

Dr. Sophia Gorgodze encouraged the entrants to pay attention to the registration regulations and deadlines highlighted at the NAEC’s annual “Guideline for Entrants”.

The document includes a list of educational programs, frequently asked questions, news and all the important topics related to the upcoming examination process.

Further information regarding the procedures, fees and other relevant issues are available at www.naec.ge