Rome – 2026 final exams: the essay is gone, only four oral subjects will be offered: the first exam is on June 18th. This morning, the Ministry published the subjects for the second written exam and the four oral exams required for each major.
Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara commented: "An exam that values student autonomy, merit, and responsibility."
Latin at the Classical High School; Mathematics at the Scientific High School; Humanities at the Humanities High School; Business Economics for technical institutes in the economic sector, majoring in "Administration, Finance, and Marketing"; Tourism and Business Studies for technical institutes in the economic sector, majoring in "Tourism"; Design, Construction, and Systems for the majoring in "Construction, Environment, and Territory."
These are some of the subjects chosen for the second written exam of the #Maturità2026, in accordance with Decree No. 13 of January 29, 2026, signed by the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara. The four subjects for the oral exam were also defined at the same time. The Maturità exam will be conducted according to the structure defined by Legislative Decree 62/2017, as amended by Decree Law 127/2025, converted into Law 164/2025: a first written exam in Italian, common to all study programs, which will take place starting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2026; a second written exam covering the subjects characterizing the individual study programs; and an oral exam.
This year, the final exam will return, with a radically revamped oral exam. We've eliminated the discussion of the document, which forced students to make forced interdisciplinary connections, creating unnecessary apprehension among students, partly due to its unpredictable nature, and which didn't necessarily include a disciplinary assessment. We've opted to focus on an interview covering four disciplines, during which candidates will be able to demonstrate not only their level of knowledge and skills, but also their degree of autonomy and responsibility.
Hence the importance of extracurricular activities, whether sporting or cultural. Hence the importance of particularly meritorious achievements. Hence also the need to repeat the year for those who refuse to be evaluated in the oral exam. In a society that needs to rediscover the value of the final exam, the new oral exam allows the student to be fully appreciated as a person,” declared Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara.
Starting this school year, the examination boards will consist of an external chair, two internal members, and two external members. The exam focuses on four subjects.
During the interview, the candidate will also present their experience in school-to-work training activities and the skills acquired in civic education. If the internal candidate receives a behavioral assessment of six out of ten in the final assessment, the interview will also include the presentation of a critical essay on active and supportive citizenship, assigned by the class council.
For high schools, the subjects chosen are: Latin for the Classical High School; Mathematics for the Scientific High School, including the Applied Sciences major and the Sports major; Foreign Language and Culture 1 for the Linguistic High School; Humanities for the Humanities High School (Law and Political Economy for the Economic-Social major); Project-based disciplines specific to each major for the Art High School; Theory, Analysis, and Composition for the Music High School; and Dance Techniques for the Dance High School.
For technical institutes: Business Economics for the "Administration, Finance, and Marketing" major (including the "International Relations for Marketing" and "Business Information Systems" sub-divisions) and Tourism and Business Disciplines for the "Tourism" major; Design, Construction, and Plants for the "Construction, Environment, and Territory" major; in the "Information Technology and Telecommunications" major, Systems and Networks for both the "Information Technology" and "Telecommunications" sub-divisions; Crop Production for the "Production and Transformation" and "Environmental and Land Management" sub-divisions of agricultural institutes (Viticulture and Vine Protection for the "Viticulture and Oenology" sub-division).
All exam subjects will also be available to students in the reserved area of the platform www.unica.istruzione.gov.it.
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Comments (1)
This new structure for the final exam seems quite complex; I'm afraid it might confuse students rather than help them. Fewer oral exams but more responsibility could be a difficult challenge to meet.