KGMSN about final exams of 9th and 12th grades

According to the schedule established by the order of the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the graduates of the 9th grade will take final exams in the following subjects:

• Joint essay of “Literature” and “History of Armenia” subjects
examination in science subjects in the form of a test or a study project
• “Armenian language” (written): test
• “Mathematics” (written): test
• “Foreign language” (from the foreign languages ​​taught at the given institution, chosen by the learner): oral
• “Physical education” – test
Students of classes taught in Russian also take an exam in the subject “Russian Literature” (oral).
• Students of ethnic minority classes also take an exam in their native language and literature (oral).

The final exams of the 9th grade will be organized in educational institutions.

At the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the final exam in the subjects “Literature” and “History of Armenia” in the 9th grade will be carried out in the format of an essay, through a written work integrating the content of both subjects. The need to introduce the essay format stems from the requirement for the formation of abilities defined by the State Standard of General Education and envisages the development of students’ analytical and critical thinking, the ability to see cause-and-effect relationships, the ability to constructively formulate their own thoughts in writing, as well as the ability to apply interdisciplinary connections.

Learners present their position on a topic based on studied literary works and historical events, which allows them to assess their comprehensive thinking and ability to make connections between different disciplines, which is an important component of modern education.

The learner will complete one integrated written work, which will be evaluated by relevant specialists, teachers of literature and history, with a separate 20-point system. The averaged score of the two assessments will be considered the student’s final score in the integrated exam, providing an assessment of the work from the professional perspective of both subjects and forming a more accurate picture of the student’s overall preparation.

In the text of the exam essay, there is no separate check of grammar or spelling knowledge of the Armenian language, considering that a mandatory test is scheduled for the same student. During the essay check, the student’s ability to understand the content of the topic, to present facts and ideas about it, to compare and analyze literary and historical materials is emphasized. Essay exam topics are developed by responsible education professionals and provided to schools for examination purposes.

Starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, all students of the 9th grade of RA public schools can take the final exam of science subjects also in the format of an educational project, while maintaining the test method of the exam. The process is regulated by the 2012 Decree of the Minister of Education and Science. in accordance with the procedure established by the order No. 388-N of May 3.

The approach of passing an exam through project work was introduced, taking into account that in grades 1-11 of public schools, new curricula based on the state standard of General Education are already implemented, which prioritize the provision of the end results defined by the standard in the field of science education, the applied nature of the acquired knowledge, the development of research thinking and the formation of interdisciplinary connections.

This approach allows students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in various science disciplines, promotes the implementation of research work, data collection and analysis, the formulation of justified conclusions, as well as the identification and application of substantive connections between different subject areas, ensuring the formation of the capabilities envisaged by the standard.

The project work can be carried out in the subjects “Physics”, “Chemistry”, “Biology” or “Geography” according to the student’s choice. The project must include a combination of at least two science subjects and correspond to the content of the curricula of grades 7-9.

The list of project topics is published by the “National Center for Education Development and Innovations” Foundation. In schools, teachers and students together choose the topic, make the project plan and submit it for approval in the prescribed manner.

Implementation of projects in schools begins in March, and defense of projects is organized in the last week of May. During the defense, students present their work, research results and conclusions.

The project is evaluated on a 20-point system based on several components designed by the project-based learning concept. The evaluation is carried out by the teachers who participated in the implementation of the project, and the average result of their evaluations is considered the final evaluation of the student.

If desired, the learner can refuse the project work and participate in the final exam of the same subject in a test format. He also has the opportunity to participate in the test exam in order to get a higher result. in this case, the highest obtained score will be considered the final grade of the student’s final exam.

In the 2025-2026 academic year, the graduates of the 12th grade of RA schools will pass the state final exams according to the logic and content of the previous years’ exams. no new approach is defined. The only exception is the schools of Tavush marz, where for the second year already, students take state final exams 3 times: in January and June, with the content of the old standard, and in July, with the new content of the National Academic Standard.

In the 2026-2027 school year, graduates who have already completed the 12th grade will take final and joint exams in accordance with the requirements of the new state standard of general education, as well as subject standards and programs approved by the orders of the Minister of Education and Culture.

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