The ninth and twelfth graders studying humanities will sit a history exam on December 15 and, respectively, January 18, before the final summer exam, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Education Ministry consultant Corina Lungu, the test papers this year are prepared by teachers of both preuniversity and university education institutions. “A novelty is that every student will receive by a collection of historical sources. There will be two points of the exam program - 50% of the history of Romanians and 50% of the universal history,” Corina Lungu said in a meeting of officials of general district and municipal education divisions responsible for the history discipline. Igor Sharov, dean of the Faculty of History and Philosophy of the State University of Moldova (USM), said the Education Ministry’s initiative to obligatorily introduce the history exam is very important from educative viewpoint. “The rector of the USM suggested admitting the winners of the first, second and third positions at district history Olympiads to the Faculty of History and Philosophy on a budget-funded place. By three places will be allocated for every district center,” said Igor Sharov. Ion Iovchev, head of the High School “Lucian Blaga”, said the history subject is very important for the students living on the left bank of the Nistru as they study the history of Russia there. “We are glad that the history exam was introduced on a mandatory basis after many years,” he stated. The students who took part in the meeting said the history exam should be obligatory so that the students know their nation and ancestors. On November 14, the Ministry of Education announced that history will be a compulsory exam for the ninth and twelfth graders studying humanities. The subject was removed from the list of graduation exams in 2004, in the period of the Communist government.