More than 26,000 lyceum graduates in Moldova will take Baccalaureate exams at 103 centers in the period between June 2 and June 19. Director of the Quality Assurance Agency Anatol Topala told a news conference that 7,533 of the candidates are students who didn’t pass the exams last year, IPN reports.

The national exams commission received 103 applications for providing specific assessment conditions for children with special educational needs. It was decided to allot by 60 minutes more to these candidates, for the written exams. When need be, an assistant will write in the test what the candidate will dictate. The candidates confined to bed will be provided with special equipment for taking the exams at the place of confinement.

Anatol Topala said 229 candidates with certificates showing that they took part in international contests in foreign languages and the Olympic students received the grade ‘10’ automatically and will not need to come to the given exams.

Deputy Minister of Education Igor Grosu reiterated that all the costs for organizing and holding the Baccalaureate exams are covered with money from the state budget. If the students or parents meet with situations when they are told to pay money, they should inform the Ministry of Education or the National Anticorruption Center.

Igor Grosu noted that the last amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which stipulate punishments for those that publish the exam questions with answers on the Internet, took effect. The students face a fine of 1,000 lei to 3,000, while the legal entities – of 5,000 to 8,000 lei. The persons holding a responsible position can lose the post for a period of three months to one year.

The candidates must come to the exam only with the identity card and a pen.