The first mandatory matriculation exam in Bulgarian language and literature on May 20 will be held in 783 schools, where 13,800 quaestors will be assigned. This became clear at a briefing at the Ministry of Education and Science with the participation of the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Georgi Valchev, Deputy Minister Dr. Tanya Pancheva and experts involved in the organization and conduct of the state matriculation exams.
“An organization has been created, let all students and their families be calm“, said Minister Georgi Valchev. This year there is no change in the form and content of the state matriculation exams, and the only change is technical and is to facilitate the matriculation students and the overall process of conducting the matriculation exams. “These changes have not been communicated to the public, so we organized a press conference to clarify the implementation and so that there are no doubts about a poorly organized process“, explained Prof. Valchev.
In the upcoming session, the identification form with their personal data will always be linked to the first answer sheet and there is no need for them to separate it and put it additionally in a small envelope, which they will then put in the large envelope together with their exam paper. The same procedure will also be applied to the national external assessment after the 7th grade.
The decision was made last year. At the beginning of 2026, school principals were informed through the RBO and the system was prepared, because this procedure has been applied for several years for the national external assessment in the 4th and 10th grades. All organizational measures have been taken so that students are as relieved as possible, which will reduce stress and the possibility of technical errors. “The procedure is familiar to the system. Let the matriculants appear with confidence, show their knowledge and present themselves in the best way“, said Deputy Minister Dr. Tanya Pancheva.
The change does not carry any risk of violating the anonymity of the exam papers, because in the scanning process, only the answer sheet goes to the evaluators and when the work is evaluated, identification is performed using the single barcode. The evaluators have no information whose exam paper they are checking, and at the same time, the storage, cutting of the small envelopes and scanning of the identification form are avoided, which eases administrative procedures, shortens and facilitates the process.
Within the May session, the Ministry of Education and Science will organize 88 separate state matriculants exams. As before, a pen that writes in black ink will be used on them.
The second mandatory DZI in a profile subject on May 22 will be held in 1,434 schools, and the state exam for acquiring professional qualifications - in 617.
A total of over 23,700 examiners are involved in the state matriculation exams. The applications submitted for appearing for the mandatory matriculation exam in Bulgarian language and literature are over 53,000. For the second DZI in a profile subject, the applications are over 24,000, and for the state exam for acquiring professional qualifications - over 28,000.
With regard to the second mandatory matriculation exam in a profile subject, the trend from previous years is maintained, with the majority of matriculation students choosing English. The submitted applications for taking the matriculation exam in this profile subject are over 13,000.
The results of the state matriculation exams will be announced by June 11, and then within three days, the matriculants can familiarize themselves with their evaluated exam papers in the schools where they took the matriculation exams. As before, only technical errors will be able to be corrected. There is also the possibility of taking the exam for a higher grade according to the procedure of the State Educational Service, if the matriculant so wishes. This result does not change the grade in the diploma, but can serve for the purposes of applying to higher education.
The press conference was also attended by Evgeniya Kostadinova, Director of the Directorate “Content of Preschool and School“.