Die Ergebnisse der Abschlussprüfung sind da, die Doppelgänger brillieren, und die Zahl der Einsprüche ist Rekord: "AI macht immer größere Probleme"...

Over 29,500 students received their final results from this year’s state maturity exams, with two students achieving perfect scores across two subjects and a record number of complaints filed. The National Center for External Evaluation of Education (NCVVO) announced that the average grade across mandatory exams was 2.9, slightly lower than previous years. However, the number of complaints has reached unprecedented levels, with many submitted by artificial intelligence (AI). Only 51 candidates completed all exams without a single error, while two students achieved flawless results in two subjects. A total of 323 students wrote essays in Croatian with perfect scores, representing approximately 1.1 percent of participants. The number of appeals filed after provisional results was significantly higher than last year, reaching nearly 7,000. Of these, 63.1 percent were rejected, marking a consistent trend over recent years. Complaints were predominantly related to Croatian language, biology, and mathematics at the advanced level. One particularly notable case involved a student who failed to meet the word count requirement for an essay but submitted a complaint containing more than 2,000 words, which the evaluators identified as likely generated by AI. “It is very clear that this was created using artificial intelligence,” explained a representative from the NCVVO. The overall pass rate for the exams stood at 85.6 percent, with 16,002 students receiving negative grades after considering appeals. Among these, 12,515 negative evaluations were recorded in vocational schools, 2,507 in high schools, and 980 among other participants. Approximately 87.5 percent of the participants were regular candidates, with 41.1 percent being high school graduates and 58.9 percent coming from vocational schools. The remaining 12.5 percent included other types of participants, such as those taking the exam for the first time or retaking certain subjects. Two students stood out for achieving perfect scores on two demanding exams. One student from the XV Gymnasium in Zagreb scored perfectly in both advanced-level mathematics and physics, while another from the III Gymnasium in Osijek achieved top marks in advanced mathematics and chemistry. These exceptional performances highlight the rigorous nature of the exams, especially in subjects considered challenging, such as mathematics at the advanced level. Despite the difficulty, 17 students managed to achieve maximum scores in mathematics, followed by eight in basic-level English and six each in physics and German at the basic level. Five students also achieved perfect results in psychology and five in chemistry. The NCVVO's director, Vinko Filipović, noted that the number of perfect scores was lower compared to last year, when 70 percent of participants achieved 100 percent results. He emphasized that the average score of around three indicates well-balanced exams, though he expressed concern if the average had been significantly higher. “Such a result is expected given the difficulty of the tasks. I would not be happy if the average grade were 4.5 because that would mean the exams were not properly balanced,” he remarked. The increase in complaints, particularly those suspected to have been generated by AI, has raised concerns within the education system. With over 7,000 appeals processed, the rejection rate remained high, with only 36.9 percent accepted. This trend reflects ongoing challenges in maintaining the integrity of the evaluation process, especially as technology continues to evolve and influence academic practices.