In Italy, which is a well-established country in education, education between the ages of 6 and 16 is compulsory within the education system. In other words, the age of starting school in Italy is 6 as a compulsory education system in Italy.
The education system in Italy is divided into five stages. The first is a kindergarten (scuola dell’infanzia). It covers the ages of 3-6 but is not compulsory. The next stage is a primary school (scuola primaria). The education period of this school is 5 years. Students are educated here between the ages of 6-11. The next stage is a secondary school (scuola secondaria di primo grado or scuola media inferiore). Education here is in the 11-14 age range and lasts 3 years. The post-secondary stage is high school.
There are 3 different options in high school education (scuola secondaria di secondo grado or scuola media superiore). These are Liceo (Straight High School), Istituto Tecnico (Technical Institute), and Istituto Professionale (Professional Institute). In the first two years, students take common courses such as Italian language, mathematics, and history. In the last 3 years, they have taken more specific field courses than the high schools they chose. Students who pass the “maturità” exam at the end of high school education can continue their university education.
You can read our “Study University in Italy” article.
Maturità – What is Matura?
Matura or (Matur, Maturita, Maturità, Maturität, Mатура) exam is administered in many countries as a high school graduation exam. It is an examination that young people who have completed high school education must pass in order to continue to university or similar higher education institutions. Some of the countries where Matura is applied are Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
The next stage is university education (università). Except for a few departments in Italy, undergraduate education lasts 3 years, and graduate education takes 2 years. In some departments, undergraduate and graduate education are provided together. Universities in Italy are divided into 4 groups:
- State-funded public universities: In this category, there are the majority of Italian universities, especially the largest and well-established universities.
- Universities are financed by different public authorities (regional as opposed to the State): as in the example of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.
- Private universities recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR): Universities such as Bocconi, Cattolica.
- Universities that focus only on postgraduate education (Scuola Superiore Universitaria): Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa can be given as an example.
For detailed information, you can check our “What is Maturità Diploma” article.
Education System in Italy – Italian Grading System
Grades are given out of 30 in universities within the education system in Italy. Although the passing grade is determined by the faculty members, it is not less than 18 points. The education system in Italy gives the right to take an exam 6 times. If you do not like the grade or fail, you can re-enter the exam at a later date. Exams are usually written and oral. In addition, according to your department, projects or other studies are taken into consideration. However, the examination system is different in the undergraduate and graduate departments.
Undergraduate Education
In Italy, a 2 or 3-stage examination system is generally used in undergraduate education. The first exam is usually done in writing, and you need to get 18 points or more to be able to take the other exam. The next stage is in the form of an oral exam, and a broader measurement is made of the written lesson. Generally, after the written and oral exams in the technical departments, a different exam is also held for your project or field.
For detailed information, you can check our “Study Undergraduate in Italy” article.
Master(Graduate) Education
The examination system in graduate education in Italy is generally in the form of a single final exam, not a visa final as in our country. However, universities are fully autonomous institutions, and faculty members can take exams in the format they want. The participation of students in the lessons is aimed, and different practical studies such as articles and projects are made according to the departments.
What is the Pass Grade in the Education System in Italy?
The passing grade in Italy is 18 out of 30.
Rankings of the Universities in Italy
Among the top 500 universities in Europe, Italy is the third country with the highest number of universities. In this sense, it is one of the best countries in Europe.
For detailed information, you can check our “Best Universities in Italy” article.
