Student Assessment

Student assessment in vocational upper secondary education is regulated by the Law on Vocational Education. The testing and assessment of knowledge, skills and competences determines the students’ ability to attain the defined standards of knowledge, i.e. learning outcomes in accordance with the curriculum.

The performance from certain subjects is expressed by the following grades: excellent (5), very good (4), good (3), sufficient (2) and insufficient (1). Excellent, very good, good and sufficient grades are positive. Student assessment is done publicly, in front of all students, with provided explanation for the grade. Students must be assessed from all subjects, i.e. modules in each classification period. The assessment of knowledge, skills and competences of students is done for all subjects, modules and exams, in accordance with the relevant curriculum. Oral or written examinations, exercises, seminars or graphic papers, tests, assignments, graphic, practical and other tasks and their defence, services, performances, etc. are tested and evaluated. The knowledge assessment of students with special educational needs is done in a manner in which a student can best express the knowledge they acquired, in accordance with the individualised developmental curriculum.

A student has completed a school grade if, he/she has received positive marks for all subjects. The overall student performance is determined as the average value of positive marks obtained for all subjects.

A student has completed a grade:

• with excellent performance, if he/she has achieved the average result of at least 4.50;

• with very good performance, if he/she has achieved the average result of at least 3.50;

• with good performance, if he/she has achieved the average result of at least 2.50;

• with sufficient performance, if he/she has achieved the average result of at least 2.

The manner and procedure for student assessment in vocational education is more closely regulated by the Rulebook on the manner and procedure of assessment of vocational school students, the Rulebook on the manner of assessment and the procedure for verifying the achievements of school-based practical education and the Rulebook on the manner and procedure for completing annual exam at the secondary art school adopted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation.

Vocational education ends after the successful completion of the final grade in accordance with the Law on Vocational Education and the Rulebook on the manner and procedure for taking the practical, final, vocational and graduation exam.

Lower vocational education ends by completion of practical exam. In a three-year vocational school, a student takes the final exam. In a four-year vocational school, a student takes a vocational exam. Upper vocational education ends by completing the graduation exam.

The Law on Vocational Education stipulates that the vocational exam consists of a general and professional part. The vocational exam can be external and internal. The external vocational exam is taken by students who wish to continue their education at higher education institutions. The general education part of the exam includes Montenegrin or mother tongue and literature and Mathematics or the first foreign language in accordance with the educational programme. A student can take foreign language and mathematics at the basic or upper level, according to the examination catalogue. The vocational part of the exam includes a theoretical subject, i.e. professional theory. The theoretical subject, or the professional theory significant for the relevant educational profile, is studied in at least two grades, two periods per week and is defined by the curriculum.

The preparation of examination materials and evaluation of the results of all three parts of the vocational exam is the responsibility of the Examination Centre. The procedures are regulated by the Rulebook on the manner and procedure for taking the vocational exam for students who wish to continue their education.

Students who choose the labour market after completing a four-year curriculum instead of continuing their education take internal vocational exam, which is entirely organized by school. The exam also contains a general education component comprising Montenegrin or language or mother tongue and literature, mathematics or the first foreign language, in accordance with the educational programme. Students take foreign language and mathematics at basic level. At the vocational part of the exam students prepare and defended vocational work. The exam is taken in accordance with the Rulebook on the manner and procedure of taking the vocational exam for students who do not wish to continue their education.

The graduation exam consists of the preparation and defence of the graduation paper.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation has created a web portal for parents www.ocjene.edu.me which enables parents to monitor grades, absence and the conduct of their child. The portal also allows parents to communicate with the class teacher and offers information on scheduled parent-teacher meetings, as well as other information. To register on the portal, parents receive a username and password from the class teacher, the entry of which provides them with access to information about the child, which are recorded in the MEIS application. When accessing the portal, a parent is only provided with information related to his/her child. The portal gives an overview of all grades per subject (oral examination, written examination and tests, final grades, etc.) as well as information on when the grades were recorded in the MEIS application. For each subject there is a chronological overview of grades, as well as the average grade. The portal for parents was created within the MEIS project (Montenegrin Education Information System).

Progression of Students

A student progresses to the succeeding grade if he/she has received positive marks from all subjects and modules, in accordance with provisions of the Law on Vocational Education. A student with maximum three insufficient marks at the end of the school year, has to take makeup exam in order to complete the grade. A student who has failed to pass the makeup exam does cannot complete the grade. A student with more than three insufficient marks at the end of the school year also cannot complete the grade. A student can repeat the same grade once. Throughout secondary vocational education a student may repeat a grade twice.

A student may complete a grade by taking supplemental and equivalency examination as well as final grade examination. Final grade examination at the end of the teaching year, i.e. school year is taken by a student who, for justified reasons, was not graded at the end of the academic year from one or more subjects. A student should also take final grade examination in subjects for which he/she did not attend at least one third of the number of periods envisaged by the curriculum for the teaching year. Final grade examination may also be taken by gifted students, students who receive parallel education and students who train for and compete in a particular sport, whether independently or within a sports club, at the proposal of the national sports association.

Taking makeup, supplementary, equivalency and final grade examination is regulated by Rulebook on the procedure for taking makeup, supplementary, equivalency and final grade examination in vocational schools.

A student who has demonstrated excellent skills during his/her education and shown great performance may complete two grades during one school year, namely: one grade through regular attendance, and another by taking final grade examination at the end of the teaching year. The decision on the progression of students is made by the school council of teachers, following the proposal of class teacher.

The school, teachers and employer are obliged to provide this student with assistance in preparing for final grade examination by giving instructions for mastering the materials for individual subjects, referring to textbooks, manuals and other literature, using classrooms, laboratories, workshops, occasional attendance of the next grade and in other ways. The general act of the school closely determines the method of progression of students who show exceptional abilities and achieve excellent performance.

Certification

The Law on Vocational Education prescribes an obligation of institution carrying out publicly valid educational programmes to issue public documents. At the end of each grade, a student receives a final report card. After completing the practical, final or vocational exam, a student receives a diploma. Rulebook on the form and manner of keeping pedagogical records and the content of public documents in schools regulates the form and content of the final report card, diploma and other documents schools have to keep or issue to vocational school students. An integral part of the diploma on obtaining a level of education in a vocational school is a diploma supplement that has been harmonized with EUROPASS.

Completed vocational education allows one to continue education at related higher education institutions, in accordance with adequate regulations from the field of higher education.