Tallinn Honors Graduates Who Scored 100 Points on State Exams

On Friday, June 26, Tallinn honored graduates who scored a perfect 100 points on state exams. This year, there are 81 such top students, with the most high scores achieved in mathematics.

Not long ago, these students were preparing day and night for exams, and now the Education and Youth Board (Harno) recognizes their outstanding results. Out of over 12,000 test-takers, only 81 students across Estonia earned the full 100 points.

"I got 100 points in advanced mathematics and was very happy. It didn't surprise me—a month before the exam, my teacher whispered that she expected 100 points. It was a big responsibility, but everything worked out," said Elina Kortel, a graduate of Valga Gymnasium.

"I've loved math all my life, so I've basically been preparing forever. But I started solving problems intensively about two months before the exam," said Yuri Klepets, a graduate of Lasnamäe Gymnasium.

Soon, these graduates will begin a new chapter. Some will stay in Estonia, others plan to study abroad. "I'm going to study in Belgium, so the score doesn't really matter—I just needed to pass. Getting 100 points is a nice bonus," said Artur Jansen, a graduate of Tõnismäe Real School.

This year, the most top scores came in mathematics—65 graduates. Eight earned a perfect score in Estonian, seven in Estonian as a second language, and one in English. Nearly half of the students had taken the international Cambridge exam instead of English.

Alge Ilosaar, head of Harno's assessment center, noted: "The number of graduates with maximum results is similar to previous years. Among the 100-point earners, there were 46 girls and 35 boys. No one said the exams were harder, and the average results are comparable."

The Department of Education added that it doesn't matter where graduates continue their studies—the important thing is that the knowledge gained will benefit both them and Estonia.