At the end of upper secondary school in Italy, students sit the esame di Stato, universally known as the maturità. The Italian maturità exam is both a school-leaving certificate and a gateway to university, and its result follows students into applications, jobs and further study.
This guide explains how the Italian maturità exam works, what the written and oral tests involve, how the final mark out of 100 is calculated, and how students can prepare. It is written for students, parents and anyone comparing school systems across Europe.
What the Italian Maturità Exam Is
The Italian maturità exam concludes five years of upper secondary school, whether in a liceo, a technical institute or a vocational institute. Passing it awards the diploma di maturità, which is required for university entry in Italy.
Each school type has its own character, so the Italian maturità exam looks different for a classical liceo student, who faces Latin or Greek, than for a technical student, whose second written test reflects their specialisation. The structure is national, but the content follows the student's course.
Written Tests in the Italian Maturità Exam
The Italian maturità exam traditionally includes two written tests. The first is Italian language and literature, common to all students, asking them to analyse texts or write an argumentative essay. The second is specific to the student's field of study.
Written tests are prepared nationally for the first paper, while the second reflects the school's track. Marks from these papers combine with school credits and the oral exam to form the final score, so a weak written paper can still be balanced by strong coursework and a confident oral performance.
The Oral Exam in the Italian Maturità Exam
The oral exam is often the most talked-about part of the Italian maturità exam. Students discuss a multidisciplinary topic, present material they have prepared, and answer questions from the commission, showing they can connect ideas across subjects rather than recite isolated facts.
Commissions include internal teachers and external members, and the atmosphere is formal but not hostile. Good preparation means practising spoken explanations, linking subjects, and being ready to discuss civic education and personal experiences such as work placements.
Scoring the Italian Maturità Exam Out of 100
The Italian maturità exam is scored out of 100. School credits earned over the final three years contribute up to 40 points, written tests up to 40, and the oral exam up to 20, with honours (lode) possible for outstanding candidates with unanimous commission approval.
The pass mark is 60 out of 100. Students who fail can retake the exam in a later session, and the diploma itself does not expire. Universities generally admit on the basis of the diploma plus their own entrance tests, so the maturità mark matters most for competitive courses and scholarships.
How to Prepare for the Italian Maturità Exam
Preparation for the Italian maturità exam should start months ahead, with a revision timetable that covers weak subjects first and builds in past papers for the written tests. Short, regular study sessions beat last-minute cramming, and timed practice under exam conditions builds speed and confidence.
For the oral exam, practise explaining topics aloud, ideally to someone who asks follow-up questions. Looking after sleep and stress matters too, and mindfulness techniques help many students stay calm. Keep notes organised, sleep before test days, and treat the exam as a series of steps, not a single verdict.
The Role of School Credits
School credits, earned over the final three years, reward consistent work rather than a single exam performance. Teachers award credits based on marks, attendance, participation and additional activities, and the total contributes up to 40 points of the final score.
This system means the maturità begins long before exam week. Students who work steadily, complete coursework and take part in school life build a cushion that protects them if one written paper goes badly, which is a fairer reflection of years of study than a single day's test.
Choosing the Oral Exam Topic
A strong oral exam starts with a well-chosen starting point, often a text, image, project or experience that connects several subjects. The best topics are ones the student genuinely understands, because the commission will follow up with questions that test depth rather than memorisation.
Prepare by mapping links between subjects in advance, practising transitions aloud, and anticipating questions. A confident, honest answer that admits limits impresses examiners more than a rehearsed speech that collapses under the first unexpected question.
Stress, Sleep and Exam Week
Exam week rewards routine: regular sleep, proper meals, short revision bursts and breaks outdoors. A guide to better sleep is genuinely useful here, since tired students recall less, write more slowly and misread questions, while rested students think more clearly under pressure.
Simple habits help: lay out documents the night before, arrive early, read every question twice, and plan time per answer. If anxiety becomes overwhelming, talk to teachers or school counsellors early, since support exists and asking for it is a sign of preparation, not weakness.
After the Diploma: University and Work
After passing, students choose between university, higher technical institutes, academies and work. University admission often involves entrance tests, especially for medicine, architecture and other limited-entry courses, so research deadlines and test formats during the final school year.
Others use the diploma to enter apprenticeships, public competitions or private employment, where the maturità is a baseline qualification. Whatever the path, the skills built during preparation, writing under time pressure and speaking about complex topics, transfer directly into adult life.
What Examiners Look For
Examiners value clarity, structure and evidence over length. In written papers, a well-organised argument with textual references scores better than a long, unfocused essay, and in the oral exam, the ability to explain, connect and respond to questions matters more than memorised detail.
Presentation also counts in subtle ways: legible handwriting, clear paragraphing, careful time management and calm delivery all help examiners follow your thinking. Practise under timed conditions, review past papers with teachers, and treat feedback on mock exams as the most valuable revision tool available.
The maturità is demanding, but it is also a rite of passage that millions of Italians share. Understand the structure, build credits steadily, prepare the oral exam as a conversation, and the final mark will reflect real work rather than exam-day luck.
Sources: Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito; Italian esame di Stato regulations.