DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇹 Italy /Culture & Society

Italian Maturità Exams: Quintilian, Lake Bracciano, and AI Among Topics

From ANSA · () Italian

Translated from Italian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Italian high school students faced their final exams with diverse subjects including literature, mathematics, and science.
  • The literature exam featured Quintilian for classical studies, while scientific high schools tackled math problems involving the Bracciano lake's water levels and the Friuli earthquake.
  • Topics like artificial intelligence, digital identity, and the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics were also part of the challenging exams.

Italy's high school students navigated the second part of their final exams, known as the 'Maturità,' with a range of challenging subjects tailored to their chosen academic tracks.

For students at classical high schools, the anticipated Tacitus was replaced by Quintilian, whose 'Institutio oratoria' provided a passage on music, albeit with a perceived militaristic tone. Meanwhile, scientific high school students grappled with mathematics, including problems on functions and the water levels of Lake Bracciano, a topic relevant due to past water withdrawals. The exam also touched upon the 1976 Friuli earthquake, marking its 50th anniversary, and included recreational and sporting scenarios like volleyball tournaments and card games.

mathematics is the most beautiful game in the world. It is more absorbing than chess, more challenging than poker, and more enduring than Monopoly. It is free, and it can be played anywhere. Archimedes did it in a bathtub

— Richard J. TrudeauThis quote concluded the mathematics exam for scientific high school students.

Artificial intelligence, a prominent theme in the Italian language exam, also featured in the science of human development track, prompting discussions on chatbot boundaries and respect for individual rights. Digital revolution and its impact on youth were explored through texts from 'Crescere connessi' and 'Cyber Generation.' Language students, in their English exam, focused on the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, using a message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a prompt to write about sports as a vehicle for fair play and human potential.

Quintilian, though less frequent than authors like Cicero or Tacitus in past exams, presented a unique challenge. The mathematics section at the scientific high school began with a quote from Albert Einstein on mathematical uncertainty and concluded with a quote from Richard J. Trudeau, likening mathematics to a captivating game.

mathematics is the most beautiful game in the world. It is more absorbing than chess, more challenging than poker, and more enduring than Monopoly. It is free, and it can be played anywhere. Archimedes did it in a bathtub

— Richard J. TrudeauThis quote concluded the mathematics exam for scientific high school students.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ANSA in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog