QUALIFICATIONS DETAILS Back to list
Italy
Name of the qualification in original language
Diploma di Superamento dell’Esame di Stato conclusivo del percorso di studio (durata anni____) di [corso di studio]
Translation in English
Diploma certifying the results of the State Exam at the end of the course of studies (duration years____) in [course of study]
Transliteration in Latin alphabet
-
Awarding body
Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito
Total number of years of schooling
13
General requirements for access to higher education
The "Diploma di Esame di Stato conclusivo dei corsi di istruzione secondaria superiore" allows access to all Italian higher education courses. Specific admission requirements (exams, entry tests, etc.) may be requested by single institutions or in the case of courses with limited access on the basis of national legislation.
EQF level
4
NQF level
4
Grading system
-
Period of issue
-
Expiry date
-
Verification information
-
Comments/Additional Information
In order to access to higher education courses in Italian institutions it is necessary to hold the "Diploma di Esame di Stato conclusivo dei corsi di istruzione secondaria superiore” (State Exam Diploma upon the conclusion of the higher secondary school course) - commonly known as “Diploma di Maturità”.
The "Diploma di Esame di Stato conclusivo dei corsi di istruzione secondaria superiore” is obtained after passing the relevant State Exam (called Maturity) which is accessed with a decision taken by the class council in the final scrutiny in the last class of a study course followed in a Liceo (Lyceum), Istituto tecnico (technical Institute) or Istituto professionale (professional Institute), and after a total of 13 years of schooling, divided into 5 years of primary school, 3 years of lower secondary school and the following 5 years of upper secondary school.
The State Exam is structured in two written tests of a national nature (i.e., set by the Ministry), a third test only for the programs where it is required, a multidisciplinary oral exam. The oral test aims to ascertain the achievement of the educational, cultural, and professional profile of the student, as stated by the Ministerial Decree n.67 dated 31 March 2025. The final grade of the State Exam is expressed in hundredths (from 60/100 – the minimum passing grade – to 100/100 – the maximum): the exam commission can award “cum laude” with a unanimous decision.
The sample of the diploma obtained after passing the State Exam at the end of the course of studies, valid from school year 2020/2021, has been adopted by the Ministerial Decree n. 88 of the Ministry of Education dated 6 August 2020. As per the abovementioned decree, each student is awarded the “Curriculum dello Studente”, which supplies information on knowledge, competences and skills that the student acquired during the course of study.