Romanian Bacalaureat 2026 begins: 131,000 students sit the written Romanian language exam

Exam day begins

Access to the 443 exam centres opened at 07:30 and closed at 08:30. Candidates were seated one per desk in alphabetical order, and the three-hour test started at 09:00, timed from the moment subject sheets were distributed. The Ministry of Education reported that roughly 116,000 of those enrolled are from the 2026 graduating class, while about 15,000 are from earlier cohorts.

2026 graduates116,000

Previous years15,000

2026 graduates

116000

Previous years

15000

Data from the article text

Structure and subjects

The paper is divided into three parts worth a total of 90 points, plus 10 bonus points. Subject I (50 points) tests comprehension of an unseen text and requires a short argumentative essay. Subject II (10 points) asks for analysis of a literary fragment using theoretical concepts. Subject III (30 points) is a 400-word essay on a studied work, with the topic differing between the humanities (uman) and sciences (real) streams. Last year, candidates wrote about the relationship between two characters from Ion Creangă or Ioan Slavici.

Rumours and official confirmation

While the exam was still in progress, social media posts claimed that Subject III would focus on Tudor Arghezi for the humanities stream and George Bacovia for the sciences stream. No official source has confirmed this. The Ministry will release the full subjects and marking schemes at 15:00 on the platform subiecte.edu.ro. Until then, any version circulating online is unofficial.

Rules and anti-fraud measures

Only blue ink or paste is allowed for writing, with black pencil permitted for diagrams. Mobile phones, smartwatches, notes, textbooks, and bags are banned from the exam hall. Candidates caught with prohibited items are disqualified and barred from the next two exam sessions. All rooms are under audio-video surveillance. Because of high temperatures, inspectorates were instructed to ensure permanent access to drinking water.

Digital marking and what comes next

Papers are scanned and anonymised automatically on the evaluation platform. Two teachers mark each paper; if their scores differ by more than one point, two additional teachers re-evaluate it, and the final grade is the average of the two central marks. The written session continues on 30 June with the mandatory profile exam, on 2 July with the elective, and on 3 July with the mother-tongue test for minority-language students.