Shortly after the Polish national Matura exam began on May 4th, images of test papers appeared online, prompting a prosecutor’s investigation.
Exam Paper Photos Prompt Prosecutor’s Investigation
Just minutes after the Polish language and literature Matura exam began on Monday, May 4th at 9:00 AM, photos of the Central Examination Commission (CKE) test papers began appearing on the X platform. CKE Director Robert Zakrzewski announced he would file a notification to the prosecutor’s office later that day.
Numerous posts on X claimed possession of the CKE exam papers. The CKE is monitoring the situation and has confirmed initial suspicions of cheating. Taking photos of the exam paper is a violation of the law, according to the Act on the Education System.
Director Zakrzewski Confirms Legal Action
Director Zakrzewski stated that if there are justified suspicions of a legal violation, he will definitely submit a relevant notification to the prosecutor’s office, as reported by the Polish Press Agency.
Essay Topics Confirmed by Student
Materials published on X indicate that this year’s Polish language and literature Matura included two essay topics: “The Impact of Work on Man and the Reality Surrounding Him” and “When is it Important to a Person How Others Perceive Them?”. A student confirmed one of the topics to the Onet portal. Other questions concerned works such as “Ferdydurke”, “The Forenoon”, “Antigone”, and “The Song of Roland”.
Exam Format and Requirements
The Polish language and literature exam lasts 240 minutes and consists of a test section and an essay. The essay must be at least 300 words long. Students must refer to selected literary works—including at least one required reading—as well as non-literary contexts such as historical-literary, biographical, or philosophical. A score of at least 30% is required to pass the exam.
How Exam Leaks Occur
The mechanism behind Matura exam leaks has remained almost identical for years. Leaks can occur if a teacher or principal breaks the seal and reviews the exam content, then informs their students—a crime punishable by up to two years in prison under Articles 266 and 267 of the Penal Code. However, a more common scenario involves a mobile phone being brought into the exam room, and a student taking a photo of the paper immediately after distribution, within the first ninety minutes.
Scale of Leaks in Previous Years
The scale of leaks in the 2025 session was significant. After almost every Matura exam in 2025, photos of the test papers appeared online just minutes after 9:00 AM. CKE Director Zakrzewski gathered evidence and reported the matter to the prosecutor’s office, but the Warsaw-Śródmieście District Prosecutor’s Office refused to initiate proceedings in several cases.
Past Incidents and Legal Consequences
Precedents date back several years. In 2021, internet search queries for “Lalka ambicja” (“The Doll ambition”) – one of the exam topics – increased sharply hours before the exam. A year earlier, users massively searched for “Wesele elementy fantastyczne” (“The Wedding fantastic elements”). In both cases, the CKE notified the prosecutor’s office, but proceedings remained unresolved for a long time.
New Security Measures Proposed
Lessons learned from these situations led the CKE to announce new security measures. Director Zakrzewski stated he would propose solutions to the Ministry of National Education to ensure that all students across the country start the exam at the same time, potentially limiting the time window for information transfer between exam rooms in different time zones or locations.
Exam Formula and Session Schedule
In 2026, technical school graduates will take the exam in the 2015 formula, while high school students will take the Matura in the new 2023 formula. The official CKE Polish language and literature exam paper in both formulas will be published on the CKE website after 2:00 PM. The 2026 Matura session will last throughout May and include exams in mathematics, foreign languages, and advanced-level subjects.
