During Poland’s Monday, May 4th, basic-level Polish language Matura exam, photos of test fragments appeared on social media, prompting investigation.
Exam Disruption and Allegations of Cheating
The Matura, Poland’s high school graduation exam, began on Monday, May 4th, with the Polish language exam at the basic level. During the exam, images of portions of the test were circulated on social media platforms, according to RMF FM.
Director of CKE Addresses the Breach
The Director of the Central Examination Commission (CKE) characterized the incident as academic dishonesty. Materials were confidential until 9:00 AM, the start of the exam, but someone introduced a device with internet access into the exam room after that time.
The director stated that if identified, the exam results of the individual involved will be invalidated.
Potential Legal Action
The CKE Director added that the matter is under analysis and, if justified suspicions of legal violations are found, a notification will be submitted to the prosecutor’s office.
Consequences of Bringing a Mobile Device
Bringing any telecommunication device into the exam room and using it results in the invalidation of the Matura exam for that subject. For compulsory subjects or the only additional subject, this means failing the Matura and being ineligible for a retake.
Students may only retake the exam in the following year.
Exceptions for Health Monitoring Devices
An exception to this rule was introduced last year for telecommunication devices equipped with mobile applications used to monitor a student’s health, such as a phone with a glucose monitoring app.
Previous Exam Invalidations
In May 2025, 244 Matura exams were invalidated, including 72 due to bringing a phone into the exam room or using it during the exam.