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Every second high school graduate is afraid of math

Mathematics is still the number one fear subject, with one in two school leavers dreading it according to the survey.(Bild: APA/HARALD SCHNEIDER)

This year's central A-level season starts next week for more than 41,000 young people. According to a recent survey, however, school leavers see little point in the exam marathon: for 70 percent, the Matura in its current form is outdated and in need of modernization. Mathematics remains the number one subject of fear.

Around one in three of the 729 respondents advocated fewer exams, changes to the compulsory subjects and would like the math exam to no longer be compulsory.

Mathematics remains a subject of fear
The latter is still the number one subject of fear. According to the survey presented by tutoring institute Lernquadrat on Wednesday, one in two school leavers fear it. Overall, six out of ten respondents in the survey were nervous but confident that they would be able to pass the Matura if they were well prepared.

According to the survey, almost a fifth felt that they could not cope with the Matura. The most stressful aspect is the fear of a blackout or not understanding the information.

Pre-scientific work is praised
The pre-scientific work (VWA) - the third pillar of the "standardized competence-oriented school-leaving examination" introduced at AHS in 2015 and at BHS in 2016 alongside the written exams and the oral Matura - is predominantly seen as useful by the respondents: 82% said they had learned something in the process. At the same time, almost nine out of ten respondents stated that the VWA, which must be handed in by the beginning of the second semester at the latest, caused even more stress in the Matura year.

Use of AI
According to the survey, boys and poor students in particular also used the chatbot ChatGPT when writing, with more than a third of respondents using it. 40 percent reject the use of AI at the VWA; just under a quarter have tried ChatGPT but were dissatisfied with the result.

Only a minority of the high school graduates surveyed (40 percent) feel well prepared for life after school. One of the criticisms was that too little everyday knowledge (e.g. dealing with money) was taught and that what was learned was not applied in practice. At the same time, three quarters of those surveyed assume that they will forget most of what they have learned for the Matura immediately after the exam because they have to learn a lot in a short space of time