The second week of the Pancyprian examinations got underway on Monday, with high school leavers taking Ancient Greek and mathematics examinations, and technical school leavers sitting the technology examination.

According to the government, exactly 2,286 people will take Monday’s mathematics examination, while 233 will take the ancient Greek examination.

Examinations will continue throughout the week, with Spanish, visual arts, and another technology examination for technical school students being sat on Tuesday, while Wednesday will see information technology, a practical graphic arts examination, and English for technological schools be sat.

On Thursday, the Italian, health education and theatre studies practical examinations will be held, while on Friday, the physics, history and another technology for technical schools examination will be held.

The education ministry’s examinations service head Socrates Mylonas said that “no issues” arose during the first week of examinations, but that “of course, we are in the middle of the big lessons now”.

He also drew attention to the fact that one basketball team is currently abroad, and that as such, the government has made provisions for the players to sit their examinations while there.

Regarding the examinations themselves, he said that “we have not heard anything specific so far which refers to degrees of difficulty”, but that “of course, we have two courses which are attracting interest today” in Ancient Greek and Mathematics.

Next week will be the third and final week of this year’s Pancyprian examinations.

Last week, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou had stressed that Pancyprian examinations are not “the end” for children taking them, but a new beginning.

“We’re simply conveying the message that this isn’t the end – it’s the beginning for the children,” she said, before adding that “there are so many options; it’s just one step in their future lives, in their future journey”.

Once the examinations are complete, she said, “there will be the well-known process” of allocating university places next month.