as scuola media superiore (literally high middle school) or scuola superiore (high school) – lasts five years. It follows closely the pattern of typical ISCED 2011 Level 3 school. The first two years when the student will be under 16 years old, are compulsory, the other three years are voluntary. There is an exam at the end of the final year, called esame di stato or, previously, the esame di maturità; this exam takes place every year between June and July. The course is designed to give students the skills and qualifications needed to progress to university or higher education college. Students may choose what level of school to attend, there are three types of scuola secondaria di secondo grado that range from the academic to the vocational. All students follow a common course of core subjects during the first two years augmented by subjects from their elected specialism. Liceo (lyceum) which is aimed at preparing students for university. Istituto tecnico (technical college) which is the most common route, and still leads to a university entrance qualification. Istituto professionale (vocational college) which includes practical work relating to a specific industry or trade. Programs of study are generally introduced at national level. Currently, most secondary schools provide some common structure and core subjects (such as Italian language and literature, history, geography, philosophy, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, one or more foreign language and physical education), while other topics are specific to one type of establishment (i.e. Ancient Greek and Latin in the Liceo Classico; economy and law in a istituto tecnico economico; art history and drawing in a Liceo Artistico). A typical Italian student is age 19 when they enter university, while in other countries 18 is the more common age. In 2018, the Italian secondary education was evaluated as below the OECD average. Italy scored below the OECD average in reading and science, and near OECD average in mathematics. Mean performance in Italy declined in reading and science, and remained stable in mathematics. Trento and Bolzano scored at an above the national average in reading. Compared to school children in other OECD countries, children in Italy missed out on a greater amount of learning due to absences and indiscipline in classrooms. A wide gap exists between northern schools, which perform near average, and schools in the South, that had much poorer results. Liceo The education offered by a liceo (lyceum) is