Afterwards, Grade 12 students will take the last National Achievement Test called the Basic Education Exit Assessment, although this is not a requirement for graduation or college enrollment. Finally, graduation rites are held, being the next grade to do so after Grade 6 for elementary school graduates. Portugal In Portugal, the 12th grade is considered the last year of compulsory education and the last year of high school. Students choose 5 out of a wide range of subjects, one of which being mandatorily physical education. Out of the other four, two of them are the subjects that will be evaluated in their final exams or national exams (exams national), one must be considered a branch of one of the two subjects that have been already evaluated in the 11th grade national exams and the last can be a broadening of an already studied subject or a whole new one. The obligatory subjects (submitted to Nacional exams) depend on the field the student chose to study in the 10th grade:arts; science and technologies (best known as science);socioeconomic sciences (economy); humanistic and linguistic sciences (humanities) or a professional/technical course. Even inside a field, you can opt between specifics (subjects, whose exam is compulsory to a certain college course application), depending on what the student intends to study in college and on which university he plans to attend. South Africa In South Africa, Grade 12 is the final year of high school. It is more commonly referred to as matric, which is itself short for matriculation. (See Matriculation in South Africa). At the end of Grade 12, students are said to be matriculated. This also refers to the minimum requirement for progressing to University. On average, Grade 12 students start the year at 17 and turn 18 within the time leading up to matriculation. Spain The closest equivalent to twelfth grade in Spain is the second year of Bachillerato, required for attending college. Sweden In Sweden, the twelfth grade does not officially exist, but its equivalent is the 2nd grade of secondary school or gymnasium. This is not compulsory, as education is only compulsory until 9th grade. Courses vary as students choose a specific program in 1st grade of secondary school or gymnasium. Examples of programs are Nature and Science, Humanities, Arts, Economics, Health and care, Industry. There are 18 national programs, where 12 of them will get the students ready for work,