Rescue College students in Väike-Maarja complete real-life final exams

Students at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences' Rescue College in Väike-Maarja are completing their final exams in a practical, real-world format. The exercises simulate everyday rescue scenarios, and no grades are awarded at this last test before graduates head to rescue stations across Estonia.

Final exams at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences' Rescue College in Väike-Maarja are unlike most academic assessments — students are tested on their readiness to handle genuine rescue situations rather than answering questions on paper.

The exercises are designed to replicate conditions graduates will face once they take up posts at rescue stations around the country. Instructors put trainees through realistic scenarios drawn directly from day-to-day emergency work, ensuring the assessment reflects the demands of the profession.

In a distinctive departure from conventional academic practice, no formal grades are recorded during this final evaluation. The exam serves as a last opportunity to verify that students are ready for independent work before they are deployed to fire and rescue units across Estonia.

The approach reflects a broader philosophy at the Rescue College, where practical competence is considered the essential measure of a graduate's preparedness. Officials emphasise that the ability to react correctly under pressure matters far more than any written score at this stage of training.