Critique of the 2025 Panhellenic Exams: Mathematics & Biology (Orientation Subjects)

Mathematics – Did We Go Overboard?

This year’s Mathematics exam was... tough. Not the kind that makes you think creatively — but the kind that gets your heart racing. Especially Topic D, which felt more like a reflex test requiring “military” precision than something highlighting true mathematical thinking. If you weren’t familiar with that style, you were basically lost.

Topic C? Seemed easier on the surface but hid some tricks. It demanded a clear mind and attention to detail. And Topic B, which was supposed to warm you up, had its own hidden claws. It was like it was designed to push candidates to their limits.

• Conclusion: It seems there was some confusion between challenge and excess. The exam didn’t seem to reward substance — more endurance.

  
  

Biology – Logical... but Marathon-Like

Biology was more “honest.” The questions were grounded and stayed within the syllabus, nothing outrageous. But. There were a lot. Too many, actually. And lengthy. And time-consuming. The pages didn’t end, and the questions demanded a pace that left no room for thinking — only execution.

Topic C was sharp. You either knew it or you struggled and burned out. Topic D required linking knowledge — a nice idea, but not when most candidates no longer had a “clear” mind after hours of pressure.

• Conclusion: Perhaps more balanced than Mathematics, but the sheer volume was exhausting.

  
  

Overall Picture

Mathematics: Felt more like a selection test than an assessment of knowledge. Few, very specific candidates will score top marks. Thinking took a backseat — cold formality took over.

Biology: Less tricky, clearer. But just as exhausting — as if students were professional test-takers, not pressured 17-year-olds.

If the goal is to single out those who endure rather than those who understand, then yes, this year’s exams served that purpose. Unfortunately.