The article focuses on the national knowledge examination in History at the end of grade 9. Students achieved better exam results when History was an elective subject than when it became mandatory. The average percentage of 69.6% in school year 2004/2005 dropped to 46.48% in 2010, and then slightly increased in 2016, i.e. to 51%. In 2013, the results started to improve, which indicates that students gradually accepted the mandatory tests, that teachers worked well with students and that students became more familiar with the way they were tested and the tasks themselves. The lowest results were achieved at the third taxonomy level, where students are required to analyse, interpret and evaluate historical events and provide answers. Similarly, they had more difficulty with tasks that require longer answers, while they had less difficulty each year with tasks that include choices and cues. Relative to topics, students achieved the lowest results in ninth grade topics, mostly because the major part of political history is covered in grade 9. The board of examiners further finds that schools should place more emphasis on teaching key historical events and concepts. The annual analyses of knowledge examination in History and the comparisons between them show, however, that the national knowledge examination is fully realising its purposes and objectives.