National Examination

The state examination assesses the student's knowledge of the concept of health and its various definitions, principles of health assessment at the population level, including relevant indicators and approaches to interpreting health. It evaluates understanding of the historical development of public health, its functions, and the institutional structure of the field both in Latvia and internationally. The exam also covers knowledge of public health monitoring principles, the use of data, prioritization of health problems, and demographic processes.

Furthermore, it assesses the ability to analyze infectious and non-communicable diseases as public health issues, their prevalence trends, risk factors, prevention approaches, and public health policy measures. Special attention is given to chronic diseases, oncology, injuries, mental health, addictions, as well as women's, children's, and adolescents’ health issues, including relevant strategies and policies of the WHO and Latvia.

The state examination assesses the student's knowledge of the concept, levels, and strategies of disease prevention, including high-risk group and population-based approaches, along with their advantages and challenges. It evaluates understanding of health promotion and education, their interconnection, goals, and methods across various societal groups and settings.

Students must be able to analyze theoretical models influencing health behavior, their significance in health promotion programs, and understand the stages of planning and evaluating such programs. The exam also tests knowledge of the development of health promotion both in Latvia and internationally – from the Ottawa Charter to current WHO frameworks and Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, it assesses understanding of ethical principles and the importance of multisectoral collaboration in health promotion, including community involvement and the experience of health-promoting schools.

The state examination assesses the student’s knowledge of the essence of health policy and strategy, its application in the European region and in Latvia, as well as key health policy documents. Understanding of the specific features of health care economics, market characteristics, and information asymmetry is also evaluated.

Students must be able to describe the structure, mission, and role of the World Health Organization in global health care. The exam also tests knowledge of various health care system financing models worldwide, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the macroeconomic characteristics of Latvia’s health care system, funding sources, and service accessibility.

In addition, students are assessed on their understanding of emergency medical care and the levels of primary, secondary, and tertiary care, the principles of quality assessment in health care, and the functioning of Latvia’s health information system.

The state examination assesses the student’s knowledge of the fundamentals of epidemiology and its application in public health. The student is expected to demonstrate understanding of the definition of epidemiology, its core postulates, objectives, and modern-day challenges. The exam evaluates knowledge of the multifactorial theory of disease causation, causality models, and their application. It also includes the calculation and interpretation of various epidemiological indicators—such as cumulative incidence, incidence density, prevalence, mortality, and standardized rates.

Knowledge is also assessed in the areas of disease screening, evaluation of diagnostic tests (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values), and the application of Bayes’ theorem. The student’s understanding of types and sources of health information, case definitions in epidemiology, and health statistics, including factors influencing data quality, is also examined.

The exam covers different types of epidemiological studies—descriptive, analytical, and experimental—their methodology, advantages, disadvantages, and ethical considerations. Additionally, students are tested on types of errors in research (random and systematic), confounding factors and methods for their control, as well as measures for evaluating associations between health factors, such as relative risk, attributable risk, population attributable risk, and odds ratio.

In the state exam, students’ knowledge is tested on the importance, tasks, and methods of environmental and occupational health; air and water pollution and their effects on the human body; as well as air and water quality standards and protection measures. The exam assesses understanding of the concept of rational nutrition, food safety, hygienic requirements in educational institutions for children and adolescents, and the improvement of inhabited areas and soil pollution. It also includes knowledge about workplace microclimate, the impact of noise, vibration, dust, and radiation on health, occupational diseases and their diagnosis, chemical and biological risk factors, ergonomics, and psychosocial risks in the work environment. Additionally, students’ knowledge of occupational safety legislation and principles and methods for assessing workplace risk factors is evaluated.