University entrance exam task asks to recognise Orbán quote, actor outraged

This year’s entrance exam of the University of Theatre and Film Arts (SZFE) caused a big stir, as in one of the questions the candidates had to recognise a quote from PM Viktor Orbán. The university has issued a statement on the matter, saying that they are committed to the integrity of the admission procedure. They added that their non-ideological stance is proven by the fact that they also quoted Ferenc Gyurcsány, a member of the opposition, in the same task.

Military service and an Orbán quote at the SZFE entrance exam

Applicants to the University of Theatre and Film Arts (Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetem, SZFE)’s television programme production course had to complete a test of general literacy, reading, creativity, and writing skills of about six pages in the first round of the admission procedure.

In the first half of the entrance exam, they had to recognise paintings, as well as film directors and capital cities. However, an Instagram post from the Hungarian actor and activist Áron Molnár revealed that Viktor Orbán was also part of the admission test, a fact that was later confirmed by the university.

“Explain to me,” the actor said in his video, “what the hell is going on at the University of Theatre and Film? Because in the first round of admissions to the university’s television programme production course, the question asked the applicants was which quote was from Viktor Orbán…”

The task Molnár talked about asked applicants to match four quotes to the right name, among which were Steve Jobs, John F. Kennedy, Pope John Paul II, János Kádár, Sir Winston Churchill, József Antall, and Ferenc Gyurcsány.

The following quote had to be connected to the name of Viktor Orbán:

“In Hungary, history has taught us that a country without borders is like an egg without a shell.”

In the second half of the test, candidates were asked to argue for and against the introduction of military conscription, and then, as part of a writing exercise they had to list five things they would change if they were decision-makers in Hungary.

One candidate, who talked to Telex.hu, felt that around 30 to 40 percent of the tasks were disagreeable, as they felt like they were introduced to find out applicants’ political leanings. However, the applicant added that not everyone filling out the entrance exam had problems with the nature of the questions.

• Changes in the leadership of SZFE in 2020 led to a series of protests, university occupations, and mass resignations. You can read our article on this here and here.

SZFE responded: the admission proves their non-ideological nature

The University of Theatre and Film Arts responded to the inquiry of hvg.hu about the entrance exam.

They write that the exam consists “among other things, a series of questions concerning public, literary and several artistic fields is intended to partially assess the knowledge and awareness of the candidates, as well as to explore their argumentation techniques on various topics. However, pro and con arguments are expected on all topics.”

“The University of Theatre and Film Arts is firmly committed to ensuring the fairness of admissions and is committed to providing the most talented young people with the opportunity to continue their studies and build a successful professional career,” the university’s statement concludes.

SZFE points out that the use of Orbán’s quote was not ideologically motivated, as it appeared in an exercise in which the words of Steve Jobs, John F. Kennedy, and Ferenc Gyurcsány, among others, had to be recognised, too.

However, as 444.hu reflects on the task, it is interesting to highlight the difference between the quotes, especially when it comes to the former and current Prime Ministers of Hungary. While the quote from Viktor Orbán can be taken as a proverbial wisecrack on the defence of the country, the quote from Ferenc Gyurcsány was this:

“We have committed an act of boorishness the likes of which has never been seen in Europe”.

Read also:

• Government official: Hungary ‘expects progress from EU’ on Erasmus+ access
• Enough is enough: 1000s of professors speak out against unfair salaries at three major Hungarian public universities

Source: Telex, 444, HVG