MIBACT competition quiz riddled with errors, critics say

The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage (MIBACT) faces backlash over multiple errors in the 4,600 multiple-choice questions for a competition to hire 500 new officials. Of these, 80 questions will be selected for 19,479 candidates. Critics argue the quiz format rewards rote memorization over analytical skills. Activist group Emergenza Cultura, formed by cultural professionals critical of the Renzi government and Minister Franceschini's policies, uncovered glaring mistakes. For example, a question about the ancient Roman Baths offers absurd options (Terme di Diocleziano, Terme di Stigliano, Terme di Saturnia). Another asks which artist made the wooden plutei of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, but none of the provided answers (Vasari, Bandinelli, Tasso/Carota) is correct; Vasari attributes them to Giovan Battista del Cinque and Ciapino. A question on the bronze Boxer statue at the Museo Nazionale Romano claims it is signed by a Greek artist (Polidoros, Apollonios, Atenodoros), but the statue is unsigned and unattributed. The most egregious error: a question about the Riace bronzes offers marble, wood, or bronze as the material. Social media users report that some questions appear copied from Wikipedia. The pre-selection runs from July 26 to August 4.