"Siete pronti?" L'interrogazione non programmata è ancora uno strumento di crescita?

This article offers a theoretical-critical analysis of the unscheduled oral assessment as an evaluative-disciplinary apparatus. The practice is characterised by collective predictability and individual unpredictability, translating into constant pressure and the internalisation of control, with a possible overlap between evaluative function and disciplinary management of the classroom. Attentive to the developmental needs of adolescence and to the dignity of the learner, the reflection addresses the relationship between teacher autonomy and the student’s right to a transparent environment, showing how assessment shapes not only learning, but also identity formation and power dynamics. The aim is not to deny the centrality of oral assessment, but to redefine its boundaries within a democratic and formative conception of schooling.