NESA to Publish National Exam Scores as Percentages to Understand Placement in Schools
The National Examinations and School Inspection Authority (NESA) has announced that national exam results will now be published as percentages (%) to better understand why students are placed in different schools.
This was highlighted on Sunday, May 25, 2025, during a discussion on the program ‘Enhancing Competence and Preparation for National Examinations’ broadcast on RBA.
Dr. Bernard Bahati, NESA’s Director General, explained that candidates who do not achieve minimum scores in national exams still have opportunities to continue schooling, register as independent candidates, or self-study and eventually take the national exams.
He stated:
“From now on, results will be published as percentages rather than grades, so that it is clear why students have different scores and are placed in different schools.”
NESA officials noted that not every student secures admission to the school they apply to because the number of available slots is limited compared to the number of applicants.
For example, a school with 120 places may receive applications from over 1,000 students.
Dr. Bahati emphasized that while all subjects are important, they are not weighted equally. A student who fails core subjects cannot be promoted even if they pass supplementary subjects.
He also urged parents to actively support their children’s learning, particularly for those preparing for national exams.
He said:
“Children should prepare thoroughly for national exams and avoid panic. These exams are simply another form of assessment like the ones they are used to.”
Dr. Bahati noted that the number of students taking national exams has increased compared to last year. This is attributed to a decrease in out-of-school children and the positive impact of the School Feeding Program on enrollment.
This year, over 101,000 students are expected to take the national exams for the upper secondary level. Among them, 66,958 students are taking practical exams, representing 66.25% of all upper secondary exam candidates.
Specifically:
- 459 are in nursing
- 36,267 are in vocational and technical courses
- 3,829 are in education
- 3,892 are in accounting
- 22,530 are in science subjects
Overall, a total of 471,000 students across different school levels have registered to take national exams this year.
