The Ministry of Education has announced that out of 91,298 students who took the national exams, 71,746 passed, which is 78.6%, while 19,552 students failed.
In general education schools, 56,300 students took the exams, with 38,016 passing, which is 67%. In Technical Secondary Schools (TSS), 30,730 students took the exams, and 29,542 passed. In vocational training schools, 4,271 registered, 4,268 sat for the exams, and 4,188 passed, representing 98.1%.
Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana announced that students who have completed national exams for secondary education will no longer be required to pass two major subjects to be admitted to universities or higher education institutions. Instead, any student who scores 50% will be eligible to continue to the next level.
He stated, “Previously, if a student had low overall marks but passed two out of three main subjects, they could proceed to university. The requirement for passing two major subjects has been removed. Students will now be evaluated on their performance in all exams, and those who pass can go to university if they wish.”
He continued, “This change eliminates confusion where a student is said to have passed but is not able to continue their education. So what would they have passed?”
He emphasized that the goal is for each student to understand their scores and not just receive a letter grade. He said, “You will no longer hear that you got an A, which is between 70 and 100, and leave it at that. Now, you will receive your actual scores in subjects like mathematics, English, and Kinyarwanda. This system is necessary to maintain grades A, B, C, and D, especially for students studying outside Rwanda.”
The reforms mean that anyone who scores 50% has the right to attend university if they wish.
The new grading system for national exams is as follows: From 80 to 100 (excellent) is grade A, From 75 to 79 (very good) is grade B, From 70 to 74 (good) is grade C, From 65 to 69 (satisfactory) is grade D, From 60 to 64 (fair) is grade E, From 50 to 59 (below average) is grade S, Scores below 50 (fail) are grade F.
