Over 220,000 Primary School Pupils to Sit National Exams Next Week

By The Inspirer.

More than 220,000 Primary Six pupils across Rwanda are set to take the 2024/2025 national primary leaving exams, the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) has announced.

According to an official statement released on Friday, June 27, a total of 220,840 candidates will sit the exams, scheduled to take place from June 30 to July 3, 2025.

Of these, 120,635 are girls, while 100,205 are boys—a gender balance NESA says reflects Rwanda’s continued commitment to inclusive and equitable education.

The cohort includes 642 learners with disabilities, who will be provided with Braille-ready exam materials, large-print papers, and extended time allocations to accommodate their specific needs.

NESA’s Director General, Dr. Bernard Bahati, recently noted that while the number of registered candidates is high, some pupils may not sit the exams due to illness or school dropout.

Last academic year, out of 91,713 registered candidates, 91,298 actually sat for the exams—a completion rate of 99.5%.

A 2022 report by the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) revealed that over 177,000 children had dropped out of school, with 13.4% of boys aged 12 and above leaving school compared to 5.2% of girls. However, the dropout rate among girls tends to rise as they grow older due to various social factors.