The National Examinations Council records a 35.4% pass rate decline in the 2023 Certificate of Secondary Education Results

The 2023 Certificate of Secondary Education results showed 17,691 students failed the exams, which the education ministry attributed to tight control over malpractices compared with the previous years. Overall, 45,666 candidates registered for the SSCSE exams, with 28,038 males and 16,628 females in 500 schools across the country.

Writer: Makur Majeng

South Sudan’s Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI) on 8th August 2024 announced that only 26,440 candidates passed with a rate of 59.9% out of 44,131 candidates who fully sat for the 2023 Certificate of Secondary Education. 

The exam was conducted from the 4th to the 16th of December 2023 according to the National Examinations Council’s calendar. 

The National Examinations Council (NEC) noted that out of 45,666 candidates registered for the exams across the country, 966 candidates did not turn up for the examination, 291 did not complete exams, 8 did not follow exam registration criteria, and 28 cheating cases were recorded. These made the candidates’ results incomplete, cancelled, and not graded.

Data Source: Ministry of General Education and Instruction

The candidates that sat for the 2023 NEC exams were registered under different sections, whereby 45,433 candidates registered under the academic section, with 28,878 male and 16,555 female, 107 candidates were registered under the commercial section with 49 male and 58 female, and 126 registered for the technical section with 111 male and 15 female.

Data Source: Ministry of General Education and Instruction

NEC indicated that out of 45,666 candidates, 44,131 were successfully graded, with 27,897 male and 16,234 female, representing 63.2% and 36.8%, respectively.

In addition to that, out of 44,131, 26,440 candidates obtained a mean grade of C plain and above which qualified them for university entry, with 16,633 male and 9,807 female. However, 17,692 with 11,264 male and 6,427 female candidates failed the examinations.

“Out of the 44,131 candidates, 26,440 (16,633 males, 9,807 females) managed to obtain the minimum university entry qualification (mean grade of C and above) and hence qualify for progression to universities, while 17,691 (11, 264 males, 6,427 females) could not make it, unfortunately. This represents a pass rate of 59.9% (at least C plain), which indicates a decline compared to the pass rate of 95.3% in 2022. This decline can be attributed to controlled exam malpractices in the 2023 CSE Examinations,” said Awut Deng Achuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, during the release of the results.

Data Source: Ministry of General Education and Instruction

In comparison with the previous year, the pass rate in 2023 has plummeted by 35.4% from 95.3% in 2022 and this marks the lowest pass rate recorded. 

Data Source: Ministry of General Education and Instruction

According to the press statement issued by the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, female candidates slightly outperformed male candidates.

Data Source: Ministry of General Education and Instruction

Conclusion:

The 2023 South Sudan Certificate of Secondary has been marked by a 35.4% decline compared with the previous year, 2022 where candidates’ performance was recorded at 95.3%. The Ministry of Education attributed the decline to controlled exam malpractices where exams were not leaked as well as candidates being unable to cheat.

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