National exams: What to know about grading, appeals, student placements

After announcing the 2024–2025 national exam results for primary and Ordinary Level on August 19, the National Examination and School Inspec...

After announcing the 2024–2025 national exam results for primary and Ordinary Level on August 19, the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) has published details explaining the grading, appeals process, and student placements. The results showed a pass rate of 75.64% in primary (P6) and 64.35% in Ordinary Level (S3). ALSO READ: Five key insights from national exams results Here are some things you may need to know about the grading, appeals process, and student placements. ALSO READ: Kirehe District emerges top in national exams 1. Accessing results and placement Students can check their national examination results and school placement via the SDMS platform. For P6 leavers, they can access the results through https://primary.sdms.gov.rw/ and S3 leavers through https://secondary.sdms.gov.rw/. By entering their index number and selecting “Get My Results,” they will see their marks and assigned school, and can download a signed confirmation. 2. Grading and calculation From 2025 onwards, each subject’s score is published as a percentage. A candidate passes if they achieve at least 50 per cent in national examinations. To calculate the average, the total percentages from all subjects are added up and divided by the number of subjects taken. 3. Placement in schools Placement is handled by NESA in a phased process that begins with the preferences indicated by students during their registration for exams, their performance and the availability of places in schools. Students are placed in schools according to their choices and marks, with those not accommodated in their first options progressively assigned within their district, neighbouring districts, province or nationally. ALSO READ: NESA to decide on school placement petitions Only NESA has the authority to assign candidates to Senior One and Senior Four, while school heads are responsible only for admitting the students allocated to them and ensuring attendance is recorded in SDMS. Any unauthorised placement by school heads is considered a violation of the regulations and carries administrative fines ranging between Rwf500,000 and Rwf1 million, in addition to the cancellation of the placement. 4. Eligibility for special programmes Some programmes, such as Coding, the Associate Nursing Program, Teacher Training Colleges, Accounting, and Technical and Vocational Education, have additional requirements. For example, candidates seeking entry to Rwanda Coding Academy must have placed it as their first choice and achieved at least 80 per cent in Mathematics, Physics and English. Each of the specialised pathways requires a minimum overall average as well as set marks in specific core subjects. 5. Appeals and reviews Students who wish to appeal either their marks or placement can do so through their school head using the SDMS platform. Appeals must be filed within 14 days of the publication of results. NESA reviews valid cases through a designated panel, and outcomes are communicated within 30 days. Appeals can be about grades, school placement, or errors in the candidate identity. However, once an appeal on placement is accepted, the original placement is forfeited. Students who have already reported to the assigned school cannot appeal the placement. 6. Reliability of grading National examinations are marked under a conveyor belt system introduced in 2008, where each script is reviewed by five to seven graders and verified by additional checkers to ensure accuracy. Marks are first recorded on mark sheets and then entered into the system by a separate team, with both records cross-checked for consistency. 7. Minimum percentages for boarding schools For the 2024/25 placement, the minimum percentages required for boarding schools were 85.4 per cent for boys and 81.8 per cent for girls in Primary Leaving Exams, and 61 per cent for boys and 58.3 per cent for girls at O-Level.

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