OVER 250, 000 STUDENST SET TO SIT NATIONAL EXAMS

A total of 254,000 students from Grades 8, 10, and 12 across the country are set to sit for the National Examinations beginning next week, the Department of Education has confirmed.

According to the Secretary for Education, Dr. Uke Kombra, the examinations will be conducted in three phases:

· Grade 10: October 6–10

· Grade 12: October 13–17

· Grade 8: October 20–23

The breakdown of students nominated for the exams is as follows:

· Grade 10: 87,500 students from 520 high and secondary schools

· Grade 12: 36,500 students from 250 secondary schools, including the six National Schools of Excellence (NSoE)

· Grade 8: 130,000 students from 3,400 primary schools

Dr. Kombra said these figures are based on final confirmations provided by schools through the Department's online student data collection system.

“All Grade 10 examination booklets have already been dispatched to schools nationwide,” Dr. Kombra said, adding that materials for Grades 12 and 8 will follow shortly.

He also outlined the marking process:

· Grade 10 scripts for the National Capital District will begin to be marked immediately after their exams conclude, with answer sheets then distributed to provinces for consistent and standardized marking.

· Grade 12 papers will be marked centrally in Port Moresby from October 19–30.

· Grade 8 exams will be marked within each province following their completion.

Despite ongoing violence in parts of the Enga Province, Dr. Kombra reassured the public that the Department is working closely with the Enga Provincial Government and security personnel to ensure examinations proceed without disruptions.

He also issued a strong warning to schools and students regarding malpractice during the national assessments.

“Any form of cheating will not be tolerated,” Dr. Kombra stressed. “Consequences include non-certification for students, termination of teachers involved, and suspension of schools from participating in national exams for a minimum of three years.”

He noted that significant progress has been made in eliminating exam malpractice in recent years, leading to results that truly reflect students’ efforts and raise the standard of education.

“On behalf of the Department of Education, I extend my best wishes to all students preparing to sit for their national examinations,” he said.

Timetable for National Exams:

LSSC Grade 10 Examination

Oct 06 -Session 1: Mathematics

-Sessions 2: Personal Development

Oct 07 -Session 1: Social Science

-Session 2: Arts

Oct 08 -Session 1: Science

-Session 2: TIA/CCT

Oct 09 -Session 1: Business Studies

-Session 2: Agriculture

Oct 10 -Session 1: English

USSC Grade 12 Examination

Oct 13 -Session 1: Adv. Maths P1/ Gen. Maths P2

-Session 2: Applied Science/History

Oct 14 -Session 1: Physics/ Accounting

-Session 2: Geography

Oct 15 -Session 1: Biology/ Economics

-Session 2: Geology/ Business Studies

Oct 16 -Session 1: L&L/Ap. English

-Session 2: Chemistry/ Legal Studies

Oct 17 -Session 1: ICT

-Session 2: Adv. Maths P2/ Gen. Maths P2

COBE Grade 8 Examination

Oct 20 -English P1

Oct 21 -Mathematics

Oct 22 -Combined Subjects

Oct 23 -English Language P2