Over 921,000 Students to Begin General Secondary Exams Tomorrow

More than 921,000 students across Egypt will commence their General Secondary exams for the academic year 2025/2026 tomorrow, Sunday. The exams will begin with subjects that are not included in the overall grade.

On Sunday, students will take exams in religious education and national education, both of which are pass/fail subjects that do not contribute to the final score.

Passing Marks for Religious Education Set at 70%

The exams for non-score subjects consist of 25 multiple-choice questions using a “bubble sheet” format, with no essay questions included. Each subject has a maximum score of 25 points.

According to the ministry’s decision, passing in religious education requires a minimum score of 70% of the total points, equating to at least 17.5 out of 25. In contrast, students need to achieve only 50% of the total points, or 12.5 out of 25, to pass in national education.

Distribution of Students Across Exam Centers

Khaled Abdel Hakim, head of this year’s General Secondary exams, announced that a total of 921,907 students are registered under both the old and new systems. This includes 3,403 students enrolled under the old system and 918,306 under the new system.

Students will be distributed across 613 exam centers as part of a newly implemented system that aims to enhance control over examination venues and ensure equal opportunities for all students. This system consolidates exam committees within each educational administration into a single area for better management and security.

This year marks the first time that national schools will serve as examination centers for the General Secondary exams, utilizing their spacious facilities to accommodate three exam committees within one school while leveraging their superior resources.

Minister’s Directives for Exam Management

The Ministry of Education has completed preparations for the General Secondary exams by setting up exam centers and teacher rest areas, printing exam questions, organizing correction centers, issuing student seat numbers, and providing sample models for exam practice. Coordination with various agencies such as the Ministries of Interior and Communications is also underway to secure exams and combat electronic cheating attempts.

During a meeting with educational directors from all governorates, Minister Mohamed Abdel-Latif emphasized strict adherence to several directives:.

• Ensure high levels of discipline within examination halls to uphold the integrity of the process.
• No leniency towards any violations or shortcomings that may disrupt exam proceedings.
• Tighten inspection measures before students enter halls and prohibit mobile phones or any electronic devices that could facilitate cheating.
• Implement these regulations uniformly without exceptions.
• Intensify monitoring within halls to guarantee orderly conduct during examinations.
• Establish separate entry and exit points for each hall to streamline student access and inspection procedures under this new exam grouping system.
• Evacuate halls promptly after each exam concludes and prevent any student from remaining in or around the hall.
• Organize student departures efficiently until all have exited the vicinity of each hall.
• Enhance security measures at question distribution centers throughout transportation to ensure complete safety during examinations.
• Confirm availability of concept books for all subjects within examination halls while reviewing stock levels in each educational directorate and addressing any additional needs prior to exam commencement.

The General Secondary exams are centrally conducted nationwide by the Ministry of Education in coordination with local educational directorates. The examinations will continue until Thursday, July 16th, according to the schedule approved by the Minister of Education.