CIBITOKE/BUJUMBURA/MWARO, May 28 (ABP) – The administration of the national ninth-grade exam 2025 edition has successfully begun nationwide. In the Cibitoke education district, no major irregularities were reported on the first day of the exam. Out of 4,965 expected candidates, the Cibitoke Provincial Education Department (DPE) recorded 258 absences due to illness or other unidentified reasons, according to Joseph Nyandwi the Cibitoke superintendent of schools. The exam is being held in 48 examination centers and 98 rooms, and supervised by 156 teachers, according to the same official. Referring to the preparations for this exam, Nyandwi remains confident that Cibitoke will achieve good results in this national test.
In the Bujumbura DPE, 6,886 students: 2,461 boys and 4,435 girls took the exam, while 89 awardees were absent, including 33 boys and 56 girls, indicated Ciza Raphaël, the Bujumbura superintendent of schools.
This official noted that the first exams, namely entrepreneurship and social sciences, were conducted under good conditions, urging students to work hard to achieve good results in all scheduled tests.
However, on the first day, the exam started late due to students arriving late, the calling procedures, and verification of whether candidates’ names were correctly written in some places. There was also a delay in seating students at the Mutimbuzi communal high school, reported Alexis Bigirimana head of this center. He told ABP that this work should have been done on the exam eve, but pupils did not come. He added that the center expected 270 candidates, including 10 students with disabilities, and recorded 3 absences of 2 girls and 1 boy. At the Rukaramu communal high school, all 230 expected students were present except one who had dropped out of school since long ago, Alexis Nzisabira, head of that center, told a check by ABP.
In Mwaro DPE, 58 absences of 24 boys and 34 girls were recorded on the first day. This exam took place in 38 exam centers with 138 supervisors.
Contacted by ABP, the Mwaro superintendent of schools Omer Barandagiye cited some reasons for absence, among which he mentioned enrollment in the police and army, expulsions, demotivation, job seeking, unwanted pregnancies, illness, and poverty.
Barandagiye reported two cases of unregistered students. For these cases, it was recommended to assign new registration numbers. At the Mwaro high school exam center in Kayokwe commune, all 130 expected candidates attended; likewise, at the ECOFO Rwintare exam center in Rusaka commune, all 65 expected candidates were present, a check on site by ABP revealed.
Note that in Mwaro 3,407 candidates were expected to take the exam.