National Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) will start next week with the number of candidates sitting this academic year up by 21.3 per cent compared to last year.

The examinations will start on November 13 and conclude on November 15, according to Desire Mazimpaka, the acting director of examinations management unit at Rwanda Education Board (REB).

The number of candidates increased from 194,679 in 2016 to 237,182 this year, Mazimpaka said.

Primary Six candidates will sit exams for Mathematics, Social Studies, Science and Elementary Technology, English and Kinyarwanda, according to a timetable released by REB.

Meanwhile, Mazimpaka said Ordinary Level and Advanced Level (theory and practical) exams will start on November 21 and conclude on December 1.

In total, 98,268 candidates will sit Ordinary Level examinations, up from 89,421 last year, while 44,037 candidates will sit Advanced Level exams, up from 41,240 last year.

The number of private candidates in A-Level decreased from 792 last year to 716 this year, according to officials.

In primary, female candidates outnumber their male counterparts at 130,787 and 106,394, respectively.

In O-Level, 53,618 girls and 44,650 boys will sit the exams, while in A-Level, 23,872 candidates are females compared to 20,165 of male counterparts.

According to Michael Tussiime, the deputy director in charge of examinations and accreditation at REB, all is set for exams to start and measures were put in place to combat any form of malpractices.

Tussiime said REB has held several meetings with stakeholders such as police, district education officers, head of schools as well as invigilators.

"We ensure that our meeting focused on mobilisation for all to be able to help the candidates to avoid malpractices. Cheating is often due to pressure and students should be helped to avoid that pressure,” he told The New Times yesterday.

He also said that apart from physical measures at the exams centres, REB also ensures that there is no leakage of exams.

Examiners are asked to set several copies from which one is picked and given to candidates, he said.

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