Some 171,123 students started the 2019 national examinations for Ordinary and Advanced levels of secondary schools on Tuesday.

Isaac Munyakazi, the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, who flagged off the examinations in Huye District, reminded candidates the values they should have during the examinations.

"We prepared you in your courses…you should not miss any examination. You should not be late for exams, and should not cheat,” he told close to 400 candidates from five schools at Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare, one of the examination centres in the region.

He said that in the just-concluded national exams for primary schools no cases of malpractices were recorded across the country.

"The key to your success is in your hands now. Use it correctly, successfully. We wish you all the best,” Munyakazi said.

Some 119,932 O’Level students, of whom 54.6 per cent are girls, will sit the exams at 489 centres countrywide are girls.

The exam will end on November 19.

The number of candidates has risen at both levels in 2019 compared to 2018.

According to the Ministry of Education, the number of candidates has increased by more than 20 per cent at ordinary level and 11 per cent at advanced.

This year sees the second cohort of candidates sit for the national exams under the Competency-Based Curriculum, which came into effect in 2015.

According to Irenee Ndayambaje, Director General of REB, this year gives an opportunity to measure the effectiveness of the new curriculum, and know which improvement is needed.

Candidates said they were well-prepared for the exams. Armand Hahirwa, a finalist in Mathematics, Physics and Geography (MPG), said he was ready.

"Since we started Senior 6, we have been doing tests that prepared us for the final exams,” he said. "We have no panic or fear and will answer the papers without haste.”

The national exams for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) also started on Tuesday, with 19,340 candidates taking part across the country.

The national examinations for primary schools, in which over 280,000 students took part, were concluded last week, on November 6.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com