The national Examinations for ordinary and advanced levels of secondary school education started, yesterday, with officials reporting no incident.

O-Level candidates started with Mathematics and Kinyarwanda language, while Senior Six sat Mathematics.

The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Mathias Harebamungu, launched the examinations at the Groupe Scolaire Shyogwe examination centre in Muhanga District, from where he unsealed the first question papers.

Countrywide, more than 96,000 sat ordinary level exams, while those completing high school are 31,053, according to statistics from Rwanda Education Board.

According to Maria Clementine Mukarusanganwa, the coordinator of the centre, they have two candidates with disabilities, but she was quick to add that they did not need very special attention.

Four hundred forty-eight candidates from five schools sat the exams at the centre.

Harebamungu urged the candidates to be confident, saying any mentally prepared candidate can excel in exams.

"If you really prepared then you will find nothing difficult,” he said, adding that exams are important in grooming students into knowledgeable and responsible future leaders.

"I have been participating in discussions and late night revision, so I don’t think this exam will bring anything I haven’t covered,” said a confident Jovia Karera, an O-Level candidate. 

The exams cover around 10 days from October 30 to November 8.