The National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) has released the 2024/2025 national examination results for Primary Six (PLE) and Ordinary Level (O’Level), revealing that while overall pass rates dipped, students achieved stronger scores than in previous years.
According to figures announced on Tuesday, August 19, a total of 219,926 pupils registered for PLE, with 166,334 meeting the pass mark—representing a 75.64 percent success rate. Girls made up the majority of successful candidates at 53.2 percent, compared to 46.8 percent for boys.
At O’Level, 149,206 students registered, with 148,702 sitting the exams and 148,676 graded. Out of these, 95,674 candidates passed, giving an overall pass rate of 64.35 percent.
NESA Director General Bernard Bahati highlighted that despite the slight decline in pass rates, the performance trends tell a more encouraging story.
The number of students with weak scores dropped sharply, while those in higher performance brackets increased.
“For instance, candidates scoring between 30 and 40 percent fell from 45,148 last year to just 10,916 this year,” Bahati explained. “On the other hand, those scoring between 50 and 60 percent rose from 24,925 to 41,269.”
He stressed that the results signal a shift in learning outcomes: “Although the headline pass rate appears lower, the overall quality of performance has improved, with more learners moving out of failing categories and into stronger achievement levels.”
Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana commended teachers for their role in implementing the remedial programme introduced seven months ago, noting that it was instrumental in raising the quality of results.
He confirmed that the programme will be rolled out to all students beginning with the new academic year.
“We aim to reinforce the quality of education so learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to Rwanda’s development and to build the country we want and deserve,” Nsengimana said.
