A total of 243 suspected examination malpractice cases were recorded during the 2025/26 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) and Ordinary Level (O-Level) national examinations, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education Claudette Irere said. Irere made the remarks on Thursday, August 20, as the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) released the results of the national examinations, which were taken by more than 425,000 candidates at primary and Ordinary Level. ALSO READ: Record number of primary, O-Level candidates pass national exams She said the cases involved violations of regulations governing national examinations by candidates and invigilators. “We saw violations of different rules governing national examinations, including malpractice and cheating by students, as well as invigilators helping students to cheat,” Irere said. “Investigations have shown that there are invigilators who also participated in malpractice cases by helping students to cheat. We are still investigating to establish more details. A student and those who supported them to cheat also have to be investigated. That is the reason it takes time,” she said. ALSO READ: Dozens of teachers face sanctions over exam malpractices Irere said the regulations governing national examinations clearly determine the measures to be taken against candidates found guilty of malpractice. “When you are caught in malpractice, we don’t release your marks,” Irere said. However, she stressed that the ministry does not treat a suspected case as proof of wrongdoing. Each case is investigated thoroughly before a final decision is made. She explained that withholding results does not automatically mean a candidate has been disqualified and their grades annulled. Once an investigation is completed, results can be released if the candidate is found not to have committed malpractice. She stressed that the government cannot tolerate cheating because misconduct that begins in school can develop into more serious forms of wrongdoing later in life. “We are in education. The reason we can’t tolerate cheating and malpractice is that it starts today, and tomorrow it develops into something worse,” Irere said. Candidates who are ultimately found guilty will be punished in accordance with the laws governing national examinations. Over 87% of candidates pass More than 371,000 candidates passed the PLE and O’Level national examinations, this represents a rate of 87.3 per cent. ALSO READ: Meet the top performers in national exams At primary level, 88.2 per cent of the 276,579 candidates who sat the PLE passed. At O’Level, 85.7 per cent of the 149,015 candidates who sat the examination passed.
