A total of 102,000 candidates, representing 94.33 per cent of those who sat the 2025/26 Advanced Level national examinations, passed, according to results announced on Friday, September 11.

A total of 108,732 candidates registered for the examinations, of whom 108,406 sat for them. Girls accounted for 55.05 per cent of registered candidates, according to National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA).

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Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana said the results reflected the efforts of candidates, teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

"We are glad that the results are good, because 94 per cent of the candidates passed,” he said.

He thanked candidates for their hard work and teachers and parents for supporting students in their preparations.

"We congratulate those who achieved their targets and wish them success in their future. For those who did not achieve what they wanted, the journey of education is ongoing, and they still have a chance to put in more effort,” Nsengimana said.

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He also warned that examination malpractice would continue to attract sanctions.

"Some candidates did not comply with the examination instructions, including through cheating. Those found to have committed such offences or contributed to them have been punished in accordance with national examination regulations,” he said.

Nsengimana said 1,097 candidates in 27 districts were affected by examination-related irregularities.

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The minister said top-performing candidates would be recognised at a separate ceremony, where they would be joined by their parents and school leaders.

"We want to make the celebrations big so that the students can come together with their parents and school leaders,” he said. Traditionally, the awarding ceremony was held on the day of the results.

More candidates achieving higher marks

NESA Director General Bernard Bahati said the results showed a notable shift towards higher marks.

"The number of students who scored below 50 per cent last year was 10.9 per cent, but this year it decreased to 5.6 per cent,” Bahati said.

He added that the proportion of candidates scoring 70 per cent or above had also increased compared with last year.

General education performance

In General Education, 56,515 candidates registered, with girls accounting for 60.8 per cent. Of the 56,330 who sat the examinations, 94 per cent passed.

The pass rate was 96.3 per cent among boys and 92.7 per cent among girls.

Bahati said the improvement in marks was also evident among general education candidates.

"The proportion of students scoring below 50 per cent decreased from 16.23 per cent to 5.82 per cent, while those scoring 70 per cent or above increased from 27.79 per cent to 48.63 per cent,” he said.

Candidates scoring at least 90 per cent increased from 0.39 per cent to 3.31 per cent. Science had 36,938 candidates, with 93.87 per cent passing.

Humanities recorded 9,957 candidates and a 95.86 per cent pass rate, while 9,435 candidates in languages recorded a 93.61 per cent pass rate.

TSS records 94.55 per cent pass rate

In Technical Secondary Schools (TSS), 42,912 candidates registered and 42,793 sat the examinations.

Boys accounted for 55.11 per cent of those who sat the examinations. The overall pass rate was 94.55 per cent, with 95.46 per cent of boys and 93.43 per cent of girls passing.

Professional education

In Professional Education, 9,324 candidates registered and 9,283 sat the examinations. The overall pass rate was 94.28 per cent, with girls recording a 93.19 per cent pass rate and boys 96.46 per cent.

Among professional education programmes, Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) recorded a 99.88 per cent pass rate, while the Associate Nursing Programme recorded 99.84 per cent. Accounting recorded an 88.59 per cent pass rate.