Rwanda’s Ministry of Education has ruled out a second chance for 1,097 students caught cheating in the 2025/26 national secondary school examinations.
The ministry announced the decision as it released the results of the secondary school national examinations, signaling a tougher stance on examination malpractice.
Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana said 108,405 students sat the examinations, while 1,097 were found to have cheated.
Unlike primary school candidates who have previously been allowed to retake examinations after being caught cheating, the secondary school students will not be given another opportunity to sit the exams.
“Ultimately, these are not young children. They are people who understand what they are doing,” Nsengimana said.
The minister said the cheating was not limited to students, with investigations also implicating adults, including teachers and school officials.
“The issue of cheating involved adults who were not students, and the relevant authorities are following up on them so that they can face exemplary punishment,” he said.
Nsengimana said those who facilitated cheating would be held accountable, stressing that protecting the credibility of national examinations requires action against everyone involved.
The decision comes as Rwanda recorded a significant improvement in secondary school examination performance, with 94.33% of candidates meeting the required pass mark.
The Ministry of Education said it would continue strengthening measures to prevent examination malpractice and ensure that those who undermine the integrity of national examinations face appropriate consequences.
