Rwanda’s education sector is prepared for anticipation as the Ministry of Education confirmed that the results of the 2024/2025 Primary Leaving and O’Level national examinations will be released on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
The announcement, made on Sunday, comes with a stack reminder that the new academic year will begin on September 8.
“The Ministry of Education is pleased to notify candidates, parents, and the public that the 2024/2025 Primary Leaving and O’Level National Examination results will be released on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.,” read part of the statement.
This year saw an increase in the number of candidates compared to the previous academic cycle.
According to the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), 220,840 pupils sat for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), while 149,134 students completed the O’Level exams.
In contrast, the 2023/2024 examinations registered 202,021 candidates at primary level and 143,227 at O’Level. The steady rise in numbers highlights continued progress in access to education, with thousands more learners now advancing through national assessments.
While the results are not yet known, comparisons with last year provide a glimpse of what may be expected.
In 2023/2024, girls outshone boys in the Primary Leaving Examinations, registering a pass rate of 97 percent compared to 96.6 percent for boys, and an overall success rate of 96.8 percent.
The picture shifted at O’Level, where boys outperformed girls, posting a pass rate of 95.8 percent against 92 percent for girls. The overall O’Level pass rate stood at 93.8 percent.
The 2023/2024 results also revealed subject-specific strengths and challenges. Primary candidates recorded impressive outcomes in Kinyarwanda, Science, and Social Studies with pass rates above 99 percent, though Mathematics proved more difficult with 71.9 percent passing.
At O’Level, top scores were seen in languages and entrepreneurship, while the sciences showed mixed results. Chemistry and Physics, in particular, had lower pass rates of 80.8 percent and 60.3 percent, respectively.
The question now is whether this year’s expanded candidate pool will maintain or shift the performance trends.
Education experts will be watching closely to see if girls sustain their edge at primary level and whether boys continue to dominate at O’Level. The higher enrolment may also test the system’s ability to support learners across all regions and subjects.
Whatever the outcome though, with more learners sitting national exams than ever before, the country is steadily shaping a generation equipped to contribute to its future.
