Final exams for secondary school students began on Saturday morning in which 560,000 students across the country were distributed over 1,574 exam rooms.
The Ministry of Education organises these exams, known as Thanaweya Amma or pre-university certification, which include the old and new systems.
The two-year system of pre-university studies was reduced, in a new system announced by the ministry in June 2015, to one year.
Exams for students of the old system began on Saturday and those in the new system will begin on Sunday.
Education Minister El-Helaly El-Sherbiny went on an inspection tour to follow up on the conditions of exams and students at a secondary school in Sayeda Zeinab. The minister reassured the quality of the exam papers and cleanliness of exam rooms, state-run media reported on Saturday.
The minister asserted the current government’s keenness to provide an appropriate environment in which students can take exams properly. This process is regarded as part of the state’s authority.
This year, secondary school exams coincide with the holy month of Ramadan and many students will be fasting while taking their exams.
Thanaweya Amma are considered the final years of education before going on to higher education such as university. Students taking these exams are usually 17 and 18. The tests represent a crucial stage in students’ education as their results will determine what they can study at university.
