A student responsible for leaking parts of the Arabic Language national exam for Thanaweya Amma high school students was identified, the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram cited a source from the ministry of education on Saturday.
The young student reportedly took a photo of the exam and published it on social media cheat pages, the source said. The student was taking his own exam in an exam panel in Damietta.
The ministry is trying to control the issue of exams being leaked online.
Earlier on Saturday, the ministry denied that the ‘Arabic Language’ exam was ever leaked despite multiple reports. Instead, it was emphasised that students and families should not pay attention to these speculations.
Thanaweya Amma students across the country began their exams on Saturday and will finish on July 3. The first exams which took place were ‘Religious Education’ and ‘Arabic Language.’
The ministry has a set list of rules and when it comes to circulating exams that if not followed, students can face serious repercussions.
Students are not allowed to possess a mobile or any electronic device during the exams (even if they are switched off). Anyone who attempts to print, publish, broadcast, or circulate exams can face more than a year of imprisonment and a fine that is between EGP 10,000 and EGP 50,000 as well as being deprived of taking exams.
A total of 669,749 students are taking these exams in 2019, according to the education ministry. A number of 373 students take the STEM exams in 11 exam panels across the country, with 192 visually impaired students also taking their exams in 23 panels. Meanwhile, 40 female and male students take their exams in hospitals, whereas 45 students take their exams in prison.
