Parts of the ‘Statistics’ exam for Thanaweya Amma high school students has been reportedly leaked on cheat pages on social media, according to state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.
About 20 minutes into the exam, cheat pages circulated sections they claimed were part of the test paper on Facebook, the newspaper clarified.
A total of 595,344 students took their second phase of the national exams in both the ‘Economics’ and ‘Statistics’ curriculum on Monday.
Earlier on Saturday, Thanaweya Amma students across the country began their national exams with ‘Religious Education’ and ‘Arabic Language.’ Exams will be concluded on July 3.
The exam leaks were not confined to ‘Statistics’ exam as parts of the ‘Arabic Language’ exams were leaked on Saturday too. Al-Ahram cited a source from the ministry of education who revealed that they identified the student responsible for leaking parts of the ‘Arabic Language’ exam.
The sources said that this student, who was taking his own exam in an exam panel in Damietta, reportedly took a photo of the exam and published it on the social media cheat pages.
Despite the ministry’s effort in preventing the leaks, cheat pages on social media continue to pose an issue for Thanaweya Amma exams in recent years.
Thanaweya Amma national exams are a very critical step for students across the country and their families because the total scores would determine which college and subject they will subsequently study.
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.
The ministry has a set list of rules and when it comes to circulating exams, students can face serious repercussions.
During the exams, students are not allowed to possess a mobile or any electronic device (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.
