Rwanda has ordered 7,188 primary school pupils to retake their national Primary Leaving Examinations after investigations uncovered widespread examination malpractice across the country.
The Ministry of Education announced the decision after investigations found evidence of cheating in 254 examination rooms. Authorities also discovered that some of the malpractice was allegedly organised or facilitated by adults responsible for administering the examinations.
The affected pupils were initially at risk of having their examinations cancelled under Rwanda’s examination rules. However, the Ministry said it decided to give them another opportunity after considering the involvement of adults in some of the cases.
The pupils will sit the examinations again from September 2 to 4, with five papers to be taken over three days. The National Examination and School Inspection Authority is expected to release the timetable and examination centres.
Authorities said the pupils were identified through evidence gathered during the examinations and the marking process. In some cases, examiners found groups of pupils from the same examination room giving identical answers, including the same incorrect answers.
The investigation has also been extended to adults suspected of organising or facilitating the malpractice. The Ministry of Education says anyone found to have planned, enabled or participated in the cheating will face appropriate sanctions under the law.
More than 277,000 pupils sat Rwanda’s 2025/26 Primary Leaving Examinations, with an overall pass rate of 88.21 per cent. The Ministry says the retake is intended to prevent the affected pupils from losing an entire academic year while preserving the integrity of the national examination system.
