The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) announced Monday that 94,409 students passed the 2024/2025 national secondary school leaving exams, bringing the national pass rate to 89.1%, up from 78% last year. Out of 106,418 registered candidates, 106,079 sat for the exams. Male students outperformed females, passing at 93.5% compared to 85.5% for girls.
Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana said the early release of results aims to help students plan their next academic steps. “Publishing results before the new school year ensures that successful candidates can join universities without losing a year, while those who need to repeat have time to prepare and start alongside others,” he said.
Performance was strong across all streams of education. In general education, 61,737 students sat for the exams, with 83.8% passing. Technical and vocational education candidates performed even better, with 36,141 sitting and 98% passing. Among professional studies students, 8,201 took the exams, and 89.8% passed. All 438 nursing students passed, while in teacher training, only seven out of 3,829 candidates failed.
Pass rates also varied by subject. In the sciences, 81.45% of 41,182 students passed, while 90.78% of 10,091 humanities students succeeded. Language students recorded an 86.1% pass rate among 10,410 candidates.
Top-performing students were recognized during the announcement. Arengerwe Merci Alliance of Cornerstone Leadership Academy in Rwamagana topped the sciences with 96.06%. Kagemana Jean Lambert of ES Cyabingo in Gakenke led the humanities with 95.73%, and Mugisha Abayo Jennifer of College du Christ-Roi in Nyanza achieved 93.49% in languages.
District-level results highlighted regional differences in performance. Kayonza led the country with a 96.9% pass rate, followed by Kirehe at 95.6% and Rulindo at 94.9%. Districts with the lowest pass rates included Kamonyi at 85% and Nyarugenge at 87.1%.
Minister Nsengimana credited the results to students’ diligence and teachers’ dedication, supported by government capacity-building programs. “We are pleased with this year’s performance, which demonstrates the progress of our education system,” he said.
