Sudan Certificate Exams: Trapped Between Economic and Security Crises, Thousands of Students Deprived

The Sudanese Teachers’ Committee has raised concerns about what it described as the “systemic corruption” surrounding the administration of the post-war Sudanese certificate examinations.

On Sunday, the suspended 2024 Sudanese secondary school exams officially began under extremely challenging conditions for students, despite intensive preparations by the Ministry of Education. The exams are scheduled to continue until July 10, 2025.

According to the Ministry, around 200,000 students sat for the exams at designated centers in army-controlled states, as well as at external centers located in refugee-hosting countries such as Egypt, Uganda, and Chad.

The Teachers’ Committee criticized the way the exams are being managed, including the selection process for supervisors and invigilators, warning that the fragmented administration of the exams could lead to further division of Sudan.

The committee also highlighted that thousands of students in RSF-controlled regions are being deprived of the opportunity to take the exams, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.

Students are sitting the exams amid severe economic and security deterioration, along with an ongoing national electricity crisis, which continues to affect large parts of the country. Additionally, the rainy season has begun, making travel and access more difficult, especially for students coming from western regions to sit for exams in designated centers.