In a statement issued on Sunday, August 30, the ministry said investigations into suspected malpractice had established that mass cheating occurred in 254 examination rooms, affecting 7,188 learners.
Although examination malpractice would ordinarily result in the cancellation of the affected examinations, the ministry said it had decided to allow the learners to sit the examinations again after establishing that some of the cheating had been orchestrated and facilitated by adults responsible for administering the tests.
'In the interest of fairness and the future of the affected learners, the Ministry has therefore decided to allow them to retake the Primary Leaving Examinations,' the statement said.
The retake examinations will be held from September 2 to 4, with the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) expected to announce the examination timetable, designated centres and further guidance on August 31.
The Ministry of Education and NESA will work with learners, parents, schools and local authorities to ensure the process is managed with minimal disruption, according to the statement.
The development comes barely days after the national examination results were released, showing a significant improvement in performance at the primary school level.
Announcing the results on August 20, NESA Director General Dr Bahati Bernard said the national pass rate had risen to 88.21 percent in the 2025/26 academic year, compared with 75.6 percent in the previous year.
A total of 276,579 learners from 3,895 schools sat the examinations, with boys recording a pass rate of 89.59 percent, slightly higher than the 87.1 percent registered by girls.
The ministry said the integrity of national examinations remained non-negotiable and announced plans to strengthen the examination system following the malpractice.
It also warned that everyone found to have organised, facilitated, participated in or deliberately enabled the cheating would be held accountable.
