Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association

Nearly 80% of 12th Graders Pass Final Exam, Up 10%

High school students in Phnom Penh celebrate after learning they passed their final exam on October 30, 2024. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang)
High school students in Phnom Penh celebrate after learning they passed their final exam on October 30, 2024. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang)

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has released final exam grades for high school seniors in Kandal province and Phnom Penh, along with general statistics for the rest of the country, highlighting a notable increase in performance, with approximately 10% more students passing compared to last year.

According to the ministry, more than 2,200 students nationwide achieved the highest grade average on the annual exam, while most students passed with a D average on a A-F scale. The majority of A-scoring students came from schools in Phnom Penh.

This year, a total of 106,351 12th grade students in the country passed the nationally mandated exam, compared to 98,460 in 2023.

Known as the Bac II exam, this end-of-year test is a prerequisite for university applications—and a major hurdle on the often stressful path to higher education for Cambodia’s 12th graders.

In the afternoon of October 30, hundreds of students from Tuol Tompoung High School in Phnom Penh, like those at many schools in Kandal, eagerly gathered on school grounds to receive their scores, a CamboJA News reporter observed.

Students check the lists posted on a board to see if they passed or failed the high school exam in Phnom Penh on October 30, 2024. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang)

Da Dorita, a senior at Tuol Tompoung High School, expressed her satisfaction with her score and the improved scoring accuracy system implemented by the Ministry of Education. After graduation, she plans to attend university, majoring in Chinese literature, which she believes will expand her job prospects.

Nem Sreypich, a student from Prek Thmey High School on the outskirts of the capital, told CamboJA News that she received an E grade on the national exam. However, she is satisfied with her results and aspires to pursue a law degree at the Royal University of Law and Economics.

“I am satisfied with my grade because I studied hard before the exam and the subject I did best in was geography,” she said.

Sok Khon, Sreypich’s mother, also shared her daughter’s pride.

“I am so happy with her results because she really studied hard,” Khon said.

Khuon Vichheka, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, did not respond to CamboJA News’ phone calls seeking further analysis on this year’s Bac II results. 

The president of CITA, the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, Ouk Chhayavy extended congratulations to all students who passed this year’s exam and encouraged the rest of the nation’s students to remain diligent in their studies in preparation for next year. 

“For the students who failed the exam, please do not give up because there are still more opportunities to learn,” Chhayavy said.

High school students in Phnom Penh celebrate after learning they passed their final exam on October 30, 2024. (CamboJA/Pring Samrang)
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