Raïssa Malu gives the go-ahead for out-of-session tests in the 59th edition of the State Examination

Raïssa Malu, Minister of State and Minister of National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC), launched the special-session exams for the 59th edition of the State Examination on Monday, June 2, 2025. The ceremony took place at Bandal 07 Center, code 12 034, located within the grounds of the I'Excellence School in Bandalungwa, in the Kinshasa-Funa educational province.

‎ ‎In the presence of several dignitaries, including the Provincial Minister of Education, the Secretary General of EDU-NC, the Inspector General of EDU-NC, members of her cabinet, and a representative sample of students, Minister of State Raïssa Malu delivered her speech for the occasion. The head of the sub-sector emphasized the importance of adhering to supervision guidelines and ensuring the smooth flow of the entire process. ‎ ‎"We are entering a decisive phase of our school calendar, a phase that ‎engages the credibility of our education system, the future of thousands of young Congolese, and the trust of the entire nation. Organizing these exams is not a mere administrative exercise; it is an act of responsibility, justice, and accountability... "Dear members of the local committees, supervisors, and inspectors, your mission is crucial. You are the guardians of our education system’s credibility. Your integrity, punctuality, rigor, and vigilance are essential to ensuring this session proceeds with transparency and fairness," she stated. The Minister of State expressed her solidarity and that of the government with all candidates taking these exams while displaced, due to the insecurity prevailing in the eastern part of the country. She reiterated that the national government is acting responsibly. "The organization of the 2025 State Exam in the provinces of North and South Kivu was made possible thanks to collective mobilization and the exceptional support provided by the State and its partners, covering the costs of participation in the national exams and the logistics of deployment," she said.

‎ ‎Raïssa Malu finally wished all candidates "maximum concentration, calm confidence in their abilities, and complete success," so that this session would be marked by "seriousness, dignity, and hope." ‎ This year, 1,073,769 candidates registered for the essay exam, including 461,184 girls (42.95%) and 612,585 boys (57.05%), from provinces offering the various upper-secondary program options throughout the country and in overseas territories. They are distributed across 3,165 testing centers, an average of 339 candidates per center. Thirteen centers are located in overseas territories.

‎Regarding the Short Cycle, 6,196 candidates have registered, including 1,038 girls, or 16.769%, and 5,158 boys, or 83.24%, ‎distributed across 273 centers, with an average of 23 candidates per exam center. ‎ ‎The traditional exams for the technical tracks of the long and short cycles will take place on the second day, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The numbers are as follows: ‎ ‎For the long cycle, 461,786 candidates out of a total of 1,073,769—representing 43% of the total number of candidates—are distributed across 2,860 centers, for an average of 161 candidates per center. These centers account for 90.3% of the total number of centers for the 2025 off-session exams. ‎ ‎In the Short Cycle, 5,633 candidates out of 6,196 registered—representing 90.9% of the total enrollment—are distributed across 255 centers, resulting in an average of 22 candidates per center. ‎ ‎The 2025 out-of-session exams for the Long Cycle of secondary education and the Short Cycle are taking place throughout the country. An encouraging development for this 2025 edition is the coverage of participation fees for candidates taking the ENAFEP, TENASOSP, and EXETAT exams in the occupied provinces. ‎ ‎Christian BELLA