83.15% PASS RATE RECORDED FOR 2024 JC EXAMS

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BY MBONO MDLULI

MBABANE – A notable improvement has been recorded in the pass rate of pupils who sat for the 2024 Junior Certificate (JC) examinations compared to last year.

According to the Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo, the national JC pass rate for 2024 stands at 83.15%, slightly higher than the 82.01% recorded in 2023. Nxumalo announced the results today, December 23, 2024, alongside the Eswatini Primary Certificate (EPC) results, commonly known as Standard Five results.

The minister revealed that 16,776 pupils registered for the 2024 JC exams, compared to 18,940 in 2023—a decline of 11.42% in candidature. Of those registered, 16,513 candidates actually sat for the exams in 2024, down from 18,559 in 2023. Candidates absent from the exams dropped to 356 in 2024, compared to 520 in 2023.

Merit and Pass Classes
Despite the improved pass rate, there were slight declines in the higher categories of passes:

Merit Passes: 699 in 2024, a 0.59% decrease compared to 2023.
First Class Passes: 1,665 in 2024, reflecting a 0.78% decrease.
Second Class Passes: 8,732 in 2024, down by 3.33% from 2023.
Third Class Passes: 2,625 in 2024, a 1.7% decrease compared to last year.
However, the number of candidates who failed dropped from 3,340 in 2023 to 2,782 in 2024, a 1.14% improvement.

Regional Performance
The pass rates by region are as follows:

Manzini: 84.81% (Highest pass rate).
Hhohho: 83.59%.
Lubombo: 81.45%.
Shiselweni: 81.29% (Lowest pass rate).

Conclusion
While the overall pass rate has improved slightly, the results also highlight a decline in the number of candidates and reductions in merit and class pass rates. The Manzini region retained its position as the top-performing region in the country.

Minister Nxumalo commended pupils and educators for their efforts and expressed optimism for continued improvement in future academic years

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