Sierra Leone’s Education Minister, Conrad Sackey has announced the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results today Monday, November 18, 2024.

The BECE, overseen by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), is taken by third-year Junior High School students . This examination serves dual purposes: determining eligibility for senior secondary education and certifying junior secondary education completion.

Earlier in July, a total of 126,703 pupils – 61,380 males and 65,116 females, from 1,833 schools sat for the 2024 BECE in Sierra Leone.

5,578 candidates were absent for all subjects or had their entire results cancelled. 5,545 of these candidates were absent for all subjects.

The results of 879 candidates were from late entries and are being withheld by WAEC.

This makes the result of 125,824 counties inclusive of those absent for all subjects that were released to the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education on the 14th of November 2024.

The number of candidates in 2024 having their results released (121,125) are fewer than the 127,065 of 2023 as well as the 127,889 of 2022 and the 131,483 of 2021.

It is important to note that few candidates have been sitting BECE since 2020, largely due to the fewer candidates failing and having to repeat the exam. For the fourth year in a row, there are more females amounting to 61,957 than males at 58,289 students sitting BECE. The results released to MBSSE this year,6.3% more females than males sat the 2024 BECE.

The pass rate for individual papers stands at 90.5%. The number of candidates obtaining a minimum of five passes, inclusive of language, arts or mathematics, has increased by 21%

More details shortly…