Reda Hegazy speaking about 2023 Thanaweya Amma exams
The minister said that the mock exam is intended to familiarise students with the structure of the final exam (which will be an open book exam).
In order to ensure equal opportunities among students, Hegazy said that the mock exam will be made available through the ministry’s website. The website, he said, will also include links to information on all the essentials of every subject to help students master them.
According to the most recent changes in the exam, he said, the exam now contains a short essay section constituting 15 percent of the total grade of the exam, whereas the rest of the exam is still composed of multiple choice questions (MCQs) that account for the remaining 85 percent of the total grade.
A bubble sheet and notebook will be provided for students to fill their answers, said the minister.
Hegazy also said that exams will be electronically graded, and written questions will be scanned and sent to two separate graders to ensure accuracy.
He reiterated that the MCQ questions will be given scores of either one, two, or six, adding that while the number of questions will remain the same as it used to be in the last two exams, more questions will be given a score of one.
Changes in Thanaweya Amma
For the last two academic years, the final exam has been composed of only multiple-choice questions (MCQs) as part of the state's effort to replace the decades-old system, based on memorisation, with a modern system based on the comprehension of academic material.
The introduction of the new exam system in 2019 resulted in less students passing the Thanaweya Amma exams, with the passing rate dropping from 81.5 percent in the 2019-2020 academic year to 75 percent in 2021-2022.
Short essay questions have recently been reinstated in September by the new education minister. The changes, he said, reflected a change in implementation mechanisms not an abandonment of the state's plan to overhaul the education system which is already in place.
The Thanaweya Amma (or high school grade 12) exams are critical for students and parents alike since they determine university prospects based on the grades obtained.
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