The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) has officially released the dates for this year’s national examinations for both primary and secondary school candidates.

In a press statement signed by MANEB Executive Director Prof. Dorothy Nampota, the board announced that The Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) exams will take place from 21st to 23rd May 2025, the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) exams will run from 3rd to 12th June 2025 and candidates for Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) will sit for exams from 1st to 25th July 2025.

The board confirmed that candidate registration was successfully conducted from 23rd September to 31st December 2024, with payments made through digital platforms such as TNM Mpamba, Airtel Money, FDH Digital Banking, National Bank Mo626, NBS Eazy Bank, Standard Bank Unayo, and First Capital Bank.

According to MANEB, more female candidates have registered for PSLCE and JCE exams, continuing a recent trend. However, male candidates still outnumber females at the MSCE level. The total number of registered candidates has risen from 611,144 in 2024 to 626,038 in 2025 an increase of more than 2 percent.

The board has assured the public that all necessary preparations have been made, including securing examination materials and centers. It will continue to work closely with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and the Malawi Police Service to ensure safety and integrity during the exam period, in line with a Memorandum of Understanding effective until 2026.

“MANEB has sent the list of items for science practical examinations to enable schools procure the materials before examinations”, reads the statement.

The board has not sidelined candidates with disabilities to provide  inclusive education. Candidates with visual impairments will be provided with braille and those with low vision, will have large print exams, while candidates with physical disabilities will be offered oral exams under supervision by well-trained invigilators in dedicated spaces.

Furthermore, MANEB has introduced electronic payment systems for examination staff, including supervisors and invigilators, to receive their allowances directly through their bank accounts.

This year’s exams will be monitored at national, regional, and district levels to prevent any malpractice or exam leakage.

The court is set to decide whether to grant bail to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President Alfred Gangata.

Gangata, who was arrested recently, is facing charges that have not yet been fully disclosed to the public. His legal team has applied for bail, arguing that he is not a flight risk and will cooperate with the court process.

Many DPP supporters gathered outside the court, showing their support for their leader. Some believe his arrest is politically motivated, while others are waiting to hear more details about the case.

The court is expected to make its ruling today this morning.

The Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) says all is set for the commencement of the 2024 Malawi school certificate of education (MSCE) examinations tomorrow.

According to Maneb spokesperson Angella Kashitigu a total of one hundred and eighty-four thousand, Nine hundred and seventy-eight students registered to sit for the exams.

Kashitigu says from this number ninety-six thousand 7 hundred eighty-seven are males while 88 thousand one hundred ninety-one are females.

She also disclosed that they have not yet registered any cases where school management has misused students’ examination fee.

This year’s examinations will be administered from 2nd to 26th July 2024.

The Private Schools Teachers Association of Malawi (PSTAM) has asked Education Authorities to extend the 2023 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) registration period to consider students who want to retake the exams.

This has come following the delay of releasing the results of Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) MSCE exams on December 2, 2022.

According to Patricia Chisi, Vice President for PSTAM, the deadline is not enough time to accommodate students wanting to retake the examinations.

She then proposed that MANEB should consider shifting the deadline of the registration till end December.

Responding to the concerns, MANEB spokesperson Mayamiko Chiwaya indicated that the board will stick to its initial deadline.

Chiwaya added that MANEB is currently monitoring everything through the e-registration and e-payment systems on the same.

MANEB had announced October as deadline for the release of the examination results but the results delayed until this month.

This year’s MSCE registered 58.44 percent pass rate.

The Malawi Examinations Board (MANEB) has finally released this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination results.

According to MANEB Executive Director Dorothy Nampota, out of 152,391 candidates who sat for examination 84,242 have passed representing 58.44 percent pass rate, the highest in the past 3 years.

Zomba Urban has shined in this year’s exam, scoring 68.43% passing rate and emerging the best performing district under top 10 performing districts. Likoma comes second with 66.67%, Dowa 65.67%, Phalombe 64.45%, Mzuzu City 63.71%, Dedza 63.11%, Karonga 61.87%, Mulanje 61.12%, Ntchisi 60.98% and Nkhatabay 60.20%.

The top 10 performing schools are St Kizito Seminary, Marist Secondary School, Nankhunda Seminary, Lilongwe Islamic Secondary School, Dedza Secondary School, St Mary’s Secondary School, Loyola Jesuit Secondary School, Lilongwe Girls Secondary School, Maranatha Boys Secondary School and Wasambo Boys High School.

Last year, Zomba Urban also topped the results and it was seconded by Dowa.

The Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) is yet to release the results of 2022 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).

MANEB’s public relations officer Mayamiko Chiwaya has said the board is in its final stage of the processes to release the results of the students who sat for this year’s MSCE examinations.

“We are doing the final processes and the results will be released as soon as they are ready”, said Chiwaya.

Some stakeholders have raised their worries on the delays by the board to release the results.

According to the stakeholders the delays will affect students who would like to re-sit for examination when their results will not come as pleased.

Mzuzu University educationist, Dr. Foster Lungu believes that, there is still a room for improvement to MANEB by digitizing the systems without compromising its integrity of results by introducing a test bank.

This year’s MSCE examinations started on 30th August 2022 and were finished on 22nd September 2022.

Police in Mzimba have arrested two Malawi School Certification of Examination (MSCE) candidates from Mzimba secondary school, identified as Vincent Sakala and Domnic Ngala, for being in possession of this year’s examination papers.

Reports indicate that the candidates, police received from well-wishers that there were some students who created WhatsApp and shared examination materials, namely Confidential instructions for practicals and also Exams questions.

Police detectives from Mzimba police station followed the matter and found out that the issue was true and that students had formed 3 groups only for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) students.

The two suspects were the one’s sharing the papers to other group members. Some of the papers shared were; confidential Instructions papers for Agriculture, Biology and chemistry and part of Chemistry paper question number 4.

Suspects were arrested and will be taken to court soon.

Malawi’s Education Minister Agnes NyaLonje has described this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) pass rate as a true reflection of improved education quality in the country.

NyaLonje was speaking this afternoon during the announcement of 2021 MSCE examinations results.

Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB Executive Director Dorothy Nampota 123,008 sat for the examinations and 63,949 have passed 51.99% pass rate.

According to NyaLonje the Ministry of Education will work extra hard to assist every student including those with disabilities to be able to pass with flying colors.

NyaLonje has since challenged schools that have performed poorly to borrow a leaf from other schools who have performed better with available limited resources.

The 2021 pass rate is the highest in the past three years.

Education Expert has challenged the country’s examinations board and Malawi Police to institute investigations into alleged examinations paper that have gone viral in social media platforms.

Last week, social media platforms were awash with examinations paper believed to be form Malawi Nations Examinations Board (MANEB) which the board vehemently denied owning them.

According to a statement signed by Professor Dorothy C. Nampota- Acting Chief Executive Officer for Maneb, people should not be worried because the papers are fake.

According to Nampota history will not repeat itself as the board has put in measures to prevent such from happening.

“MANEB disowns those papers and assures the general public that the 2021 MSCE examination papers have not leaked and will not leak.” reads part of the statement.

In his remarks, Education Expert Steve Shara has said it is in the best interest of Malawians that MANEB traces the source of the fake papers in order to instill public trust on the administration of the exams.

The call comes as form four students are expected from Tuesday this week, to sit for the Malawi School Certificate of Education- examination.

The Malawi Nations Examination Board (MANEB) has said all is set for this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) which are starting On Tuesday This week.

MANEB’s spokesperson Mayamiko Chiwaya has confirmed while revealing that at least 128, 993 students are expected to sit for the examinations.

“These are the candidates who registered for the exam. We are expecting their presence during the exam days,” she said.

In terms of security, Chiwaya says everything is in order.

Last week social media was awash with examinations papers allegedly form MANEB of which the board denied owning them.

MANEB has since said that it is doing anything possible not to go through what it did last year.

By Chisomo Phiri

Newly elected Member of Parliament for Nsanje North Enock Chizuzu has set aside K2 million towards the payment of examination fee for students who have failed their 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations and are willing to sit again for this year’s examinations in his constituency.

According to Chizuzu, the move is to ensure that quality education is being practiced and fulfilled.

Chizuzu promised the students that their examinations fee will be sorted out and they will re-sit for MSCE examinations with an effort to achieve good grades.

“I have spared two million Kwacha to pay the examinations fee for those needy students who have failed 2020 MSCE and are willing to re-sit for 2021 MSCE to be administered soon. As a Member of Parliament, I want my constituency to have educated people who can develop the area and the nation at large. No needy student is spared and left behind and I have more to do towards quality education in the constituency” Promised Chizuzu.

The Member of Parliament also encouraged the students to  work extra hard in preparation of the next examinations saying it is only through hardworking where they can do better in the examinations results.

“As students, you should always work hard so as to pass the exams. Always study hard, attend classes and do the assignments given by the teachers accordingly for you to achieve the next examinations. Don’t look down because you failed, instead look forward in achieving what is coming next”, Said Chizuzu.

In Nsanje North constituency, over 200 students have not performed well in the just released MSCE examinations results which has prompted the legislator to support them with examinations fee as one way of transforming the area in terms of education.

On April 1, 2021 Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) in conjunction with the Ministry of Education (MoE) released 2020 re-administered MSE results which out 138, 310 students who sat for the examinations only 57, 293 passed the examinations, representing 41.42% and described as the worst results in a decade.

Chizuzu won the in the just ended by-elections in the district.

Government through the Ministry of Education has send a strong warning to those planning to muddle with the fresh Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.

The warning is targeting Public Officers and Form four students in which they are being asked to refrain from planning to mess up the fresh examinations in any way including cheating or leaking the papers.

Minister responsible, Agnes NyaLonje during the week has been visiting various schools to monitor the progress of the examinations which started on Tuesday with practical papers.

NyaLonje visited schools in Dowa and Kasungu districts.

In her remarks, NyaLonje emphasized that the importance of nation examinations like MSCE as the basis of credibility for the education system.

She therefore said that the new system is strong and not porous to any malpractice such as examinations leakage.

The examinations are being re-administered after they were cancelled last year following a massive leakage.

The Malawi Nations Examinations Board (MANEB) top officials including the Executive Director Gerald Chiunda were suspended to pave way for investigations.

The Independent Schools Association of Malawi (ISAMA) has challenged government’s decision for form four students not to pay school fees ahead of the MSCE examinations retake.

This comes as the Ministry of Education has outlined measures to be followed as form four students head to school from 28th December.

One of the measures is that schools should not demand fees from students.

However, ISAMA President Joseph Patel has said that they want the students to pay 20 percent of their school fees.

Patel has also said that they had initially agreed with government that students in private schools should be paying 20 percent from their initial fees.

He said they are now surprised that government has made a different directive.

Patel vowed to again engage government to address the situation which he dubs as ‘ erroneous’.

Form form students had a rude awakening earlier this month when a massive leakage of examinations papers led to a cancellation of the national examinations.

They were initially due to re-sit in March next year, but President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera described the time frame as too long.

He then ordered that the examinations be written not later than January.

Credit: MIJ

Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) Executive Director Gerald Chiunda has been suspended by the Board pending investigations on the alleged leakage of this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.

According to a letter made available to Face of Malawi, signed vice chairperson for MANEB’s Board Edith Mmela, Chiunda has been suspended with immediate effect.

“On behalf of the Board, I am writing to inform you that the Board has resolved to suspend you from duty in your capacity as Executive Director with immediate effect in order to allow the Board to conduct through investigations into the matter,” said Mmela.

The statement further added that after investigations, the Board shall give Chiunda an opportunity to be heard on the matter regarding his role.

The statement further alleges that through the preliminary investigation report found out that there was evidence of gross negligence “in the efficient and effective management ad conduct of MSCE examinations.”

“The Board also found serious violations and probable commission of offences contrary to Malawi National Examination Act (Cap 30: 04),” said Mmela.

The development follows a directive from the State President Lazarus Chakwera who ordered the dismissal of MANEB’s top management and that all the perpetrators should be brought to book.

So far no arrests have been made despite that the ultimatum President Chakwera gave the Minister of education Agnes Nyalonje elapses today.

MSCE students are expected to re-write this year’s examinations not later than January 2021 as ordered by the president who quashed the idea of re-administering the examinations in March 2021.

Meanwhile, MSCE candidates are calling on MANEB to release dates of commencement of the examinations.

As the rain is still pouring on the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) over the leakage of this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations, other stakeholder are calling for the resignation of the Minister of Education, Agnes Nyalonje.

Human Rights activist Billy Mayaya chairperson for Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) in the central region said the minister of education should also take responsibility on the leakage of the examinations, hence she also need to be shown the exit door.

“On the MANEB exam leakage, the buck stops with the Minister. She also needs to be fired,” Mayaya said.

However, the State President Lazarus Chakwera has given Minister of Education one week to ensure that arrests have been made in connection with the leakage of the examinations.

On the other hand, stakeholders are calling for the resignation of MANEB executive Director Gerald Chiunda.

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development (CDEDI) has called the government to give an explanation on what really happened to reach the extent that examinations to be available everywhere.

Following the directive of the president that the examinations should be re-administered before January 2021, MANEB and the Ministry of Education are expected to make fresh announcements on the matter considering that they already set March 9, 2021 as the day to start fresh MSCE examinations.

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiative (CDEDI) has faulted the state president Lazarus Chakwera for ordering the firing of Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) over leakage of Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.

CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said this when responding to president Chakwera’s speech he delivered this morning regarding the MANEB scandal evolving MSCE examinations.

Namiwa suggested that the president would have waited for the commission of inquiry report before moving in to dismiss the top officials of MANEB.

“CDEDI has found the President at fault by suggesting the firing of top management at the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB), before the results of a commission of inquiry he has demanded from the education ministry, has come up with results and recommendations,” he said.

According to Namiwa, the initiative is shocked with what it calls indecisiveness speech by President Chakwera.

“The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is shocked with the State President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s indecisiveness, shown in his special address to the nation delivered at the Kamuzu Palace on Thursday, 5th November 2020,” Namiwa said.

He continued that the president has clearly shown that “there were no wider consultations on his administration’s position, which was announced by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, 4th November, 2020 to have the examinations cancelled, and that fresh examinations be re-administered from 9th March, 2021”

The grouping further maintained that government is still owing Malawians an explanation on what really happened surrounding the leakage of this year’s MSCE examinations.

The Centre for Democracy and Economic development Initiatives (CDEDI) has expressed its disappointment over the cancellation of this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) on grounds that it was leaked.

According to Sylvester Namiwa, CDEDI executive Director has said it is not pleased with how government has handled the issue at the same time stressing that CDED would not condone any examination malpractice.

“It is worth noting right at the onset that CDEDI is not and would not condone any examination malpractices,” Namiwa said.

He added; “However, CDEDI is disappointed with the way government has handled the whole scenario as it was highly emotive, hence the students had no choice but to resort to widespread protests,”

Namiwa further added that the decision made by the minister of education Agnes Nyalonje and authorities from the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) has left candidates, parents and guardians and educational stakeholders such as school owners with more questions than answers.

The statement further outlined points that CDEDI was expecting from the statement made by the mister of education, among others, CDEDI said they expected the minister to explain the factors that led to the leakage of the examinations and the consultative process that was used conducted in order to arrive at the decision to cancel the examinations.

Furthermore, CDEDI is demand that the minister should reveal “modalities that have been considered during the waiting period for the examinations to be re-administered” and the criteria that have been used to declare March 9, 2021 as the start date for re-administering the fresh MSCE examinations.

“A roadmap on how the school owners are to handle the process of re-administering the examinations from the time the candidates have been sent home, to the time they are expected to come back and sit for the examinations,” added the statement.

CDEDI further worried that it is very unfortunate that the incident happened a month after schools were opened from a long break due to Covid-19 pandemic which contributed to high school dropout rate of students especially girls, due to early marriages and teenage pregnancies.

“It is very likely that the cancellation of the 2020 MSCE examinations will result into more students’ drop-outs, a development that is very worrisome,” fears Namiwa.

Lastly, CDEDI appealed to Tonse Alliance government to embrace the spirit of “consulting widely on matters of national interest, and desist from making emotionally charged decisions, which are most often too costly to the taxpayers and hit the poor and the marginalized very hard”

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has called on Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) Executive Director Gerald Chiunda to be relieved from his duties following the massive leak of Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCSE) examinations.

In a press statement made available to Face of Malawi, HRDC through it chairperson Gift Trapence has given Chiunda an ultimatum of five days to leave office.

According to Trapence, if Chiunda cling to office, the human rights body has threatened to mobilize all MSCE candidates to the streets demanding the resignation of MANEB boss.

Meanwhile, Chiunda has accused his staff of the malpractice saying they are the ones who leaked the examination papers.

He has however, assured, students, parents and guardians that all perpetrator of the malpractice will be brought to book.

In the meantime, the state president Lazarus Chakwera has given MANEB board to suspend all board members who were involved in the making of this year’s MSCE examinations.

He has also given the minister of education Agnes Nyalonje one week to ensure that every person involved in the leakage of MSCE scandal should be behind bars.

Yesterday, Ministry of education in conjunction with MANEB cancelled this year’s MSCE examinations following a massive leak of the examination papers.

According to the ministry of education, the MSCE examinations will be re-administered in 2021, on March 9.