NGSA students to tackle 2nd mock exam on July 7, 8

Preparations are underway for the second mock examination on Wednesday and Thursday, for students sitting the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) this year.
In the first session last June, over 90 per cent of students wrote the examination in their classrooms while the remainder opted to write the examination at home.
This time around, Education Minister Priya Manickchand detailed that this option is also available. If they write it at home, each subject will be written one day later than the original date in order to maintain the integrity of the exam.
This option to write at home will not be available for the actual NGSA examinations, which will be written on the August 4 and 5.
“Students will either have to write the exam at school or not write it at all and be placed according to the Ministry’s policies. Students are not mandated to wear uniforms. They may wear whatever they have once it is covering as we all understand decent to be. This option to wear regular clothes will be available also for the exams in August,” Manickchand stated.
More than 400 pupils missed last month’s mock exam due to the floods that are affecting several communities across the country and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Just over 12,000 pupils wrote the mock exam on the first day, accounting for some 85 per cent of the 14,000-plus pupils who are listed to sit this year’s NGSA.
This means that more than 2400 children were absent from the mock exam. Of this figure, it was noted that some 420 pupils did not write the examination.
Manickchand had later pointed out that the Ministry would be reaching out to those pupils who did not turn up to ascertain the reason behind their absence and to give assistance if needed.
The placement examination would consist of Papers One and Two. Additionally, some 14,300 Grade Six students will be writing the assessment – an increase over last year, when 14,032 candidates wrote the exam. Each student attending a public school was supposed to receive a care package, containing past papers and all the requisite textbooks.
Since classrooms have been closed until otherwise decided, the virtual NGSA booster platform was launched to enhance learning and providing additional practice among students sitting the assessment this year.
Since the closure of primary schools last year owing to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana, their only reopening was to facilitate last year’s NGSA sitting. It was facilitated under strict distancing and sanitisation protocols in order to protect students. Sinks and other hygiene units were established prior to the exams.