Over 15,000 students turn out for NGSA, highest since COVID-19 – Manickchand
More than 15,000 pupils across Guyana have sat the first day of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations of 2025 on Wednesday, and the Ministry of Education has reported a record-high attendance rate of 98 per cent, the best turnout since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Education Minister Priya Manickchand, a total of 15,813 students were registered to write the two-day national examinations. As of Wednesday evening, data had been received from 99 percent of schools showing that 15,497 students turned up to write the exams.
Students of Better Hope Primary, Region Two, saying a prayer before the exams on Wednesday
“Region Five recorded the highest attendance rate at 98.85%. This is an extremely positive indicator of our students’ and parents’ trust in the education system,” Manickchand stated.
Among those sitting the exams were 115 students with Special Education Needs (SEND) and, notably, 91 students wrote the assessments in Spanish — a historic first introduced last year.
The Ministry attributed the strong turnout to targeted investments made in the education sector to improve both accessibility and readiness. All public-school students received free breakfast and lunch, while students from both public and private schools received exam kits, including stationery items required for the assessments.
“We’ve made major strides in preparing our pupils for this day. From better-equipped classrooms and more trained teachers to the provision of school meals and transportation in the hinterland, we are seeing the results in attendance, and we hope in overall performance,” Minister Manickchand explained.
Manickchand also credited the introduction of additional boats and new schools in remote areas with improving student access.
Assessment format
The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) assesses competencies developed from the Grade Three to the Grade Five consolidated curriculum. The 2025 schedule includes both multiple-choice and essay components in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies over a two-day period.
On April 16, students wrote English Paper II, Mathematics Paper One, Science Paper One, Social Studies Paper One. Today, the students will sit the English Paper One, Mathematics Paper Two, Science Paper Two and Social Studies Paper Two.
Mock assessments were conducted in December 2024 and February 2025 to prepare students.
Manickchand expressed confidence that the momentum will continue through the final day of assessments on Thursday.
“We expect to see similarly strong numbers tomorrow. This is a collective success — from the students, to their parents, teachers, and our hardworking ministry staff. I thank everyone involved and wish all our children continued success,” she said.
The NGSA is a critical exam for Grade Six pupils in Guyana. It determines placement into secondary schools based on academic performance.
