A TOTAL of 1,230,780 candidates are set to sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) which starts today across the country, the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) has announced.

The council, however, has warned that any candidates caught cheating during the examination will have their results nullified.

In a press briefing in Dar es Salaam yesterday, NECTA Executive Secretary Dr Said Ally Mohamed announced that the examination is scheduled to span two days. He urged stakeholders and the public to report any suspected malpractice.

Dr Mohamed reported that out of the total candidates, 564,176 (45.84 percent) are girls, and 666,604 (54.16 percent) are boys. Additionally, 4,583 candidates with special needs are registered to sit for the PSLE exams. This includes 98 candidates with vision impairment, 1,402 with low vision, 1,067 with hearing impairments, 486 with intellectual disabilities, and 1,530 with physical disabilities.

He also mentioned that 1,158,862 (94.16 percent) of the registered candidates will take the exam in Kiswahili while 71,918 (5.84 percent) will sit for the exam in English.

The examination will cover the following subjects: Kiswahili, English, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Social Studies, Life Skills, and Civics.

Dr Mohammed confirmed that all necessary materials, including exam papers, have been distributed to councils and municipalities nationwide.

“Despite extensive preparations, regional and council examination committees must ensure security of examination centers and adherence to NECTA’s guidelines,” he stated.

He emphasized that invigilators must perform their duties professionally and follow examination regulations to ensure fair treatment of all candidates. He also advised school owners to respect the role of examination supervisors and avoid interfering with their duties. School heads are urged to adhere to NECTA’s guidelines to maintain the integrity of examination process.

“The council calls on the society to support examination process by ensuring that no unauthorized individuals enters school premises during examination period,” he said.