By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The South Sudan National Examination Council (SSNEC) has officially released the timetable for the 2025 Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) and Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) examinations.
Speaking at a press briefing in Juba on Thursday, Minister of General Education and Instruction Kuyok Abol Kuyok announced that all necessary arrangements for the examinations have been finalized.
“I wish to inform all candidates, parents, education stakeholders, and the general public that preparations for the 2025 Academic Year CPE and CSE examinations have been completed,” Abol said.
According to the timetable, the CPE examinations will run from Monday, November 25 to Friday, November 29, 2025, while the CSE examinations will take place from Monday, December 1 to Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
The SSNEC Chairperson confirmed that the timetable will be displayed in schools nationwide. For CPE, 84,815 candidates have registered, including 45,545 males and 39,269 females, drawn from 1,953 schools across 551 examination centres.
This represents an increase of 15,535 candidates compared to last year’s total of 70,010. For CSE, 44,364 candidates have registered, comprising 25,863 males and 18,501 females from 510 schools.
This reflects a decrease of 5,640 candidates from last year’s total of 50,004. Among the CSE candidates are 667 refugees, 120 technical candidates, and 30 commercial candidates.
Minister Abol reminded supervisors, invigilators, mentors, and security personnel to uphold the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and professionalism.
“All those entrusted with examination management must familiarize themselves with the Council’s conduct and invigilation guidelines, as outlined in the official guidebooks,” he said.
He wished candidates success and urged them to adhere to rules ensuring a secure and conducive environment warning that malpractice would not be tolerated.
“The National Examinations Council has the prerogative to nullify or cancel results of any candidate, school, or centre found to be involved in malpractice,” he cautioned.
Despite the preparations, South Sudan’s education sector continues to face challenges of underfunding, shortages of qualified teachers, and inadequate learning materials, which in previous years have delayed exam marking and the release of results.
International assessments, including UNESCO reports, have highlighted that while access to education has expanded since independence, quality and equity remain pressing concerns.
The release of the timetable comes at a time when the government is under pressure to demonstrate progress in education reforms, particularly as the country prepares for its first national elections since independence in 2011.
Education stakeholders argue that credible examinations are essential not only for academic progression but also for restoring public confidence in national institutions.
Despite these challenges, Minister Abol emphasized that the Council is committed to ensuring examinations are conducted with integrity and transparency. “We want our students to succeed in a secure environment that reflects fairness and professionalism,” he said.