21 Feb 2022

All 17 top achievers in the 2021 BGCSE examination are from government schools,  Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) has revealed.

In a news release, BEC says the  17 are from 11 centres compared to 19 from 12 centres in 2020.

Four of the 2021 candidates with outstanding performance are from one centre.

   The release says the top candidate achieved 9A*, 1A, 1B and 1C from 12 syllabuses whilst the 2020 top candidate achieved 11A*s from a total of 11 syllabuses compared to the 2019 top candidate’s profile of  8A*, 1A and 1B from ten syllabuses.

 It explains that the criterion for outstanding performance is achievement of at least six A*s in the syllabuses that a candidate may have taken.

 For government schools,  overall pass rate (Grade G or better in six syllabuses) is at 97.09 per cent showing an insignificant improvement of 0.7 per cent from 96.39 per cent in 2020, says the release.

It says at credit grades (C or better), the proportion of candidates is 21.20 per cent compared to 21.17 per cent in 2020, showing a slight improvement of 0.03 per cent.

Overall performance for combined categories being government and private schools as well as individual private candidates is at a pass level of 61.27 per cent, showing an insignificant improvement of 0.72 per cent at Grade G or better over 2020 results. 

“At credit grades C or better, the proportion of candidates is 12.91 per cent showing a slight increase of 0.08 per cent compared to 12.83 percent in 2020”, states the release.

  A total of 37 629 candidates wrote the 2021 examination showing an increase of 2.93 per cent in candidature compared to the 2020 cohort of 36 557. ends