30 Jan 2026

The Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) has released the 2025 Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) results, showing a modest overall improvement in performance compared to 2024, despite an increase in the number of candidates who sat for the examinations.

According to a release from BEC, the overall pass rate for 2025 cohort stands at 83.7 per cent. 

The release further states that a total of 47 880 candidates sat for the examinations, representing a 2.62 per cent increase from 45 261 candidates in 2024. Of the total candidature, 24 542 (51.3 per cent) were female, while 23 270 (48.7 per cent) were male.

According to the release, female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in the 2025 examinations.

“Performance at the upper end of the grading scale improved compared to the previous year. The proportion of candidates attaining Grade A or better rose from 1.50 per cent in 2024 to 2.10 per cent in 2025, reflecting an improvement of 0.60 percentage points,” the release states.

Similarly, candidates achieving Grade B or better increased by 1.10 percentage points, from 12.80 per cent in 2024 to 13.90 per cent in 2025, while those attaining Grade C or better improved from 38.50 per cent to 39.60 per cent, representing a 1.10 percentage point increase.

“On the other hand, performance declined by 2.10 per cent at Grade D or better and by 1.80 per cent at Grade E or better, respectively. Worth noting is that 16 per cent (7 239) of candidates, compared to 14.40 per cent (6 132) in the previous year, did not meet the minimum requirements for the award of Grade E and were assigned the letter ‘U’,” the release adds.

A press release further states at individual grades, 43 candidates (0.10 per cent), compared to 16 in the previous year, attained Merit while 898 candidates (2.00 per cent) obtained Grade A, up from 617 candidates (1.50 per cent) in 2024.

The release says that 5 336 candidates (11.80 per cent) attained Grade B, compared to 4 800 (11.30 per cent) in the previous year while 11 568 candidates (25.60 per cent) attained Grade C, compared to 10 912 candidates (25.70 per cent) in 2024. 

Grade D, according to the release was awarded to 14 001 candidates (31.00 per cent), down from 14 524 candidates (34.20 per cent), while 5 888 candidates (13.10 per cent) obtained Grade E, a slight increase from 5 420 candidates (12.80 per cent) in the previous year.

BEC further clarifies that candidates who did not meet the grading requirements at component level were assigned the letter X at syllabus and/or qualification level, which the council notes that this classification is usually temporary and is expected to be resolved during the enquiries period. BOPA