Tawjihi winter session marked by 50% pass rate

AMMAN – Results of the Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate Examination) winter session were released on Thursday.

Of the 155,404 students who registered for the session, 119,747 sat for the exam, including 67,486 regular students — those who will progress to the summer session — and 45,663 private-study applicants — those who retook the exam and are now eligible to apply to universities if they have passed.

A total of 67,486 regular students sat for the vocational and academic streams: literary, scientific, Sharia, IT and health education. 

“A total of 22,837 private-study students have passed the exam, with a pass rate of 50 per cent compared with 40 per cent last year,” Education Minister Omar Razzaz announced at a press conference. 

He noted that the results “genuinely” reflected the level of students, mainly due to the ministry’s comprehensive measures to manage the exam. 

Some 22,152 students achieved grades that allow them to apply to higher education institutions.

“Students’ levels have improved compared to previous years, although the standards and questions are the same. This is because they had prepared themselves better, knowing that the test has reclaimed its prestige,” he said.

The minister noted that the secondary education exam will be examined thoroughly, with the possibility of returning to the one-session system after the number of subjects is reduced.

The two-session examination system costs the ministry around JD25 million, with each session requiring over four-and-a-half months of preparation, the Education Ministry has said.

The one-session system was in place before 2001, the year when the two-session formula was adopted.

Addressing students who failed the exam and their families, Razzaz underlined that the Tawjihi “is not the only gate towards a bright future and is not an indicator of one’s success in life”. 

“Failure can be the first step towards success if you resolve to work harder,” he said, noting that the ministry, in cooperation with vocational training institutions, will work to change people’s view of the Tawjihi. 

Meanwhile, the Unified Admissions Committee will start receiving applications from students who are now eligible to enroll in universities as of Monday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.