The results of the all-important grade 12 national exam will be released on Saturday in Phnom Penh and Kandal province and on Sunday throughout the rest of the country—three days before they were initially planned to be made public—the Education Ministry said on Friday.
In a statement, the ministry said the early release of exam results, which determine placement at state universities, was due to the grading process going faster than expected.
“There were no irregularities, because our committees paid close attention in completing each process, which were successfully completed before the planned date,” the statement said.
Beginning last year, the Education Ministry has worked with the Anti-Corruption Unit to clean up the exam, long plagued by bribery and cheating.
The efforts resulted in a drastic drop in the pass rate last year, with a total of 40 percent of students passing, even after a second-chance exam.
Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said on Friday that he expected better results this year.
“I expect it to be higher than last year—last year it was 40 percent,” he said.
