The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) on July 25 made public its decision to schedule the Grade 12 baccalaureate examination for the 2022-2023 academic year on November 6-7.

This proclamation has been directed towards all provincial education departments, secondary school managements, education staff, parents, guardians, and students, encouraging readiness for an effective examination process.

Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron previously expressed the need for high schools to adopt stricter exam management measures.

He called for the establishment of disciplinary councils at each institution, to be headed by respective school principals. These councils would be responsible for evaluating and deciding on the candidacies of all Grade 12 students.

The minister said the grading process for the exam would be conducted from November 11-15 at a designated grading centre in Phnom Penh municipality.

Exam results are expected to be announced on November 28 in Phnom Penh and Kandal province, while the remaining provinces would declare results the following day.

President of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA) Ouk Chhayavy on July 25 said this decision might prove a long wait for Grade 12 students.

Historically, the Grade 12 exam would usually be conducted no later than August, but with the new academic year commencing in January, this could indeed be a significant delay.

In a meeting with over 1,000 Grade A students earlier this year in February, Prime Minister Hun Sen voiced his satisfaction with the reform of the baccalaureate exam over the past decade.

He said such reforms were crucial to end any culture of intervention and to encourage students to become more dedicated to their studies.

Statistics reveal that the Grade 12 examination conducted on December 5, 2022, had 90,950 successful candidates, which accounts for 72.33 per cent of total candidates.

Meanwhile, 37,185 students out of a total of 128,135 failed the exam, indicating the rigorous nature of this educational assessment.