Tanzania examinations board explains how schools, officials leaked Standard 7 exams

National Examinations Council of Tanzania’s (Necta) executive secretary Charles Msonde.

What you need to know:

  • The National Examination Council of Tanzania (Necta) has explained how this year’s Primary School Leaving Examination papers were leaked, detailing how some dishonest officials colluded with owners of some private schools to drip the examinations and distribute them via WhatsApp groups.
  • Standard 7 pupils had sat for this year’s Primary School Leaving Examinations on September 5 and 6 but having acquired proof of leakage, Necta nullified examinations for all primary schools within Chemba District (Dodoma), three schools in Mwanza, one in Kondoa and seven others in Dar es Salaam. The exercise affected over 500 pupils who had had to conduct re-seat examinations between October 8 and 9.

Dar es Salaam. The National Examination Council of Tanzania (Necta) said on Tuesday that the recent leakage of this year’s Primary School Leaving Examinations originated from a storage facility at Nyanduga Primary School, Rorya in Mara before spreading to tens of exam centres across the country.

Over 500 candidates had had to re-seat for their Primary School Leaving Examinations recently after Necta discovered that some schools had leaked the examinations.

Necta cancelled examinations for all primary schools within Chemba District (Dodoma), three schools in Mwanza, one in Kondoa and seven others in Dar es Salaam.

In Dar es Salaam, the cancelations affected Hazina, New Hazina, Atlas (Ubungo), Atlas (Madale), Great Vision, Aniny Nndumi and Fountain of Joy while in Mwanza, Necta nullified examinations for Alliance and New Alliance primary schools.

Speaking during the announcement of Primary School Leaving Examinations results in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, October 23, 2018, the Necta executive secretary Dr Charles Msonde said from an examination storage facility at Nyanduga Primary School, the leaked examinations were distributed through WhatsApp groups to Fountain of Joy and Aniny Nndumi primary schools.

The two schools later distributed the examinations to Alliance, New Alliance, New Hazina, Atlas, Atlas Madale and Great Vision.

"This was done in a well orchestrated collaboration involving owners of the schools, supervisors and authorities responsible for storing the exam papers at Nyanduga Primary School, Rorya,” he said.

He said Necta’s investigations have also established that there were also some examination cheating incidences at Liwale Primary School in Lindi, Mwekano Primary School (Chato), Bariadi Alliance (Bariadi, Simiyu) and Msufini Primary (Geita).

Standard 7 pupils had sat for this year’s Primary School Leaving Examinations on September 5 and 6 but having acquired proof of leakage, those schools that had their examinations nullified have had to have their students conduct re-seat examinations between October 8 and 9.