UK ENIC Special Report

COVID-19: Guide to International
Secondary Assessment in 2020

March 2021

Foreword
Since March 2020, UK ENIC has been tracking the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
education globally. During the past year, the majority of learners across the world have been
affected by school closures. This disruption inevitably had a significant impact on school
examinations and assessment; in many cases, national examinations were postponed,
adapted or cancelled.
We have been providing a summary of changes to education delivery and announcements
regarding national examinations on our blog: Charting the impact of COVID-19 on UK
admissions and recruitment. As COVID-19 continues to have an impact on education, thearticle is still continuously reviewed and updated with the latest information, and remains anessential and up-to-date resource for those working in international education.
This report brings together the information compiled for the blog throughout 2020 to provide
an overview of upper secondary assessment for over 120 qualifications worldwide, andanalysis of the different approaches adopted globally.
The report also examines how changes to assessment affected student performance andgrading. Understanding grades in context is key to evaluating student performance andinforming admissions decisions.
By publishing this special report, UK ENIC aims to support both the work of those involved ininternational student recruitment and admissions, and fair recognition of qualifications
awarded in 2020.

Paul Norris
Head of UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................................. 0
1.

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2

2.

Analysis of Global Approaches .................................................................................. 5
Exam cancellations............................................................................................................ 6
Exam postponements ...................................................................................................... 10
Adapted examinations ..................................................................................................... 12

3.

Results and Grading .................................................................................................. 14
Certificates and statements of results .............................................................................. 14
Pass rates and grade distributions................................................................................... 14
Impact on higher education admissions ........................................................................... 21

4.

Summary of exam arrangements by region ............................................................. 22
Europe............................................................................................................................. 22
Asia ................................................................................................................................. 28
Africa ............................................................................................................................... 35
The Americas .................................................................................................................. 38
Australasia ...................................................................................................................... 41

5.

Index ........................................................................................................................... 43

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1. Introduction
The spread of Covid-19 across the world has had a significant impact on education at alllevels. China closed schools in Hubei province in January 2020 to contain the spread of thevirus, and national school closures followed on the 19th February 2020. Iran began to closeschools and universities in February and Italy was the first country in Europe to do so inearly March.
By 11th March, 17 countries had announced nationwide school closures. It was at this pointthat UK ENIC first began researching the impact on secondary school examinations on its
blog, Charting the impact of COVID-19 on UK admissions and recruitment publishing thefirst issue on 17th March. Over the following weeks, further countries took the decision toclose schools on a national level to curb the spread of the virus.
At the peak in late March, educational institutions were closed in 169 countries, affecting
1,475,923,522 students across all levels of education, 84% of total enrolled learners
worldwide. Only a very small number of countries kept schools fully open during this time,with others opting for partial closures.
Figure 1: Number of countries with national school closures1(March – June 2020)

180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

The period between April and June is when many national examinations would ordinarily
take place. UK ENIC tracked announcements and compiled information in relation tosecondary school assessment, updating the blog and publishing a special report on 12th May
2020 with the information available at that time.
1 Based on UNESCO Monitoring of COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response, correct as of 22nd February

2021.
Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

Education continued to be disrupted into September and October, the start of the newacademic year in many countries. Some examinations delayed from earlier in the year wereable to go ahead. At the end of October, nationwide closures were still in place in 28
countries and schools were only partially open in many others. The number remained similar
to this through to the end of the year.
The period between October and December is when many countries in the southernhemisphere hold national examinations, so these assessments were also affected.
Figure 2: Number of countries with national school closures2 (September – December 2020)

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

This special report brings together all of the information on national examinations around theworld that were cancelled, delayed or adapted due to COVID-19 that was gathered andreported on the blog throughout the year.
Section 2 considers the different approaches to secondary assessment where examinations
were cancelled, postponed until a later date or there were changes to the requirements orformat of examinations.
Section 3 looks at the impact of different approaches on results and grading, and some of
the implications for further and higher education admissions.
Section 4 provides a summary of national examinations at upper secondary level by region,
including if and when examinations took place, and when results were released. Where
examinations were cancelled, a brief explanation of how grades were awarded is also
provided.

2 Based on UNESCO Monitoring of COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response, correct as of 22nd February

2021.
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Section 5 includes an index of the approaches adopted for national examinations in over 100
countries for quick reference.

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2. Analysis of Global Approaches
There were many different approaches to the administration of assessment at upper
secondary level in 2020 as education authorities considered how to ensure school
qualifications could be awarded in a year when education was disrupted by school closuresdue to COVID-19. In some countries, examinations were cancelled; in others they went
ahead, either as planned, later than originally planned, and / or in an adapted or reduced
format.
Of the 123 qualifications for which assessment usually includes external examinations
covered in this report, examinations went ahead for 93 qualifications (75.6%) and werecancelled for 30 (24.4%).
Figure 2: Approaches adopted globally for external exams in 2020

24.4%

75.6%

Number of qualifications

Approaches to assessment by region
50
40
30
20
10
0

Exams went ahead
Exams were cancelled

Exams went ahead

Exams were cancelled

The main period for examinations in Australasia and Southern Africa is towards the end of
the calendar year; these were not cancelled. A range of approaches was seen for
examinations that are usually held between April and June, across Europe, the Middle East,
North Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.
There were many different factors that contributed to decisions about whether national
examinations could go ahead or not. A major consideration was whether sufficient measures
could be put in place to conduct the examinations safely. From mid-March to May, themajority of countries had significant restrictions on daily life, including national school
closures, in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this situation, holding examinations forlarge numbers of students in the traditional way was often not a viable option.
Across India, many Standard XII exams were in progress when the country went into
national lockdown on 24th March; any remaining examinations were immediately postponedand some of them were later cancelled. As a result, students in a number of states sat
examinations in some subjects, but not in others. The majority of countries due to holdexaminations during this time opted to postpone them or cancel them altogether. Hong Kong
Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
held examinations for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) in April; theonly one among the countries covered in this report to hold examinations during that month.
As restrictions across Europe began to be eased, a number of countries went ahead withexaminations in late May, including Austria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary and Luxembourg.
There were some cases in which examinations were significantly delayed, by as much as
eight months. In these countries in particular there was a significant impact on the timetablefor higher and further education admissions, as well as the next academic year.
Authorities also had to consider whether it was fair to assess students in the same way as
previous years, given the disruption to their studies, as well as what alternative modes ofassessment could be used if examinations were cancelled.
In a number of countries, the overall number of examinations was reduced, including in
Israel and Denmark. Oral examinations were cancelled in Hungary and Poland, so students
only sat written examinations. Conversely, Italy opted to assess students through an oral
examination and cancelled the written examinations for the Esame di Stato.
There were a small number of examples of the format in which examinations were taken
being adapted. However, online examinations were not widely adopted for a number ofreasons: insufficient time to prepare, questions over ensuring validity, and concerns about
increasing inequality, with some students unable to access the technology and reliable
Internet access required.

Exam cancellations
In total, across the countries included in this report, external examinations were cancelled for
30 qualifications. Among these qualifications, there were a number of different approaches
to assessing students and awarding grades.

APPROACH 1: GRADES BASED ON INTERNALLY ASSESSED COMPONENTS ONLY
Final grades are usually awarded based a combination of marks from internal assessmentand external examinations for a number of the qualifications for which final examinations
were cancelled. These include: the Belgian Certificat d'enseignement secondaire
supérieur (CESS), Dutch HAVO and VWO Diplomas, Moldovan Diploma de
Bacalaureat, Norwegian Vitnemål for videregående opplæring, Slovakian Vysvedčenie
o maturitnej skúške and the European Baccalaureate, as well as the General Secondary
Leaving Certificates in Bahrain and Kuwait. In these cases, for 2020, the final grade wasbased solely on the internally assessed component.
In addition, the Indonesian Sekolah Menengah Atas / Madrasah Aliyah (SMA / MA) was
also based solely on internal assessment as national examinations (Ujian Nasional) werecancelled. The Ujian Nasional were due to discontinued in 2021 anyway, so the removal
final of external examinations was effectively brought forward by one year.
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APPROACH 2: STANDARDISED TEACHER ASSESSED GRADES
All assessment for the Irish Leaving Certificate, UK AS and A levels and Scottish
Highers and Advanced Highers is usually conducted externally. Final examinations usuallyaccount for all, or a high proportion of, the student’s final grade, depending on the subject.
Some subjects also have a component of non-examination assessment, such ascoursework. This meant that alternative arrangements for awarding grades had to be put inplace for 2020.
UK AS and A levels in 2020
BackgroundA levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland fall under three different regulators:• The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)• Qualifications Wales• The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).
Content requirements and assessment objectives are similar across the three
jurisdictions. Assessment is primarily through examination, although the actual amount of
non-exam assessment differs by subject and by regulator
There are some differences in the qualifications regulated in each of the three
jurisdictions, specifically:• Ofqual-regulated secondary qualifications are all linear, where exams are taken at
the end of the course. Qualifications regulated by Qualifications Wales and CCEA
may be linear or modular.
• AS Levels contribute to the full A Level for qualifications in Wales and Northern
Ireland, but not in England.
Assessment in 2020
Schools and colleges were asked to provide centre assessment grades (CAGs) for eachsubject. This grade was intended to reflect the grade that the student would most likely
have achieved if they had sat the examinations. Schools and colleges were also asked tosubmit the rank order of students within each grade for each subject, which was used forstatistical standardisation and not shared with students.
Initially, students were issued the results calculated following the standardisation
process. However, after the original standardisation process was judged to be unfair,students were awarded the CAGs submitted by their schools if they were higher thantheir standardised grades.

All examinations for International AS and A levels were also cancelled. These
qualifications are offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education, Oxford
International AQA Examinations and Pearson for the international market. They are not
Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
regulated by Ofqual, but awarding bodies adopted a similar approach to awarding grades tothat which was outlined in Ofqual guidance for qualifications awarded in England. Students
were also awarded their centre assessed grade if it was higher than the grade they received
after the standardisation process.

Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers in 2020
Highers and Advanced Highers are awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA). Final grades are usually based on final examinations and externally marked
coursework.
Teachers and lecturers submitted estimated grades to SQA, based on student
performance throughout the course. Schools and colleges also submitted an estimatedband within the grade (upper, middle or lower) and rank order for students within each
grade band for each subject. These grades were then moderated by SQA.
Coursework was not marked externally and did not count towards the final grade.
However, teachers were able to use any coursework that had already been completed
by students to help determine the student’s estimated grade.
After concerns were expressed about the grades awarded, students whose results weredowngraded as a result of the SQA moderation process were re-issued with the grades
submitted by their teachers.

In Ireland, the Leaving Certificate was also awarded on the basis of calculated grades.
Ireland: Leaving Certificate in 2020
The Leaving Certificate is usually assessed through final written examinations, withadditional oral and practical examinations in some subjects. Examinations areadministered by the State Examinations Commission.
In the process for calculating grades in 2020, subject teachers submitted an estimate of
the percentage mark the student would have achieved if they had sat the Leaving
Certificate examination. Teachers also ranked students within each class based on theirpredicted level of achievement. These grades and ranks were reviewed and finalised by
the school, before being submitted to the Department of Education and Skills. Statisticalmethods were then used to make any necessary adjustments to grades to ensure anational standard was applied.
The majority (79%) of grades submitted by schools remained unchanged following thestandardisation process.

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APPROACH 3: GRADES BASED ON PRIOR ATTAINMENT
In other regions, there also cancellations of examinations for qualifications which are usuallyawarded on the basis of external assessment. Some Indian examination boards (including
the three all-India boards) cancelled all or some Standard XII examinations; examinations
for the Higher Secondary Certificate in Bangladesh and the Pakistan Intermediate /Higher Secondary Certificate were also cancelled. In all three countries, students’ past
performance was used as a basis for awarding grades for the cancelled examinations.

India Standard XII in 2020
In India, the Standard XII is taken on completion of 12 years of education and is used forentry to higher education. Students sit internal examinations in Grade 11 and external
examinations in Grade 12.
The exact title of the qualification varies according to the awarding body, which could bea state board or one of three national (all-India) boards:• The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)• The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)• The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
The three national boards all cancelled examinations in 2020. State boards took a rangeof different approaches; of the 11 boards included in this report, seven held all of theexaminations and the remaining four cancelled examinations in some subjects.
Results for the cancelled CBSE, CISCE and NIOS examinations were based on
students’ performance in previous examinations and internal assessments. State boards
which cancelled examinations in some subjects used students’ results in theexaminations they completed as a basis for awarding the grades for those that did notplace.

Grades for the Bangladeshi Higher Secondary Certificate were calculated based on
students’ performance in the Senior School Certificate and Junior School Certificate,externally examined national qualifications taken in Grades 10 and 8 respectively.
Examinations for the Higher Secondary Certificate in Pakistan are taken in two parts: PartI at the end of Grade 11 and Part II in Grade 12. In 2020, final grades were based on themarks achieved in the Part I examinations, plus an additional 3%.

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APPROACH 4: COMBINATION OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT
There were some qualifications for which external assessment earlier in the course wascombined with continuous or internal assessment for the latter part of the course (in place of
external examinations) to give the final grade. For example, in France, final grades werebased on continuous assessment, along with grades achieved in the examinations in the
penultimate year of study. A similar approach was adopted for the Matrikulasi(Matriculation Programme) in Malaysia, for which grades were based on examination
results for semester 1 and continuous assessment for semester 2.
France: Baccalauréat 2020
In France, prior to 2020, grades for the Baccalauréat were based on performance inexternal examinations taken in the penultimate and final years of study.
For 2020, grades were based on continuous assessment throughout the year. Grades
achieved in the first-year exams also counted towards the final grade. Assessments
carried out during the lockdown period were not taken into account. Grades were thenmoderated and reviewed by an examination panel.
The Baccalauréat is undergoing reform; changes to assessment mean there will be
fewer final examinations and continuous assessment will account for 40% of the final
grade. The first cohort under the new system is due to graduate in 2021. There havealso been further changes to assessment in 2021 announced due to COVID-19.

APPROACH 5: CANCEL SCHOOL LEAVING EXAMINATIONS, BUT HOLD UNIVERSITYENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS
In a number of countries, students who wish to progress onto higher education complete two
sets of examinations at the end of secondary education: one set to obtain their school
leaving qualification, and a second separate examination for university entrance. Some ofthese countries, such as Armenia and Kazakhstan, opted to award the school leaving
qualification without final examinations, but go ahead with the examination that were used as
the basis for admission to higher education.

Exam postponements
Many examinations took place later than originally scheduled and later than they usually
held. In the majority of cases, they were only postponed for a short period of time. For
example, the Gaokao and the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
examinations were both put back by one month, and across Europe many examinations thatusually take place in May went ahead in June. There were a small number of cases where
there were more significant delays:

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportCountry

Brazil

Ghana

Kenya

Qualification

Original examdates

Rescheduled exam
dates

Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio(ENEM)

November 2020

January / February
2021

June 2020

3rd August – 5th
September 2020

November 2020

26th March – 21st
April 2021

Semester 2: March
2020
Semester 3:
November 2020

Semester 2: August2020
Semester 3: March
2021

West African Senior School
Certificate Examination

Kenya Certificate of Secondary
Education

STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan)
Malaysia Malaysia (Malaysia Higher School
Certificate)
Malta

Matriculation Certificate
Examination

May 2020

31st August - 10th
October 2020

Nepal

Secondary Education
Examination (SEE)

March / April 2020

November 2020

West African Senior School
Certificate Examination (WAEC)

June 2020

17th August – midSeptember

Senior School Certificate (NECO)

June 2020

November 2020

Sri
Lanka

Sri Lankan General Certificate of
Education (Advanced level)

August 2020

October 2020

VietnamBằng Tốt Nghiệp Trung Học Phổ
Thông (THPT) (Senior Secondary
School Graduation Diploma)

June 2020

7th - 11th August
2020

Nigeria

In many of these cases, the delayed examinations were completed at a different time of year
to usual. In some countries this had an impact on the next academic year and admissions tofurther and higher education. In Malta, the new academic year began in September, so
students who were awaiting their Matriculation Certificate Examination results wereadmitted to university with probationary status, or the start of some programmes wasdelayed until November. Long closures of schools and universities in other countries,
including Nigeria and Nepal, meant the completion of the 2019-20 academic year and the
beginning of the 2020-21 academic year were both also delayed.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

Adapted examinations
Many countries made changes to the examination requirements to ensure that students
were able to take their examinations safely and to mitigate for the disruption to studies. A
smaller number also adapted the format of the examinations.

APPROACH 1: REDUCED NUMBER OF EXAMINATIONS
In a number of countries, the number of examinations that students are required to take was
reduced for 2020.
In many cases where students are usually required to sit oral examinations, these werecancelled. An exception is Italy, where only an oral examination was completed.

Country

Qualification

2020 format

ArmeniaՎԿԱՅԱԳԻՐ
(Certificate of Unified
Examination)

One examination in a subject of
the students’ choice.

Austria

Reifeprüfung / Matura

Written examinations in threesubjects.
No oral examinations.

Denmark

Bevis for Højere
Forberedelseseksamen (Higher
Preparatory Examination
Certificate)

Reduced number of written
examinations.

Hungary

Érettségi Bizonyítvány(Secondary Education
Graduation Certificate)

Written examinations only.

IsraelMatriculation Certificate

Examinations in five subjects.

Italy

Esame di Stato

Oral examination only.

PolandŚwiadectwo Dojrzałości
(Certificate of Maturity)

Written examinations only.

APPROACH 2: OPTIONAL EXAMINATIONSIn order to reduce the number of students sitting examinations in this summer’s session, an
approach adopted in a small number of countries was to make examinations optional or only
required for certain students.
In Portugal, it was decided that the Diploma Nível Secundário de Educação / Certificado
Nível Secundário de Educação could be awarded on the basis of school assessment andstudents would not be required to take national examinations. The examinations were only
be taken by students intending to enter higher education. A similar approach was adopted

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Reportfor the Unified State Examinations in Russia; these were also only required for students
intending to enter higher education.
In Estonia, the state examinations (Riigieksamid) were optional and were not required toaccess higher education.

APPROACH 3: ADAPTED EXAMINATIONS
An online test was developed for the Advanced Placement (AP), a US qualification that istaken by students in many different countries. The format of the examination was adapted toenable it to be conducted online.
Advanced Placement (AP) in 2020
AP courses are college-level courses available in 38 subjects. They are offered in manyhigh schools in the US, as well as many other countries internationally, with the final
exam developed and administered by the College Board.
AP courses are typically assessed through written examinations, around 3hr 15 minutesin length, comprising multiple-choice as well as free-response questions. Some subjects
also have short-answer questions. Short-answer and multiple-choice questions typicallyaccount for 45%-60% of the final mark for each course depending on the subject. The
free-response section of the exam usually includes around two- to three- long answer
questions testing essay writing skills.
AP exams would usually take place in May at designated testing centres. In response to
the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board developed an online free-response exam foreach AP course enabling students to take the exams at home. These took place online
between 11th and 22nd May. All students worldwide will sit the exams at the same time.
Make-up exams were held on 1st-5th June.
The online exams were open-book and consisted of free-response questions. The
questions were designed specifically for the adapted exam format. Each exam lasted 45
minutes. Most exams could be taken on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or
smartphone; students also had the option to write their answers by hand and submit a
photo. World languages were assessed through speaking tasks available on an app. Only
content covered in AP classes up until March 2020 was included.

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) offered examinations for its qualifications,
including the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in a revised format
to ensure that results for postponed examinations could be marked within a reduced
timeframe. Examinations consisted of multiple-choice questions and were marked
electronically.

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3. Results and Grading
Certificates and statements of results
Disruption to examinations and assessment led to delays in results and final certificatesbeing issued in many countries. The tables in section 4 provide information on when results
for specific qualifications were released.
For the majority of qualifications, documentation has been issued in the same format asprevious years.
Some changes may be reflected on documents; for example, where external examinations
were cancelled and greater weighting given to internally assessed components, no marks forexternal examinations are recorded on transcripts.

Pass rates and grade distributions
There were a range of different approaches globally to secondary assessment in 2020,
many of which resulted in changes to the way in which students’ performance was
evaluated. Some of these may have had an impact on how students peformed and thegrades they were awarded. In some cases, grade distributions differed from those seen inprevious years. Initial analysis of pass rates and grade data (where available) indicate sometrends and patterns.

CANCELLED EXAMINATIONS
In general, where external examinations were cancelled and replaced by teacher
assessment, or final grades were based solely on internal assessment, pass rates werehigher and a larger proportion of students achieved top grades compared to previous years.
In France, the overall pass rate for the Baccalauréat was a record high this year at 95.7%(compared to 88.1% last year). External exams were cancelled, and students’ grades werebased on continuous assessment throughout their final year. The percentage of students
who obtained a mention (très bien, bien or assez bien) also increased. The percentage of
top grades (très bien) rose from 7.1% in 2019 to 10.9% in 2020.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
Figure 3: Grade distribution for the French Baccalauréat in 2020, compared to 2019

Baccalauréat results 2019 and 2020
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Très bien

Bien

Assez bien
Total (2019)

Passable / sansmentionRefusé

Total (2020)

Source: Ministère de l’Éducation, de la Jeunesse and des Sports, Note d’Information no.20.25 – Juillet 2020

A similar trend can be observed for qualifications where a form of calculated grades were
issued based on teacher judgement, such the Irish Leaving Certificate and UK A levels
and Scottish Highers.
In the UK, students were awarded centre-assessment grades (CAGs) submitted by theirschools for GCSEs, A levels and Scottish Highers after the original standardisation process
was judged to be unfair. Initially, grades submitted by schools were adjusted by an algorithm
ensure the grades awarded remained consistent with previous years. However, this led tonearly 40% of A level entries in England being downgraded from CAGs. Similarly, around
125,000 results were downgraded in Scotland.
Concerns were raised about the use of data on schools’ performance in previous years inthe standardisation process and the awarding of CAGs without standardisation for small
cohorts. This led to the decision to award students the CAGs in place of the calculated
grades. In the minority of cases where the calculated grade was higher than the CAG,
students retained their calculated grade.
This change led to a different grade distribution to previous years for both qualifications.

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Figure 4: Grade distribution for A levels (England, Wales and NI) in 2020, compared to 2019A level grades in 2020 and 2019
Percentage of entries (%)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
A*

A

B
2019 Distribution

C

D

E

2020 Distribution

Source: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)
Figure 5: Grade distribution for Scottish Highers in 2020, compared to 2019

Scottish Higher grades 2019 and 2020
Percentage of entries (%)

45%
40%
35%
30%

25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
A

B

C
2019

D

2020

Source: Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)

The percentage of A grades awarded for Advanced Highers also increased: from 31.8% in2019 to 46.3% in 2020.
In Ireland, the Leaving Certificate was awarded on the basis of calculated grades. Schools
submitted estimated grades which were then adjusted for consistency. The majority (79%) ofgrades submitted by schools remained unchanged following the standardisation process.
Overall grades were higher than previous years; at higher level, 9.3% of entries received the
top grade of H1, compared to 5.9% in 2019. Around 60% of estimated grades at higher level
would need to have been lowered to bring results in line with previous years.

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Figure 6: Grade distribution for the Irish Leaving Certificate in 2020, compared to 2019

Irish Leaving Certificate (higher level) grades in 2019and 2020
Percentage of entries (%)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
H1

H2

H3

H4
2019

H5

H6

H7

H8

2020

Source: Irish Times

The Netherlands saw an increase in the pass rate this year, with all final year students
graduating from a third of secondary schools3. HAVO and VWO diplomas were awarded
based on school exams after external exams were cancelled. School exams usually accountfor 50% of final grade, with results in external national making up the other 50%.
In-person written final exams were also cancelled for grade 12 students in Kuwait, and theirperformance evaluated by other means. There was a large increase in the number ofstudents who passed, compared to the previous year.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India cancelled final exams forStandard 12 and awarded grades based on previous performance. The pass rate was
88.8%, 5.4 percentage points higher than 20194.

POSTPONED EXAMINATIONS
In most cases, holding examinations at a later date did not appear to have a significant
impact on grades.
In Spain, the pass rate for the Evaluación de Bachillerato para el Acceso a la
Universidad (EBAU) was very similar to 2019. The pass rate for Grade 12 exams in Egypt
was also similar to previous years.
Exams for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) were held in April
and May, after being postponed by one month. Results were in line with previous years.

3 https://nltimes.nl/2020/07/27/scrapping-final-exam-resulted-significantly-high-school-graduates-report ;https://www.aob.nl/en/nieuws/slagingspercentages-hoger-op-havo-en-vwo/
4 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/board-exams/38686-score-over-95-in-cbse-class-xii-119jump-over-last-yr/articleshow/76949288.cms
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Figure 6: Grade distributions for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education 2018-2020

HKDSE grade distributions
Five level 5** or above
Five level 5* or above
Five level 5 or above
Five level 4 or above
Five level 3 or above
Five level 2 or above
Five level 1 or above
Four level 1 or above
Three level 1 or above
Two level 1 or above
One level 1 or above

100
90

Percentage of candidates (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2020

2019

2018

Source: Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA)

In Bulgaria, state matriculation exams were held slightly later than usual, in June. The
results indicate that students performed better than in 2019 in 9 out of the 14 subjects
offered5.
Exams for the West African Senior Secondary Certificate began around two months later
than usual. In Nigeria, overall results were slightly better than 2019: 65.24% of candidates
achieved a grade of credit or above in at least five subjects including English andmathematics, compared to 64.18%.
Postponed exams for the Baccalauréat in Algeria held in September had a pass rate of
55.30%, very similar to the 2019 pass rate of 54.56%6. Neighbouring Tunisia also
postponed Baccalauréat exams, but only by one month to July, and saw a fall in the passrate to 27.73% (compared to 31.96% in 2019 and 29.88% in 2018)7. The Moroccan
Baccalauréat exams, also held in July, had a pass rate of 63.08%, compared to 65.55% in
20198.

5 https://www.enneproject.eu/the-pandemic-did-not-have-a-negative-impact-on-the-matriculation-exam-results-in-bulgaria/
6 https://www.aps.dz/en/algeria/36130-baccalaureate-2020-55-30-success-rate
https://www.aps.dz/en/algeria/30098-baccalaureate-exam-54-56-success-rate
7 https://news-tunisia.tunisienumerique.com/tunisia-this-is-the-passing-percentage-in-the-2019-baccalaureateexamination-main-session/
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2BDie21jk46akocq8UaM97%2Fnk%3D
8 https://theworldnews.net/ma-news/moroccan-baccalaureate-results-196-664-candidates-pass-the-exam
Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

EXAMINATIONS THAT WENT AHEAD AS SCHEDULED
Some countries went ahead with exams as originally planned. In most of the countries which
took this approach, students’ grades were in line with those awarded in previous years.
However, there were a few instances in which pass rates fell.
In Germany, exams went ahead for the Abitur in all states and results were similar to, orslightly better than, previous years. Overall performance in the Atestāts par vispārējo
vidējo izglītību exams in Latvia was also in line with 20199.
However, the pass rate for Romanian Bacalaureat fell from 67.2% in 2019 to 62.9% in
202010, the lowest rate for six years.
Standard 12 board exams were completed in a number of states across India prior to
lockdown restrictions being introduced. With the exception of Andhra Pradesh, pass rates
were higher than 2019:
State
Bihar
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Gujarat
Maharashtra

Examination
Intermediate Examination
Intermediate Public Examination
Second Year Pre-University Examination
Higher Secondary Certificate Examination
Higher Secondary Certificate Examination

Overall pass rate
2020
2019
80.44%
79.76%
63%
72%
69.2%
61.73%
76.29%
73.27%
90.57%
85.79%

Many exams scheduled for later in the year also went ahead as originally scheduled.
Zambia held exams for the General Certificate of Education in September. The overall
pass rate was 89.5%, an increase from 80.9% in 201911.
A level exams in Brunei were held in October and November; 89.05% of students passed atleast one A level subject, a slight increase on the percentage who achieved this in 201912.
Results for the Year 12 exams across Australia and the NCEA Level 3 in New Zealandwere also both similar to previous years.

ADAPTED EXAMINATIONSThere were a number of qualifications for which the format of the examinations was adapted.
In some cases, these changes led to some differences compared to the distribution ofgrades awarded in previous years.
One example is the Italian Esame di Stato, which was assessed by an oral exam alone, inplace of the usual combination of written exams and an oral exam. The oral exam usually
makes up a maximum of 35 points of the overall grade out of 100. The overall pass rate for
the Esame di Stato in 2020 was almost to 2019; 99.5% of candidates achieved the9 http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/education/?doc=157709
10 https://www.romania-insider.com/low-baccalaureate-pass-rate-2020

11 https://www.exams-council.org.zm/ministerial-statement-on-the-2020-g9-external-and-gce-examination-results/
12 https://www.moe.gov.bn/SitePages/NewsArticle.aspx?AID=744

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Reportqualification, compared to 99.7% the previous year. However, there were some differences
between the distribution of grades, with a significant increase in the proportion of students
achieving grades of 80 or higher out of 100 from 32.8% in 2019 to 49.6%.
Figure 7: Grade distributions for the Italian Esame di Stato in 2019 and 2020

Esame di Stato grade distributions 2019 and 2020
100
90
80
100 e lode% of candidates

70

100

60

91-99
50

81-90

40

71-80

30

61-70
60

20
10
0
2020

2019

Source: Ministero dell’Istruzione

For the Advanced Placement (AP), which was conducted as a shorter online exam, theoverall grade distribution did not differ greatly from previous years.

Grade
5
4
3
2
1

Percentage of entries (%)
2020
2019
15.88
14.34
21.91
20.06
26.55
25.24
20.7
22.83
14.96
17.53

Source: College Board (2020); College Board (2019)

However, there was some variation at the level of individual subjects. Most non-STEM(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects saw an increase in thepercentage of students achieving a 3 or above compared to 2019, with English language,
English literature and human geography recording among the largest increases. For STEM
subjects, results were very similar to previous years.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

Impact on higher education admissions
DISRUPTION TO ADMISSIONS CYCLES
In countries where exams and results were significantly delayed, this affected university
admissions and, in some cases, led to a delayed start to the new academic year. There wereparticular challenges for international admissions, due to the variety of different approaches
adopted for national exams.

FLEXIBILITY
In some countries, there was more flexibility applied to higher education admissions toensure that students were not disadvantaged.
In the US, in recent years, an increasing number of colleges have adopted ‘test-optional’
admissions policies, so students are not required to submit the results of standardised tests,
the SAT or ACT, as part of their applications. The number of institutions taking this approachincreased dramatically in 2020, as many students were unable to take the tests due to thepandemic.
In Australia, a number of universities offered places to students based on their year 11
results.
In Estonia, state examinations were optional in 2020 and not a requirement for admission tohigher education.

INCREASED DEMAND FOR PLACESIn a number of countries, an increase in the pass rate at upper secondary level or a higher
proportion of students achieving top grades had an impact on admissions to higher
education as demand for places was higher than previous years.
For example, in Kuwait, the number of students who passed the General Secondary
Education Certificate and were therefore eligible to apply for admission to higher education
was much higher than previous years. As a consequence, there was a 44% increase in thenumber of government scholarships made available, and Kuwait University enrolled 9,500
students, far exceeding its capacity of around 6,300 students.
Similarly, in the French system, every student who passes the Baccalauréat is entitled to aplace at a public university, so the Ministry of Higher Education worked with institutions tomake additional places available. In Ireland, admission requirements (CAO points) for many
courses were higher than in previous years despite extra places being created. Many UK
universities also accepted higher numbers of students than usual and extra places werecreated on courses that are capped by the government, such as medicine, dentistry andnursing.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

4. Summary of exam arrangements by region
The following sections provide information on when exams took place and when results were made available to students. Information on exam
cancellations is also included, with details of how grades were awarded in those cases. Any changes to the format of exams are also noted.

EuropeCopyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportCountry

Examination

Awarding bodyExamination
dates

Results
released

Albania

Diplomë e Maturës
Shtetërore

Ministry of Education,
Sports and Youth8th – 18th June
2020

July 2020

Austria

Reifeprüfung / Matura

University preparatory
schools (Allgemeinbildende
Höhere Schulen)

25th May - 3rdJune 2020

Results andcertificates were
issued by theend of June
2020.

Belgium(Frenchspeaking
community)

Certificat d'enseignement
secondaire supérieur(CESS)

Communauté Française deBelgiqueExams
cancelled

June 2020

BulgariaДиплома за средно
образование (Diploma of
Completed Secondary
Education) - State
Matriculation Examinations(Държавни зрелостни
изпити - Dŭrzhavni
zrelostni izpiti)

Ministry of Education andScience

1st - 4th June
2020

26th June 2020

Croatia

Svjedodžba o maturi /Svjedodžba o državnoj
maturi / Potvrda opoloženim ispitima državne
mature (Matura Certificate /State Matura Certificate)National Centre for External
Evaluation of Education

8th - 29th June

22nd July 2020

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Notes

Results were based on students’achievement throughout theschool year.

UK ENIC Special Report
Czech
RepublicVysvědčení o maturitní
zkoušce (Secondary School
Leaving Certificate)

Centrum pro zjišťovánívýsledků vzdělávání
(CERMAT)

June 2020

July 2020

CyprusPancyprian Examinations(Παγκύπριες Εξετάσεις)

Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sport and Youth

Late June

12th July 2020

Denmark

Bevis for Højere
Forberedelseseksamen(Higher Preparatory
Examination Certificate)

Schools

May 2020

5th July 2020

Upper secondary exams went
ahead, but the number of exams
was reduced.

Estonia

Riigieksamid (State
examinations)Foundation Innove

29th May - 5thJune (C1
English exams
12th - 22nd
June)

30th June 2020

State examinations were optional.

Finland

Ylioppilastutkintotodistus /Studentexamensbetyg(Matriculation Examination)

Matriculation Examination
Board

March 2020

End of May
2020

FranceBaccalauréat general /technologique / professionel

Ministère de l’Éducation
nationale

Exams
cancelled

7th July 2020

Germany

Zeugnis der Allgemeinen
Hochschulreife / Abitur

Schools

May 2020(written exams)
Late May / June(oral exams)
Exact dates varyby state.

Between the endof June and endof July,depending on
the state.

GreecePanhellenic Examinations(Πανελλαδικές Εξετάσεις)

Ministry of Education,
Research and Religious
Affairs

From 15th June
2020

July 2020

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Results were based on continuous
assessment throughout the finalyear.

UK ENIC Special Report
Hungary

Erettségi Bizonyítvány(Secondaru Education
Graduation Certificate)

Schools

May 2020

Mid-June 2020

Written exams only; oral exams
were cancelled.

Ireland

Leaving Certificate

State Examinations
Commission

Exams
cancelled

7th September
2020

Students received calculated
grades, based on marks submitted
by teachers.

Italy

Esame di Stato

Ministero dell'Istruzione,dell'Università e della
Ricerca

From 17th June
2020

16th July 2020

Written exams were cancelled;students only took an oral exam.

LatviaAtestāts par vispārējo vidējo
izglītību (Certificate ofGeneral Secondary
Education)

Valsts Izglītības Satura
Centrs (National Centre for
Education)

2nd June – 3rdJuly 2020

25th July 2020

Lithuania

Brandos Atestatas

Republic of Lithuania

22nd June – 21st
July 2020

7th August 2020

Luxembourg

Diplôme de fin d'études
secondaires

Ministère de l’Éducation
nationale et de la Formation
professionelle

From 25th May
2020

5th July 2020

Malta

Matriculation Certificate
Examination

MATSEC Examinations
Board

31st August 10th October2020

6th November
2020

Exams were originally scheduled
for May 2020.

Moldova

Diploma de Bacalaureat

Ministry of Education

Exams
cancelled

July 2020

Grades were based on averagemarks achieved in grades 10-12.

Netherlands

Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet
Onderwijs (HAVO) diploma /Voorbereidend
Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs(VWO)

Schools

External exams
cancelled

June 2020Students obtained their school
leaving certificates based on theirresults in the school exams.

NorwayVitnemål for videregående
opplæring (Leaving
Certificate from Upper
Secondary School)

Utdanningsdirektoratet(Norwegian Directorate for
Education and Training)

Exams
cancelled

End of June
2020

Grades were based onachievement over the academicyear.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
PolandŚwiadectwo Dojrzałości
(Certificate of Maturity)

Central Examination Board /regional examination boards

8th - 29th June

By 11th August

Written exams only; oral exams
were cancelled.

Portugal

Diploma Nível Secundário
de Educação / Certificado
Nível Secundário de
Educação

Ministério da Educação

6th – 23rd July
2020

3rd August 2020

Exams were for higher education
admission only; diploma wasawarded on basis of schoolassessment.

Romania

Diploma de Bacalaureat

Ministry of Education andResearch

From 22nd June

July 2020

RussiaEдиного государственного
экзамена (ЕГЭ) (Unified
State Examination)

Departments of education

3rd - 23rd July

July 2020Students were not required topass these exams to obtain theCertificate of Secondary General
Education; this was issued to allstudents in June.

Slovakia

Vysvedčenie o maturitnej
skúške (Secondary School
Leaving Certificate)

Národný ústav
certifikovaných meranívzdelávania (NÚCEM)(National Institute for
Certified Educational
Assessments)

Exams
cancelled.

July 2020

The external written part of the
Maturita exam was cancelled.

Slovenia

Aturitetno spričevalo(Matura Certificate)
Also known as: Splošna
Matura (General Matura
Certificate) / Spričevalo osplošni maturi (Certificate ofGeneral Matura(Examination))

National Committee for the
General Matura

June 2020

13th July 2020

Spain

Evaluación de Bachilleratopara el Acceso a la
Universidad (EBAU)

Councils of education

22nd June – 10th
July 2020

17th July 2020

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Material covered after schools
were closed was not included in
the exams. A second exam
session was held in September
2020.

UK ENIC Special Report
Switzerland

Maturitätszeugnis / Certificat
de maturité / Attestato dimaturità

Schweizerische
Eidgenössenschaft /Confédération Suisse /Confederazione Svizzera(Swiss Confederation) or
Cantons

Various

By the end of
July 2020

The Federal Council decided that
Maturity exams could becancelled; decisions were taken
by individual cantons. Exams werecancelled in some cantons.

TurkeyYükseköğretim Kurumları
Sınavı (YKS) (university
entrance exam)

Center for Measurement,
Selection and Placement(ÖSYM)

27th-28th June
2020

27th July 2020

The exam was held one week
later than the original date.

UkraineСертифікат зовнішнього
незалежного оцінювання
(Certificate of Independent
External Examination)

Ukrainian Centre for
Educational Quality
Assessment

25th June – 17th
July 2020

July 2020

UnitedKingdom

General Certificate of
Education (GCE) Advanced
Levels (A levels)

AQA; Council for the
Curriculum, Examinations
and Assessments (CCEA):
OCR; Pearson Edexcel;
Welsh Joint Education
Committee (WJEC)

Exams
cancelled.

13th August
2020

Results were based on Centre
Assessed Grades submitted byschools.

Highers / Advanced Highers

Scottish Qualifications
Authority (SQA)

Exams
cancelled.

4th August 2020

Grades were awarded based onteacher judgement.

European Baccalaureate

European Schools

Exams
cancelled.

July 2020

The final grade was awarded
based on internal assessment.

Various

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

Asia

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportCountry

Examination

Awarding bodyExamination
dates

Results / grades
released

Notes

ArmeniaՄիջնակարգ (ընդհանուր)կրթության ատեստատ
(Certificate of Secondary
General Education)

Schools

Exams
cancelled

July 2020

Results were based on students’performance up until March.

ՎԿԱՅԱԳԻՐ
(Certificate of Unified
Examination)

Assessment and Testing
CentreFrom 3rd July
2020

July 2020Students took one exam of theirchoice; three subjects are usuallyrequired for university admissions.

Bahrain‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬(General Secondary
Education Certificate)

Ministry of Education

Exams
cancelled

June 2020

Bangladesh

Higher Secondary
Certificate

Boards of intermediate andsecondary education

Exams
cancelled

30th January 2021

Students were awarded grades
based on their previous
performance in the Secondary
School Certificate and Junior
School Certificate.

Cambodia

Diploma of Upper
Secondary Education

Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sport

Exams
cancelled

January 2021

Students were automatically givena pass grade.

China

普通高等学校招生全国统一
考试 (高考) (National
College Entrance
Examination (NCEE)(Gaokao))

Provincial examinations
authorities

7th - 8th July
2020

Late July 2020

Gaokao exams were postponed by
one month.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Diploma of
Secondary Education(HKDSE)

Hong Kong Examinations
and Assessment Authority(HKEAA)

24th April – 27th
May 2020

22nd July 2020

Speaking exams for English andChinese were cancelled. Other
exams were postponed by one
month.

India

Indian School Certificate

Council for the Indian
School Certificate
Examinations (CISCE)

Examscancelled

10th July 2020

Results were based on students’
past performance.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
All India Senior School
Certificate Examination /Delhi Senior School
Certificate Examination

Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE)

Examscancelled

13th July 2020

Results were based on students’
past performance.

Senior Secondary School
Examination

National Institute of OpenSchooling (NIOS)

Exams
cancelled

5th August 2020

Results were based on students’
past performance.

Intermediate Public
Examination

Board of Intermediate
Education Andhra Pradesh

4th – 21st March

12th June 2020

Intermediate Examination

Bihar School Examination
Board

February 2020

24th March

Higher Secondary School
Certificate Examination

Chhattisgarh Board of
Secondary Education

March 2020;
some exams
cancelled

23rd June 2020

Higher Secondary
Certificate Examination

Gujarat Secondary andHigher Secondary
Education Board

March 2020

15th June 2020

Higher Secondary School
Certificate Examination

Goa Board of Secondaryand Higher Secondary
Education

March / May2020

26th June 2020

Most exams went ahead in March,with a small number of papers
postponed until May.

Senior Secondary (12thClass) Examination
Certificate

Punjab School Education
Board

March 2020;
some exams
cancelled

21st July 2020

Grades for cancelled exams wereawarded according to ‘best
performing subjects formula’ – theaverage of the best three results inexams that went ahead.

Higher Secondary
Examination Certificate

Government of Kerala
Board of Higher Secondary
Examinations

21st - 29th May
2020

15th July 2020

Exams were originally due to heldin March.

Second Year Pre-University
Examination

Government of Karnataka
Department of PreUniversity Education

March 2020

14th July 2020

One exam was delayed and taken
in June.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Grades for subjects in which exams
were cancelled were based oninternal assessment.

UK ENIC Special Report
Higher Secondary
Certificate Examination

Maharashtra State Board of
Secondary and Higher
Secondary Education

February /March 2020

16th July 2020

Higher Secondary Course
Certificate

State Board of School
Examinations, Tamil Nadu

March 2020;
some exams
cancelled

16th July 2020

Higher Secondary
Examination

West Bengal Council ofHigher Secondary
Education

March 2020;
some exams
cancelled

17th July 2020

Grades for cancelled exams wereawarded based on the best marks
achieved in exams in othersubjects.

Indonesia

Ijazah - Sekolah Menengah
Atas / Madrasah Aliyah(SMA / MA)(Certificate of Graduationfrom Academic / Islamic
Secondary School)

Ministry of Education andCultureExams
cancelled

June 2020

National exams were due to bediscontinued from 2021 but ended
a year earlier due to the pandemic.

Iran

Konkur (university entrance
examination)

National Organisation of
Educational Testing

August 2020

30th October 2020

The exam took place later thanusual.

Iraq‫الثانوية‬/ ‫شهادة الدراسة االعدادية‬Certificate of Preparatory
Education / Secondary
School Certificate /Baccalaureat)

Ministry of Education

September 2020

7th October 2020

Exams were delayed by threemonths.

Israel‫תעודת בגרות‬(Matriculation Certificate).
Also known as: 'Te'udat
Bagrut' or 'Bagrut'.

Ministry of Education

From 22nd June
2020

July 2020Students only took exams in up to
five subjects, instead of the usual
six or seven.

Japan

National Centre Test for
University Admissions (大学入試センター試験)‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬(Certificate of General
Secondary Education)

National Centre for
University Admissions

From 18th
January 2020

February 2020

Not affected by COVID-19.

Ministry of Education

June 2020

15th August 2020

JordanCopyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportOрта білім туралы
аттестат (Certificate ofCompleted Secondary
Education)

Ministry of Education andScience

Exams
cancelled

June 2020Сертификат ЕНТ (Единое
Национальное
Тестирование) (Certificate
of UNT (Unified National
Testing))

Ministry of Education andScience20th June – 5thJuly 2020

July 2020

Kuwait‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬(General Secondary
Education Certificate)

Ministry of Education

Exams
cancelled

October 2020

LebanonBaccalauréat

Ministry of Education andHigher Education

Exams
cancelled

TBC

Malaysia

STPM (Sijil Tinggi
Persekolahan) Malaysia(Malaysia Higher School
Certificate)

Malaysian Examinations
CouncilSemester 2: 12th
- 18th August2020
Semester 3:
March 2021

Semester 2:
October 2020
Semester 3: TBC

Matrikulasi (Matriculation
Certificate)

Ministry of Eduation

Exams
cancelled

May 2020

Grades were based on semester 1
exams and continuous
assessment.

UEC (Unified Examination
Certificate) Senior Middle
Level

Unified Chinese School
Committee Association of
Malaysia (Dong Zong)

December 2020

17th February
2021

Exams are usually held in October /November.

Myanmar

Basic Education HighSchool Examination /Matriculation Examination

Ministry of Education

March 2020

9th August 2020

Exams went ahead in March, but
results were delayed until August.

Nepal

Secondary Education
Examination (SEE)

National Examinations
Board (NEB)

November 2020

1st February 2021

Exams were due to be held inMarch / April 2020 and postponedby eight months. The weighting of
the final exam was reduced, with

Kazakhstan

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Students issued with a certificate ofcompletion for the final year of
secondary education, which will
enable them to access higher
education.

UK ENIC Special Report
Grade 11 marks and teacher
assessment also counting towards
the final grade.
PakistanIntermediate / Higher
Secondary Certificate

Boards of intermediate andsecondary education

Exams
cancelled.

30th July 2020

Palestine‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬(General Secondary
Education Certificate)

Ministry of Education

June 2020

12th July 2020

Philippines

Senior High School
Certificate / Diploma

Schools

12th – 13th
March 2020

March 2020

No change.

Singapore

Singapore / Cambridge
GCE A level

Singapore Ministry of
Education / University ofCambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate

October 2020

February 2021

Mid-year exams in May / June 2020
were postponed or cancelled.

South Korea대학수학능력시험(College
Scholastic Ability Test)(CSAT)

Korea Institute ofCurriculum and Evaluation(KICE 한국교육과정평가원)3rd December
2020

23rd December
2020

Exams are usually held in
November.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan General
Certificate of Education(Advanced level)

Department of
Examinations

October 2020

April 2021

A level exams were postponed
from August.

Syria‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬(General Secondary
Certificate)

Ministry of Education

June 2020

July 2020

Taiwan

指定科目考試 (Advanced
Subjects Test) (AST)

College Entrance
Examination Center(CEEC) (大學入學考試中心)

3rd - 5th July
2020

August 2020

No change.

United ArabEmirates‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬General Secondary
Education Certificate
Examination

Ministry of Education

21st – 29th June
2020

July 2020

Exams were held online.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportUzbekistan

VietnamO'rta Ma'lumot To'g'risida
Shahodatnoma (Certificate
of Completed Secondary
Education)

SchoolsNational university entrance
examinationBằng Tốt Nghiệp TrungHọc Phổ Thông (THPT)(Senior Secondary School
Graduation Diploma)

State Testing Centre

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Ministry of Education andTraining (MOET)

June 2020

June 2020

Exams were taken online.

2nd September2020th
7 - 11th August
2020

3rd September
2020
th
27 August 2020

The exam is usually held on 1st
August.
The school year was extended into
July and exams postponed until
August.

UK ENIC Special Report

AfricaCopyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportCountry

Examination

Awarding bodyExamination
dates

Results /grades released

Notes

Algeria

Baccalauréat del'Enseignement Secondaire

Ministry of National
Education

September 2020

14th October
2020

Exams usually take place in June.

Botswana

Botswana General
Certificate of Secondary
Education

Botswana Examinations
Council / University ofCambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate

October /November 2020

February 2021

Exams in May / June werecancelled.

Egypt

Certificate of General
Secondary Education(Thanawaya Amma)

Ministry of Education

21st June – 21st
July 2020

4th August 2020

Ethiopia

University Entrance
Examination

National Educational
Assessment andExaminations Agency(NEAEA)

February 2021

TBC

The University Entrance
Examination was due to be held in
June 2020 but was postponed.

GambiaWest African Senior School
Certificate Examination

West African Examinations
Council (WAEC)

17th August –mid-September

Mid-November
2020

Exams were originally scheduled for
June.

Ghana

West African Senior School
Certificate Examination

West African Examinations
Council (WAEC)

3rd August – 5th
September 2020

Mid-November
2020

Exams were originally scheduled forJune. Results are available on the
results checker, but, as of February
2021, final certificates had not been
issued.

Kenya

Kenya Certificate ofSecondary Education

Kenya National
Examinations Council

26th March – 21st
April 2021

TBC

Exams were due to take place inNovember.

LiberiaWest African Senior School
Certificate Examination

West African Examinations
Council (WAEC)

17th August –mid-September

Mid-November
2020

Exams were originally scheduled for
June.

Libya

‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬(Secondary Education
Certificate)

Ministry of Education

October 2020

December 2020

Exams were postponed until
schools were able to partiallyreopen.

Morocco‫شهادة البكالوريا‬(Attestation du
Baccalauréat)

Ministère de l'Éducation
Nationale

Early July 2020

15th July 2020

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
Senior School Certificate

National Examinations
Council (NECO)

November 2020

13th January
2021

Exams were originally scheduled for
June, then postponed until October.
They were later rescheduled for
November after being disrupted by
the End SARS protests.

West African Senior School
Certificate Examination

West African Examinations
Council (WAEC)

17th August –mid-September

2nd November
2020

Exams were originally scheduled forJune. Results are available on the
results checker, but, as of February
2021, final certificates had not been
issued.

SierraLeone

West African Senior School
Certificate Examination

West African Examinations
Council (WAEC)

17th August –mid-September

Mid-November
2020

Exams were originally scheduled for
June.

South
AfricaNational Senior Certificate

UMALUSI Council for
Quality Assurance inGeneral and Further
Education and Training
South Africa

November 2020

22nd February
2021

Resits scheduled for May / Junewere postponed and students sat
the November exams.

Tunisia

Baccalauréat

Ministry of Education

July 2020

24th July 2020

Exams are usually held in June.

ZambiaGeneral Certificate of
Education

Examinations Council ofZambia31st August –15th September
2020

30th October
2020

School Certificate

Examinations Council ofZambiaDecember 2020

February 2021

A LevelZimbabwe Schools
Examinations Council(ZIMSEC)

December 2020 /January 2021

February 2021

Nigeria

Zimbabwe

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

The Americas

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportCountry

Examination

Awarding bodyExamination
dates

Results /gradesreleased

Notes

Anguilla

Caribbean Advanced
Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Caribbean Examinations
Council (CXC)

From 13th July
2020

22nd
September
2020

The format of the exams was
modified. Exams consisted ofmultiple-choice questions and weremarked electronically.

Exame Nacional do
Ensino Médio(ENEM)

Instituto Nacional deEstudios e Pesquisas
Educacionais (INEP)

January / February
2021

February
2021

The ENEM was originally due to takeplace at the start of November. Some

Antigua andBarbudaBarbados
BelizeBritish Virgin
Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
GrenadaGuyanaJamaicaMontserrat
St. Kitts andNevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
Trinidad andTobagoTurks and Caicos
Islands
BrazilCopyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report
students sat a new digital version of
the exam.
CanadaUSA

Alberta High School
Diploma

Alberta Education

November 2020

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

Diploma exams were optional.

British Columbia
Certificate of
Graduation

British Columbia Ministry of
Education

N/A

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

No change as there are no external
exams for this qualification.

Manitoba HighSchool Diploma

Ministry of Education,
Manitoba

Exams cancelled

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

New Brunswick HighSchool Diploma

New Brunswick Ministry of
Education

Exams cancelled

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

The majority of courses for thesequalifications are internally assessed,with only a small number of provincial
exams in specific subjects.

Newfoundland andLabrador HighSchool Graduation
Diploma

Newfoundland and Labrador
Department of Education

Exams cancelled

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

Nova Scotia HighSchool Graduation
Diploma

Nova Scotia Department for
Education

Exams cancelled

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

Ontario Secondary
School Diploma

Ministry of Education,
OntarioExams cancelled

Diplomaawarded as
usual.

ACT

ACT

13th June 2020

23rd June –7th August2020

The tests due to take place in April
were rescheduled for June. Some test
centres remained closed.

SAT

College Board

Exams cancelled(May and June)

N/A

The exams scheduled for May andJune were cancelled.

Advanced Placement(AP)

College Board

11th – 22nd May
2020: 1st – 5thJune 2020

15th – 17th
July 2020

Exams were taken online in an
adapted format.

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special Report

Australasia

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICUK ENIC Special ReportCountry

Examination

Awarding bodyExamination
dates

Results /grades released

Australia

Australian Capital Territory
Year 12 Certificate

ACT Board of Senior
Secondary Studies (BSSS)

November 2020

18th December
2020

Higher School Certificate(New South Wales)

Board of Studies Teachingand Educational Standards
NSW (BOSTES)

From 20th
October 2020

18th December
2020

Northern Territory Certificateof Education and Training

Department of Education Northern Territory Board of
Studies (NTBOS)

Late October –November 2020

15th December
2020

Queensland Certificate of
Education

Queensland Curriculum andAssessment Authority(QCAA)

26th October –17th November
2020

19th December
2020

South Australian Certificateof Education

South Australian Certificateof Education (SACE) Boardof South Australia

Late October –November 2020

15th December
2020

Tasmanian Certificate of
Education

Office of Tasmanian
Assessment, Standards andCertification (TASC)

9th – 19th
November 2020

18th December
2020

Victorian Certificate of
Education

Victorian Curriculum andAssessment Authority(VCAA)

10th November 1st December
2020

30th December
2020

Western Australia Certificateof Education

WA School Curriculum andStandards Authority

November 2020

20th December
2020

Kiribati,
Tuvalu,VanuatuSouth Pacific Form Seven
Certificate (SPFSC)

Educational Quality andAssessment Programme(EQAP)

November 2020

8th January 2021

New
ZealandNational Certificate of
Educational Achievement(NCEA) Level 3

New Zealand Qualifications
Authority

16th November –9th December
2020

21st January
2021

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Notes

Exams started five days later thanoriginally planned.

Exams took place slightly later thanusual.

These exams went ahead asplanned.

Ecctis Special Report

5. IndexKey:
Exams went ahead
Exams were postponed or delayed*
The format of the exams was adapted
Exams were cancelled*compared to dates originally announced, or compared to the usual timetable

Country

Qualification

Albania

Diplomë e Maturës Shtetërore

Algeria

Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement
Secondaire

Anguilla

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Antigua andBarbudaCaribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

ArmeniaՄիջնակարգ (ընդհանուր)կրթության ատեստատ
(Certificate of Secondary General
Education)ՎԿԱՅԱԳԻՐ
(Certificate of Unified Examination)
Australian Capital Territory Year 12
Certificate
Higher School Certificate (NewSouth Wales)
Northern Territory Certificate of
Education and Training

Australia
Queensland Certificate of Education
South Australian Certificate of
Education
Tasmanian Certificate of Education

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Status.

Ecctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification

StatusVictorian Certificate of Education
Western Australia Certificate of
Education
Austria

Reifeprüfung / Matura

Bahrain‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬(General Secondary Education
Certificate)

Bangladesh

Higher Secondary Certificate

Barbados

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination

Belgium –Frenchspeaking
community

Certificat d'enseignement
secondaire supérieur (CESS)

BelizeCaribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination

BhutanBhutan Higher Secondary Education
Certificate

Botswana

Botswana General Certificate ofSecondary Education

BrazilExame Nacional do Ensino Médio(ENEM)

British Virgin
Islands, theCaribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination

Brunei

Brunei / Cambridge GCE A Level

BulgariaДиплома за средно образование
(Diploma of Completed Secondary
Education)

Cambodia

Diploma of Upper Secondary
Education
Alberta High School Diploma

CanadaBritish Columbia Certificate of
Graduation
Manitoba High School Diploma

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICNo change (no external provincial
exams)

Ecctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification
New Brunswick High School
Diploma
Newfoundland and Labrador HighSchool Graduation Diploma
Nova Scotia High School Graduation
Diploma
Ontario Secondary School Diploma

CaymanIslands

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination

Chile

Prueba de Selección Universitaria
(PSU)

China

高中毕业证书
(Senior Secondary School
Graduation Certificate)
普通高等学校招生全国统一考试 (高考) (Gaokao – National College
Entrance Examination (NCEE))

Croatia

Svjedodžba o maturi / Svjedodžba održavnoj maturi / Potvrda opoloženim ispitima državne mature(Matura Certificate / State Matura
Certificate)

CyprusPancyprian Examinations(Παγκύπριες Εξετάσεις - Pankýpries
Exetáseis)

Czech
Republic, theVysvědčení o maturitní zkoušce(Secondary School Leaving
Certificate)

Denmark

Bevis for Højere
Forberedelseseksamen (Higher
Preparatory Examination Certificate)

Dominica

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Egypt‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬(Certificate of General Secondary
Education)

Estonia

Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with theRiigieksamitunnistus(Secondary School Leaving
Certificate with the State
Examination Certificate)

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

StatusEcctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification

Ethiopia

University Entrance Examination

Finland

Ylioppilastutkintotodistus /Studentexamensbetyg(Matriculation Examination)

FranceDiplôme du baccalauréat général

Gambia, theWest African Senior School
Certificate Examination

Georgiaსრული ზოგადი განათლების
ატესტატი (General Education
Diploma)
Unified National Examinations

Germany

Zeugnis der Allgemeinen
Hochschulreife / Abitur

GhanaWest African Senior School
Certificate Examination

GreeceΑΠΟΛΥΤΗΡΙΟ ΓΕΝΙΚΟΥ ΛΥΚΕΙΟΥ
(Upper Secondary School Leaving
Certificate)
Panhellenic Examinations

GrenadaCaribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

GuyanaCaribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary
Education

Hungary

Érettségi Bizonyítvány(Secondary Education Graduation
Certificate). Also known as: Matura
Council for the Indian School
Certificate Examinations (CISCE) Indian School Certificate

India

Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) - All India Senior
School Certificate Examination /Delhi Senior School Certificate
Examination

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

StatusEcctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification
National Institute of Open Schooling- Senior Secondary School
Examination

India –
AndhraPradeshIntermediate Public Examination

India - Bihar

Intermediate Examination

India Chhattisgarh

Higher Secondary School Certificate
Examination

India - Goa

Higher Secondary School Certificate
Examination

India Gujarat

Higher Secondary Certificate
Examination

India Karnataka

Second Year Pre-University
Examination

India - Kerala

Higher Secondary Examination
Certificate

India Maharashtra

Higher Secondary Certificate
Examination

India Punjab

Senior Secondary (12th Class)
Examination Certificate

India – Tamil
Nadu

Higher Secondary Course Certificate

India – West
BengalHigher Secondary Examination

Indonesia

Ijazah - Sekolah Menengah Atas /Madrasah Aliyah (SMA / MA)(Certificate of Graduation fromAcademic / Islamic Secondary
School)International AS & A Levels

International
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme
Iran

KonkurIraq‫الثانوية‬/ ‫شهادة الدراسة االعدادية‬Certificate of Preparatory Education /Secondary School Certificate /Baccalaureat)

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

StatusEcctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification

Ireland

Leaving Certificate

Israel‫בגרות תעודת‬(Matriculation Certificate).
Also known as: 'Te'udat Bagrut' or'Bagrut'.

Italy

Diploma di Esame di Stato

Jamaica

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Japan

高等学校卒業証書 (Upper Secondary No change (no external national
exams)
School Leaving Certificate)National Centre Test for University
Admissions (大学入試センター試験)‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬JordanKazakhstan(Certificate of General Secondary
Education)Сертификат ЕНТ (Единое
Национальное Тестирование)(Certificate of UNT (Unified National
Testing))Oрта білім туралы аттестат
(Certificate of Completed Secondary
Education)

Kenya

Kenya Certificate of Secondary
Education‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬KuwaitStatus(General Secondary Education
Certificate)

LatviaAtestāts par vispārējo vidējo izglītību
(Certificate of General Secondary
Education)

LebanonBaccalauréat

Liberia

Senior School Certificate

Libya‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬(Secondary Education Certificate)

Lithuania

Brandos Atestatas (Secondary
School Leaving Certificate)

Luxembourg

Diplôme de fin d'études secondaires

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Ecctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification
STPM (Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran
Malaysia) (Malaysia Certificate of
Education)

Malaysia

UEC (Unified Examination
Certificate) Senior Middle Level
Matrikulasi (Matriculation Certificate)

Malta

Matriculation Certificate Examination

Moldova

Diplomă de BacalaureatMontserrat

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Morocco‫شهادة البكالوريا‬(Attestation du Baccalauréat)

Myanmar

Basic Education High School
Examination / Matriculation
Examination

Namibia

Namibia Senior Secondary
Certificate

Nepal

School Leaving Certificate
Examination (Grade XI & XII)Netherlands,
the

New ZealandHoger Algemeen Voortgezet
Onderwijs (HAVO) diploma
Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk
Onderwijs (VWO)
National Certificate of Educational
Achievement (NCEA) Level 3
Senior School Certificate

NigeriaWest African Senior School
Certificate
NorwayVitnemål for videregående opplæring
(Leaving Certificate from Upper
Secondary School)

Oman‫دبلوم التعليم العام‬(General Education Diploma)

PakistanIntermediate / Higher Secondary
Certificate

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

StatusEcctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification

Philippines

Senior High School Certificate /DiplomaPolandŚwiadectwo Dojrzałości
(Certificate of Maturity)

Portugal

Diploma Nível Secundário de
Educação / Certificado Nível
Secundário de Educação

Status‫شهادة الثانوية العامة‬Qatar(General Secondary Education
Certificate)

Romania

Diplomă de Bacalaureat

RussiaЕдиный государственный экзамен,ЕГЭ (Unified State Examination)

Sierra Leone

West African Senior School
Certificate

Singapore

Singapore GCE A level

Slovakia

Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške(Secondary School Leaving
Certificate)

Slovenia

Aturitetno spričevalo (Matura
Certificate)
Also known as: Splošna Matura(General Matura Certificate) /Spričevalo o splošni maturi(Certificate of General Matura(Examination))

South Africa

National Senior Certificate고등학교 졸업증명서 / 고등학교졸업장 (High School Diploma / HighSchool Certificate of Graduation)

South Korea

No change (no external national
examinations).

대학수학능력시험(College Scholastic Ability Test
(CSAT)
Also known as: 수능 (Suneung)

Spain

Título de Bachiller

Copyright © 2020 UK ENICNo change (no external national
examinations).

Ecctis Special ReportCountry

Qualification

Status

Evaluación de Acceso a la
Universidad (EvAU) (university
entrance exam)
Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan General Certificate of
Education (Advanced level)

St Kitts and
Nevis

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

St Lucia

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

St Vincent
and theGrenadines

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

SwedenAvgångsbetyg / Slutbetyg frånGymnasieskola(Upper Secondary School Leaving
Certificate)
Högskoleförberedande Examen(Higher Education Preparatory
Diploma)

Switzerland

Maturitätszeugnis / Certificat dematurité / Attestato di maturità

Syria‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬(General Secondary Certificate)
Advanced Subjects Test (AST) (指定

Taiwan科目考試)
General Scholastic Ability Test
(GSAT) (學科能力測驗

ThailandOrdinary National Test (O-NET) –Grade 12Trinidad andTobagoCaribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

Tunisia

Baccalauréat

TurkeyYükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı
(YKS) (university entrance exam)

Turks andCaicosIslands

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examination (CAPE)

UgandaUganda Advanced Certificate of
Education

Copyright © 2020 UK ENIC

Varied by canton.
Cancelled in some cantons.

Ecctis Special ReportCountry

UkraineUnited ArabEmirates

UnitedKingdom, theQualificationСвідоцтво про здобуття повної
загально
(Certificate of Complete General
Secondary Education)Сертифікат зовнішнього
незалежного оцінювання
(Certificate of Independent External
Examination)‫شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة‬General Secondary Education
Certificate Examination
General Certificate of Education(GCE) Advanced Levels (A levels)
Highers / Advanced Highers
ACT

UnitedStates ofAmerica, theAdvanced Placement (AP)SAT

Uzbekistan

O'rta Ma'lumot To'g'risida
Shahodatnoma (Certificate ofCompleted Secondary Education)
National university entrance
examination

VietnamBằng Tốt Nghiệp Trung Học Phổ
Thông (THPT) (Senior Secondary
School Graduation Diploma)
General Certificate of Education

ZambiaSchool Certificate
Zimbabwe

A LevelCopyright © 2020 UK ENIC

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