Kinshasa, June 2nd, 2025 (CPA) – More than one million finalists, representing 42.95% of girls and 57.05% of boys respectively, have registered for the essay tests in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in geographical areas outside the country’s borders, official sources said on Monday.
‘More than one million finalists, representing 42.95% of girls and 57.05% of boys respectively, were registered for the essay tests throughout the country and in geographical areas beyond its borders. In practice, they were spread over 3,165 centers, an average of 339 candidates per center, including 13 centres outside the national territory’, said Raïssa Malu, Minister of National Education, at the launch of these certification tests at the “Kinshasa School of Excellence”. ‘I would like to address you, candidates, who today represent Congolese youth in all its diversity, courage and potential. Some of you are taking this test in a calm atmosphere. Others, particularly in the conflict zones in the east of the country, are living in precarious conditions, far from their families and sometimes on the move. To them I express my solidarity and that of the government’, she added. The Minister of State pointed out that the organization of this 2024-2025 edition of the Exétat, in the provinces of North and South Kivu, had been made possible thanks to the mobilization of the collectives and the exceptional assumption of responsibility by the State and its partners for the costs of participation in the national examinations and the logistics of deployment. During her visit, the Minister of State was accompanied by the Inspector General and the Provincial Minister of Kinshasa, who insisted on compliance with supervision and fluidity instructions throughout the process.
A special feature of this year’s exams is the participation in practical exercises for the technical options and the defense of placement reports for the finalists in the general education option, in accordance with the official program. Another positive note is that the exams are being held throughout the country, including in areas occupied by the AFC/M23 terrorist groups, a sign that the Democratic Republic of Congo remains a single, indivisible country. In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, pupils did not pay the fees for taking the exam outside the state examination session, a patriotic act demonstrated by the Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, in order to show his sympathy for the pupils who were victims of the atrocities of the Rwandan aggression.