Thousands of pupils across Guyana, who wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) over two months ago, as well as their parents, are anticipating the results of these examinations and, according to the Education Ministry, they will be released next Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Ministry, the marking of all NGSA papers has been completed and the examination scripts are currently being processed nationally. The Ministry assured that all systems are in place to guarantee the release of the results on that day.
Some 14,500 students from across Guyana wrote the NGSA on April 27 and 28, this year, more than three weeks later than previous years.
The Education Ministry had explained that the dates were extended to allow teachers sufficient time to complete the Grade Six curriculum and give students additional time within which to prepare for their final assessment.
NGSA is a placement examination offered at the end of the primary education cycle to determine which secondary school students will be allotted.
During the two-day examinations period, the students were assessed in four subject areas: English Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.
On the first day, English Language and Science were written, while student wrote Mathematics and Social Studies on the second day. Each subject had two papers. Paper Two was the first paper written and consisted of essay-type questions, while Paper One consisted of multiple choice questions.
However, prior to this, students had to write the National Grades Two and Four Assessments, back in 2012 and 2014 respectively. A percentage of the marks from all three assessments will be calculated to determine the overall performance of each student.
Last year, some 15,225 students wrote the NGSA examination. Their overall performances were calculated by adding five per cent of each candidate’s Grade Two scores in Mathematics and English, and 10 per cent of the Grade Four score in the same subjects. This was then added to a further 85 per cent of each candidate’s score in those subjects at the Grade Six Assessment.
The combined scores in Mathematics and English were then added to the scores gained in Science and Social Studies.
The 2015 NGSA top student was Solomon Cherai, of Success Elementary, who topped the country after he secured a total of 530 marks out of 535. Meanwhile, his classmate Shania Eastman came in second with 529 marks.
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