PRESS STATEMENT

PREPARATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION OF 2024 NATIONAL

EXAMINATIONS

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) is informing the general

public that it will administer the 2024 national examinations from 22nd May to
26th July 2024 as follows:

i. Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations

from 22nd May to 24th May 2024.
ii. Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations from 4th June to 13th
June 2024
iii. Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations from 2nd July
to 26th July 2024.

The following activities have been carried out in preparation for the
administration of the 2024 examinations.

1. REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES

Registration of candidates was conducted from 17th September to 31st December

2023, with an extension of four days from 9th to 12th January 2024.

Registration and payment of examination fees contributions were done online

through MANEB e-registration and e-payment systems. All MANEB approved
examination centres have access to online portals where they register
candidates, generate invoices and confirm examination fees payments made by
candidates. Registration of a student is completed upon payment of
examination fees contributions.

The online payment of examination fees for 2024 examinations was done through
a number of e-payment platforms including TNM Mpamba, Airtel Money,
National Bank Mo626, NBS Eazy Bank, Standard Bank Unayo, First Capital
Bank and FDH digital banking facilities. The responsibility of paying examination
fees was entirely left to the guardians or candidates themselves. Once payment
was received in MANEB account a student was reflected as a paid student in the
portal. Nominal rolls for the candidates were also accessed online on the school
portals.

The number of candidates that registered to sit for the examinations in 2024 are
as follows;

Examinations Level Male Female TOTAL

PSLCE 127,521 134,695 262,216
JCE 79,724 84,226 163,950
MSCE 96,787 88,191 184,978
TOTAL 304,032 307,112 611,144

Similar to 2022 and 2023, more female candidates have registered to sit for
PSLCE and JCE examinations than male candidates. The trend has also been
the same for MSCE where more male candidates register and sit for the
examinations as compared to female candidates.

2. INTERFACE MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS

MANEB has held interface meetings with different stakeholders in preparation

for the administration of 2024 examinations. These include District Education
Managers, state security agencies (Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police
Service), Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM), Malawi Secondary School Head
Association (MASHA), Independent Schools Association of Malawi (ISAMA),
Private Schools Association of Malawi (PRISAM), and Secondary School Teachers
Union (SESTU). During the meetings, a review of issues encountered in the 2023
examinations administration was conducted. The stakeholders also participated
in planning for the administration of 2024 examinations.

3. SECURITY OF EXAMINATIONS

MANEB will continue to work with the state security agencies, Malawi Defence
Force (MDF) and Malawi Police Service (MPS). MDF and MPS will undertake their
mutually agreed roles as follows: MDF will secure all examinations storage
facilities while MPS will be providing security in all examination centres. In
preparation for the examinations, three-year Memoranda of Understandings,
which will run from 2024 to 2026, were signed between MANEB and MDF, and
MANEB and MPS.
 4. BRIEFING OF EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTRATORS

Prior to the commencement of examinations, PSLCE and JCE (+MSCE), briefing

sessions for all examination administrators will be conducted. This will ensure
that all administrators are able to apply the same set standards in order to
achieve equity in the handling of examinations and candidates. The examination
administrators include Examination Centre Supervisors, Invigilators, Primary
Education Advisors (PEAs), MDF and MPS Officers.

During the briefing sessions, all examination administrators will be provided

with terms of reference. Examination administrators will receive their allowances
before the start of the administration of examinations.

5. HANDLING OF SCIENCE PRACTICAL EXAMINATIONS

MANEB has sent the list of items for science practical examinations to enable
schools procure the materials before examinations. In this regard, schools are
prohibited from procuring these items a day before the practical examinations.
Confidential instructions for the practical examinations will be collected from the
examination distribution centres on the day of examinations between 6:00AM
and 7:00AM. To ensure security of the exams, subject teachers that are tasked
with preparing for practical examinations are not allowed to have mobile phones
at the time of preparation for the practical examinations.

6. PROVISIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CANDIDATES

Identification of Special Needs Candidates was done by schools with details of

the candidates captured during the registration process. MANEB has made the
following special provisions for specific categories of special needs candidates:

i. Users of braille will be provided with braille printed examinations. They

will be allocated a separate room from the rest of the candidates with
special invigilators. The candidates will be given additional time (1/5 of
the time allocated to a paper).
ii. Low vision candidates will be provided with large print papers. They will
write their examinations in the same room as regular candidates and they
will not be given additional time since they are already aided with large
print papers
iii. Candidates with special physical disabilities, affecting their limbs, will be
examined orally. A scriber and an Invigilator will be assigned to each of
such candidates to support them throughout the examinations.
 7. INNOVATIONS

In 2024 examinations, MANEB is introducing remarking of examinations at JCE

level. This will be done within a specified period of time following the release of
examination results.

In continued efforts to uphold accountability in the management of public

resources and increase efficiency in our operations, in 2024, MANEB is
extending the electronic payment of allowances to examination administrators
in the Central West Education Division after successfully implementing it in the
Shire Highlands Education Division and Mwanza district. This means,
examination administrators in Kasungu, Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, Dowa and Salima
districts will receive their allowances directly through their respective bank
accounts.

8. MONITORING ADMINISTRATION OF EXAMINATIONS

MANEB will have Country Coordinator, Regional and District Coordinators to

monitor administration of the 2024 examinations country wide. Other
stakeholders will also participate in the monitoring exercise to ensure continued
track of administering leakage free examinations. Such stakeholders will be
supplied with identity cards or letter of permission.

CONCLUSION

MANEB is grateful to government for providing the necessary resources for the
administration of the 2024 examination and for supporting all activities related
to national examinations. MANEB also appreciates the roles that all examination
administrators and security officers play in the administration of examinations.
The public should be assured that MANEB has put in place all necessary security
measures to ensure credible examinations. MANEB is encouraging all Malawians
of good will to report all cases of suspected examinations malpractice during the
examinations period to their nearest Police Station or through the MANEB Toll
Free line on 363 which is available for TNM Networks.

SIGNED
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Professor Dorothy Nampota