Catalogue de données central

The Lower Secondary Evaluation (PMR) was administered annually between 1993 and 2013 by the Ministry of Education, Examinations Syndicate to grade 9 (ISCED 2) students in general education programmes in public schools, government-aided schools, state-religious schools, and some private schools. Candidates had to be 14 years of age or older on 1 January of the year of the examination to register to the PMR. From 2014 onwards, the PMR has been replaced by a continuous assessment.

The PMR is a high-stake and mandatory examination. It is a requirement for students wishing to pursue an upper secondary education (ISCED 3).

The PMR is a written examination, administered face-to-face and delivered through paper-pencil tests. All test-takers are presented with the same cognitive booklets or tests, which are aligned with the national curriculum.

The PMR serves the following purposes:

- student selection to higher education programmes or admission into specific courses or tracks

- supporting teachers (training, relevant materials, etc.)

- school or educator accountability

- promoting competition among schools

- sub-national level monitoring of learning outcomes

- monitoring education quality levels

- planning education policy reforms

Note that the results are also used by the Inspectorate and Quality Assurance division to rank school effectiveness.

The PMR accommodates students with special needs by providing test materials in braille or with large fonts and additional time to visually impaired candidates.

A back-up version of the tests is prepared for unexpected delay or postponement due to mishaps or natural disasters.

Census (all students at the given grades or ages)

Results are available at the student, school, local and national levels. Data are disagregated by sex, geographical location (urban and rural), and types of schools.

Results are published in reports, which are available in print and online. Results are published in the media.