Addis Abeba — Back in February 2023, graduating students of St. Mary's University received training on the Higher Education Exit Exam (Photo: St. Mary's University)

The nationwide graduate exit exams commenced today 7 July 2023. Over a span of six days, more than 168,000 prospective graduate students from 205 different disciplines will undertake these assessments.

The exams involve participation from 44 public and 161 private higher education institutions across Ethiopia. To facilitate the process, 82 dedicated examination centers have been established. According to the Ministry of Education, the results of the exams are expected to be released on 17 July 2023.

In accordance with a recent directive issued by the Ministry, all students currently enrolled in Ethiopian higher education institutions, regardless of their study domain, will be required to participate in these exit examinations going forward. The exit exams will be conducted twice a year, with the next round projected for either January or February. This schedule is designed to offer students sufficient time to strategize and adjust their study methods based on their performance in previous exams, according to the Ministry.

In response to the controversy surrounding the earlier ruling, which only allowed those who passed the exit exam to participate in graduation ceremonies, the Student Union of Ethiopian Higher Education released a statement today. The statement clarifies that the outcome of the exit exam will not exclude students from partaking in their graduation events. According to the statement, all potential graduates, regardless of their exit exam results, will be permitted to participate in graduation ceremonies as long as they meet the eligibility criteria set forth by their respective institution's Senate procedures.