Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) yesterday released the 2025 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) results that saw 80 876 students out of 194 584 who wrote the exams failing.
Maneb executive director Professor Dorothy Nampota released the results in Lilongwe yesterday where she announced that 113 7O8 passed the examinations, representing a 58.44 percent pass rate.
The results represent a slight improvement in the pass rate compared to the 2024 and 2023 results which saw 54.79 percent and 54.40 percent of students who sat for the examinations passing, respectively.
“Out of the 100 909 male candidates that sat for this examination, 63 367 have passed. This represents 62.80 percent pass rate. Out the 93 675 female candidates that sat for this examination, 50 341 have passed. This represents a 53.74 percent pass rate,” said Nampota in a press release.
According to the statement, out of the 116 685 internal candidates, 73 245 have passed representing 62.77 percent pass rate while from the 23 206 external candidates only 10 365 have passed. This represents 44 67 percent pass rate.
The top 10 schools based on the percentage of candidates with distinctions are Mtendere in Dedza, Loyola Jesuit in Kasungu, Marist in Dedza, Likulezi Catholic Boys in Phalombe, St. Kizito Seminary in Dedza, Ludzi Girls in Mchinji, Dedza Secondary in Dedza, Lilongwe Islamic in Lilongwe, Marymount Private Catholic Girls in Mzuzu City and St. John Bosco Secondary in Mzimba.
The top 10 districts based on the percentage of candidates with distinctions are Dedza followed by Karonga, Mzuzu City, Mzimba South, Chitipa, Zomba Urban, Chiradzulu, Nkhata Bay, Dowa and Balaka.
Commenting on the results, education expert Benedicto Kondowe said they present a mixed picture that demands urgent reflection.
He said while the overall pass rate of 58.44 percent indicates a slight majority of learners met the minimum requirements, the sharp disparities across gender, school types, and districts raise serious concerns about equity in Malawi’s education system.
“Boys continue to outperform girls [62.8 percent against 53.7 percent], reflecting persistent gender barriers that hinder female learners.
“Equally troubling is the gulf between high-performing institutions such as national and district boarding schools, recording pass rates above 90 percent and struggling community day secondary schools [CDSS] with just 53.9 percent,” said Kondowe, a private practice lawyer and Civil Society Education Coalition executive director.
He said these stark differences expose deep systemic inequalities tied to resources, teacher capacity, and learning environments.
“The results are not merely a reflection of learners’ effort; they are a mirror of systemic inequities that, if unaddressed, will continue to limit Malawi’s human capital development and its aspirations under SDG 4 and Malawi 2063,” said Kondowe.
