Khartoum, April 14 (Darfur24)
A total of 564,000 students began sitting for the 2026 Sudanese secondary school certificate examinations on Monday across 3,333 centers inside and outside the country, according to the Ministry of Education.
The ministry noted an increase in the number of candidates compared to previous years, despite the ongoing war and displacement affecting most parts of the country.
Examination centers were opened in several states under the control of the Sudanese army, as well as in some locations abroad. However, students in the Darfur states and parts of Kordofan, which are under the control of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur, were unable to participate.
The ministry said students who missed the exams scheduled for April 13 will have another opportunity to sit for them on May 11.
In River Nile State, officials confirmed that 34,783 students are taking the exams across 194 centers. The state is also hosting 3,528 students from Darfur, with special arrangements made for accommodation and exam venues in Atbara and Al-Damir.
Meanwhile, education authorities in North Darfur reported that 1,005 students from the state are sitting for exams across multiple locations, including River Nile, Northern State, and Khartoum, after being displaced by recent violence, particularly in El Fasher.
In neighboring Chad, 426 Sudanese students are sitting for the exams at the Sudanese Friendship School in Abéché, where preparations were completed in coordination with local authorities and the Sudanese consulate.
Despite these arrangements, hundreds of thousands of students in areas outside government control are unable to access examination centers. The Founding Alliance has announced plans to organize separate exams in those areas next June.
Sudan’s education sector continues to face severe disruption due to the conflict, with displacement, insecurity, and logistical challenges affecting students’ access to schooling and national examinations.