Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Botswana Examination Council

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Abbreviation
  
BEC

Official language
  
English Setswana

Location
  
Gaborone

Website
  
www.bec.co.bw

Botswana Examination Council

Services
  
Examinations and academic assessments

Botswana Examinations Council (or BEC) are a provider of national qualifications, offering examinations and qualifications to schools of Botswana.

Contents

Qualifications

BEC provides Key Stage examinations for primary and secondary schools across Botswana. It offers Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) and Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE).

Primary programme

Botswana Examinations Council offers a primary years programme, providing curriculum support for affiliated primary schools.

Grading

The pass grades for JCE are, from highest to lowest, A*, A, B, C, D, E and U. The maximum aggregate is 63.

  • Merit: the candidate obtains a numeric aggregate of 90.
  • A: the candidate obtains a numeric aggregate of 80 - 89.
  • B: the candidate obtains a numeric aggregate of 70 - 79
  • C: the candidate obtains a numeric aggregate of 60 - 69.
  • D: the candidate obtains a numeric aggregate of 50 - 59.
  • E: the candidate obtains a numeric aggregate of 40 - 49.
  • U: the candidate obtains a numeric grade of less than 40
  • Grading

    The pass grades for BGCSE are, from highest to lowest, A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and U. The process to decide these grades involves the uniform mark scheme (UMS). Achieving less than 29% results in a U (unclassified). The maximum points a student can get is 48 points by six subjects. The table below shows the general grading system which is used when grading students in senior secondary which may be changed by BEC due to standardization.

    Studying

    The number of exams taken by students can vary. A typical route is to study eight+ subjects including core subjects. Five is usually the minimum number of credits required for university entrance, with some universities specifying the need for six subjects that are all C+. There is no limit set on the number of subjects one can study, and a number of students take 9 or more subjects.

    Subjects offered

    A wide variety of subjects are offered at O-level by the Botswana Examinations Council. This table shows the majority of subjects which are consistently available for study.

    References

    Botswana Examination Council Wikipedia