Ministry of Education to Roll out College Exit Exam
Ministry of Education to Roll out College Exit Exam
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education is making preparations to administer the college exit tests for undergraduates online, its officials said on Thursday.
The exit exam was a subject of discussion between Education officials and representatives of public and private higher learning institutions on Thursday.
The Ministry announced its decision to introduce the exam at the end of the current Ethiopian academic year last year. The move is a part of the sector reform effort that aims to elevate the education quality at higher institutions.
Accordingly, this year’s first-degree candidates have to pass a test before they are allowed to graduate.
Tuesday’s meeting discussed the college exit test and the ongoing reparations, and other related topics.
State Minister of Education Samuel Kifle (Ph.D.) said the exit test will be given to all undergraduates. This includes undergrads in irregular classes such as night shift and distance learning.
The state minister also told representatives of the higher institutions to prepare themselves for the delivery of exit exams online.
Preparations are now underway to deliver the exit tests online, Dr. Samuel said. The colleges and universities, therefore, need to prepare the infrastructure to administer the exam online ahead of time, he added.
Authorities expect the college exit exam to improve the quality of graduates being churned out by both public and private universities.
The decision was welcomed by employers who complain about the arrival of ill-prepared graduates.
“It is a bit late but it will give the students and universities the extra motivation to do more and correct the issue,” said a manager of a private company Sisay.
CEO of academic affairs at the Ministry, Ebba Mijena (Ph.D.) said the exit exam will have an additional positive impact on the sector.
Apart from addressing the quality issue, he said it will help to spur the capacity of both students and the institutions.
