Test papers of first unified exam for sixth, ninth grades leaked

AMMAN — Copies of the unified ministry tests for sixth and ninth graders were leaked on Thursday, as the Education Ministry said it will hold responsible schools to account.

While 320,000 sixth and ninth graders were sitting for their first unified Arabic and English exams, copies of the test papers went viral on news websites and social media networks.

“We will be able to identify the schools that are involved in leaking the exam papers through analysing the results of students in each school and to what extent they match the model answers,” Education Ministry Spokesperson Walid Jallad said.

He noted that the ministry will cooperate with its departments across the Kingdom to identify schools that “were not up to the responsibility”.

However, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) rejected such accusations, stressing that many parties were involved in preparing for the exams, starting from printing the papers, sealing them in envelopes and distributing them to schools.

“The exam did not comply with the standard measures from the start and its procedures were changed many times,” JTA Spokesperson Ayman Okour told The Jordan Times, explaining that it was first decided that the examination process would be similar to Tawjihi and that the ministry would be responsible for handling it.

“Then it was said that schools would be in charge, making the unified exam just another normal test,” he added.

Okour blamed the ministry for not setting solid standards, which he claimed resulted in the leak.

“And now they blame teachers and schools for it. This is unacceptable. The ministry should admit its failure in organising the exams,” he said.

Jallad underlined that the main purpose of the unified exam this year was “experimental”.

“The exam is monitored and corrected by the teachers of the respective subjects.”

The ministry is holding unified exams for sixth and ninth graders in selected subjects, English, Arabic, science and maths, in a bid to measure students’ abilities and identify any weaknesses.

Schools are responsible for giving students 60 per cent of their grades based on their own tests, while 40 per cent will be based on the ministry’s tests.