Cambodia's High School Exam Pass Rate Rises 11.73% in Five Years, Signaling Educational Reform Success

In the past five years, the results of the high school exit examination (Bak Doep) have shown significant improvement, with the overall pass rate increasing by 11.73 percentage points from 72.33% in 2022 to 84.06% in 2026. This was revealed by Tep Phyorith, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, in a report presented on September 8, 2026. Mr. Tep Phyorith further stated that the number of candidates achieving excellent grades has also increased. Candidates receiving grades A-C have seen a notable rise from 2022 to 2026, reflecting an improvement in students' academic performance. Science students, in particular, have achieved a high proportion of A grades, with science candidates accounting for over 87% of all A grades annually over the past five years. For the high school exit examination held on August 10, 2026, a total of 125,975 candidates passed, representing 84.06% of all examinees. Among these, 2,022 candidates received an A grade, 8,848 received a B, 23,422 received a C, 44,869 received a D, and 46,814 received an E. The Ministry of Education began its educational reforms in 2013 and continues to implement them in various phases, including tightening the high school exit examination to ensure transparency and fairness based on the principle of 'those who know will pass.' This improvement in pass rates is seen as a testament to the effectiveness of these long-standing reform efforts.