Cambodia High School Exam Sees Sharp Drop in Top 'A' Grades

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport announced on September 1, 2026, the results of the High School Graduation Examination (commonly known as the Baccalaureate Exam), held on August 10, 2026. It was revealed that only 2,022 students achieved the highest grade, 'A', this year, a decrease of 991 students compared to the previous year's 3,003. According to the ministry, the overall pass rate for this year's exam was 84.06%, with 125,975 out of 144,848 candidates passing. The breakdown included 2,022 students with grade 'A', 8,848 with 'B', 23,422 with 'C', 44,869 with 'D', and 46,814 with 'E'. In the previous year, with a similar number of candidates, the pass rate was 84.56%, with 122,473 students passing, including 3,003 with 'A', 9,901 with 'B', 28,801 with 'C', 45,859 with 'D', and 34,909 with 'E'. A total of 146,720 candidates, including 81,442 females, registered for the exam. Of these, 40,678 were from science streams (24,519 females) and 106,042 were from social science streams (56,923 females). The exam was conducted across 241 centers and 5,924 rooms nationwide. A total of 1,872 candidates (751 females), representing 1.27% of those who took the exam, were absent. This included 1,522 self-reported absences (586 females) and 350 general absences (165 females). The official announcement of the exam results for the August 10, 2026 session was scheduled for September 2, 2026, at examination centers across all 25 provinces and on the ministry's official website. This significant drop in 'A' grade recipients may indicate a stricter grading system or concerns about student academic achievement within Cambodia's education system. As the high school diploma is a crucial indicator for university admissions and employment, these results could impact many students and families. In Cambodia, a nation experiencing significant economic development and evolving diplomatic relations, particularly with China, fostering a highly skilled workforce is vital for sustainable growth, necessitating continued attention to the education sector.