Top Score Declines as Pressure on Students Highlighted
The Commissioner General of Examinations, Amith Jayasundara, has announced that the highest score achieved in the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination across Sri Lanka is 188.
Addressing a press conference this morning (24), Jayasundara revealed that while one student secured the top mark of 188, several others closely followed with scores of 187 and 186. However, this year’s highest score is notably lower than in previous years, where scores often exceeded 195, with a perfect score of 200 recorded in 2020.
Jayasundara attributed the decline to an apparent increase in the difficulty level of the 2024 examination paper.
He also expressed concern about the immense mental pressure placed on 10-year-old students due to the highly competitive nature of the exam, noting that such a phenomenon is uncommon in other countries. Stressing the need for change, he called for the development of an alternative method to fulfill the objectives of the Grade 05 Scholarship Examination without subjecting young children to undue stress.
Until a viable alternative is implemented, the examination will continue. To ease pressure on students, the Department of Examinations has decided not to disclose the names of the top scorers this year.
The results of the 2024 examination were released online last evening (23) and can be accessed via the department’s official website, www.doenets.lk.
Additionally, this year’s highest district cut-off mark stands at 143, which is also lower compared to previous years.
The 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination was conducted on September 15 across 2,849 centers islandwide. Out of the 323,900 students who applied, 319,284 sat for the exam. Of these, 51,244 candidates achieved marks above the cutoff.
The Department of Examinations has opened an appeals process for the scrutiny of results, which can be submitted online from January 27 to February 06, 2025.
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