SC/HSC 2026: Repeat Students Will Have to Pay Exam Fees

Students sitting for the School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) in the 2025 academic year who wish to retake their exams in 2026 will now be required to pay registration fees. This announcement was made last Tuesday to secondary school heads by the Ministry of Education.

However, this measure excludes candidates from households registered under the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM), as well as those whose parents receive social assistance. Notably, in the 2025 session, repeat students were exempt from payment due to a subsidy included in the national budget.

According to data from the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES), the overall pass rate for the SC stands at 69.28%, compared to 72.65% in 2024. This means that more than one in two candidates failed to obtain the three credits necessary to advance to Grade 12.

Registration for the Cambridge Ordinary Level (O Level) and Advanced Level (A Level) exams for the May/June 2026 session opens today, February 5. This applies to private candidates. The registration schedule will be conducted alphabetically from February 5 to 11. Registration hours are from 9 AM to 12 PM, and from 12:30 PM to 2 PM.

Regarding costs, an initial fee of Rs 526 is required for both O Level and A Level. Per syllabus, the fees are Rs 3,905 for O Level and Rs 7,918 for A Level. The General Paper fee is set at Rs 5,097, and Rs 416 will be charged for late registrations.