Grade 5 scholarship examination: Highest score recorded at 188

The highest score achieved in the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination was 188, according to Examinations Commissioner General AmithJayasundara.

 

Speaking to the media, he stated that 16.05% of students who sat for the examination had achieved marks above the cutoff.

 

As per the results released last evening and can be accessed via the department’s official website: www.doenets.lk. One student secured the top score of 188, while 17 students scored between 186 and 187.

 

He said that this year’s highest score is relatively lower than in previous years. Historically, top scores often exceeded 195, with a perfect score of 200 recorded in 2020. The decline, he suggested, may be due to the increased difficulty level of the 2024 question paper.

 

The Commissioner General also addressed the significant mental pressure this highly competitive examination places on 10-year-old students, a phenomenon uncommon in many other countries. He stressed the need to develop an alternative approach to achieve the exam’s objectives without burdening young children unnecessarily.

 

Until such an alternative is introduced, the examination will continue. However, as part of efforts to reduce pressure, the Department of Examinations has decided not to publicly disclose the names of the top-scoring candidates this year.

 

The 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination results were released online on January 23 

 

This year, the highest district cutoff mark was recorded at 143.

 

Held on September 15 at 2,849 centers across the island, the exam saw 323,900 students apply, with 319,284 sitting for the test. Of these, 51,244 students scored above the cutoff mark.

 

The Department of Examinations has invited appeals for result scrutiny to be submitted online from January 27 to February 6, 2025.

 

Out of the 319,284 students who sat for the exam in September last year, 51,244 students successfully passed.