Grade 5 Scholarship Exam muddle: Committee recommends full marks in view of three leaked questions

• The CID has since submitted an interim report to the Secretary of Education, confirming that the said document had indeed been circulated prior to the examination 

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

The committee, which consisted of educationists, educational psychologists, medical professionals, and statisticians has recommended awarding full marks for the three leaked questions to all students who sat for the 2024 grade five Scholarship examination as the most appropriate course of action.  

According to the recommendations, the Examinations Department has decided to adopt the above solution.  

A committee comprising local and international experts was appointed by the Education Minister to review the report and provide suitable recommendations.   Also advised to immediately start the marking of answer scripts and to release the results without delay.   Moreover, the expert committee has advised against holding a repeat examination, citing the potential for stress and psychological harm to the children, who are around 10 years of age.  

The issue was created following complaints that questions from the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, held on September 15, were discussed prior to the examination.  Later, an investigation was initiated by the Examinations Department.   The investigation revealed that a document containing three questions similar to those in Paper I had been discussed in advance and that these questions were circulated via social media the day before the examination.  Based on the preliminary report, a formal complaint was lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).  The CID has since submitted an interim report to the Secretary of Education, confirming that the said document had indeed been circulated prior to the examination and that three questions from Paper I were leaked.   In response, the Examinations Department submitted an analytical report to the Education Minister through the Education Secretary, outlining potential solutions to the issue.