The Commissioner General of Examinations, Amith Jayasundara, has announced that the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination will not be re-conducted, despite concerns over a question paper leak. The decision follows an extensive investigation, which concluded that only three questions had been leaked prior to the exam.
Key Decisions:
- Free Marks for Leaked Questions: All students who sat for the exam will be awarded free marks for the three leaked questions.
- Answer Sheet Evaluation Resumed: The evaluation of answer sheets, which had been paused due to the investigation, will now resume immediately.
On September 20, allegations surfaced that some questions from the exam had been leaked prior to its administration. As a result, the Department of Examinations launched an investigation, which led to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) getting involved. The inquiry determined that only three questions were leaked, despite parents’ claims that the entire paper had been compromised.
In light of these findings, the authorities decided against conducting a re-examination, opting instead to award free marks to students for the leaked questions.
The Director of the Planning Division of the National Institute of Education (NIE) and a school teacher were arrested by the CID in connection with the leak. The 58-year-old NIE Director was part of the committee responsible for preparing the examination paper, while the 49-year-old teacher was running private tuition classes for Grade 05 students. Both individuals have been remanded until October 22 as the investigation continues.
The decision to not re-conduct the exam has drawn mixed reactions. Some parents had staged protests and raised concerns, alleging that the entire exam paper was leaked, and had even sought the intervention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. However, the investigation confirmed only partial leakage, leading to the resolution of awarding free marks.
This year’s Grade 05 Scholarship Examination took place on September 15 at 2,849 centers across the island, with 323,879 candidates participating.
With the investigation now completed, the focus will shift towards ensuring transparency in the marking process and addressing any further concerns from the public.