Addis Ababa – For thousands of Ethiopian students, August offers more than a new month, it brings a rare second chance. The Ministry of Education has confirmed that students who were unable to sit for the 12th grade national exit exam earlier this year will be given a special opportunity to take it at the end of August.
Among the 4,966 students scheduled for this make-up session are learners from conflict-affected areas in the Amhara region, incarcerated students, and those who began school later than their peers. Their stories, interrupted by war, incarceration, or hardship, are now converging in classrooms prepared to offer hope, not judgment.
“Our goal is simple,” said Education Minister Prof. Berhanu Nega. “No student should be denied the opportunity to complete their education because of circumstances beyond their control.”
Unlike the main national exams, which saw over 581,000 students tested across digital and paper formats in six staggered rounds, the August exam will be conducted entirely on paper. For many of these students, digital access remains a luxury out of reach.
Yordanos, 18, was displaced from her village in Amhara last year and missed her chance to take the exam. “I was scared I’d have to give up school,” she says. “Now, I have hope again.”
The Ministry’s broader reform agenda, digitalising national exams and improving transparency, was tested this year and largely held firm, despite logistical hurdles including power cuts and minor transport incidents.
Still, officials emphasise that education is not merely about policy; it is about people.
“This August exam is not just a test,” said one regional coordinator. “It’s a message, to every young person who has faced disruption: you still belong here. Your journey isn’t over.”
For Yordanos and thousands like her, August may be the beginning of a new chapter.