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What did the EAES say about the disqualifications?
kulu-media reported on Tikimt 16, 2019 E.C. (26 October 2026) that the Educational Assessment and Examination Service (EAES) had announced disciplinary action against 11,785 students after the 2026 mid-year Ethiopia Exit Exam. The report says the announcement followed many students receiving a "Disqualified" notice while opening their results on the official online portal.
The report quotes EAES Director General Dr. Eshetu Kebede as saying the measures followed specific breaches of examination rules, and that the cases fall into separate disciplinary groups. The report does not give the date of the EAES announcement itself, or the exam session the cases belong to.
Which students does this affect?
The measures reach students who broke the exam rules. These include students who had mobile phones or smartwatches in the hall, disrupted an examination room, damaged computer equipment, or sat the exam for someone else. They also include students who left before the minimum time, students who took the exam twice at different times, and students whose attendance or seating does not match the records.
Students who were given special permission to move to another centre, for health reasons or because of logistics such as the shortages the report describes at Addis Ababa University campuses, are also waiting. The Director General said their results will be released once they provide legal justification for the move and their signatures at the new site are verified.
What are the numbers, and what is still missing?
| Group | Students | Reason given |
|---|---|---|
| Fully disqualified | 817 | Banned materials, disruption, damaged equipment or personation |
| Disqualified for timing | 2,076 | Left before staying for 25% of the allotted time |
| Sat the exam twice | 632 | Attempted the exam at different times |
| Results held | 9,561 | Attendance records do not match, or sat at an unauthorised location |
The report gives a total of 11,785, but the four groups add up to 13,086. The report does not say which figure is correct. The EAES has not announced an exam date, a fee, or the documents needed to lodge a complaint.
What should a student with a held or disqualified result do?
Check your status
Log in to the EAES online portal and note the exact status shown next to your name and exam.
Prepare your papers
If you moved to another centre, prepare the legal justification for the move, because results are released only after signatures at the testing site are verified.
Lodge your complaint
Submit it through the EAES online portal or in person at the service's headquarters, as the report describes.
Are these rules new this year?
According to the report, the EAES said these regulations are standard procedure and not new for this cycle. The rule requiring candidates to stay for at least 25% of the allotted time is one of them, and the service said it exists to prevent outside communication leaking from the hall.
The service also said the system stays strict to protect the national exit exam, and that every valid complaint will be reviewed on the evidence from the students and the exam supervisors.
Sources
Every figure and date above comes from one of these. Open them; a story about your child's school is worth checking.
