Al‑Azhar secondary school science students sit rhetoric exam

On Monday 29 June 2026, science‑track students at Egypt’s Al‑Azhar secondary schools began the two‑hour rhetoric (Balagha) exam at 09:00, part of the 2025/2026 certification schedule. The exam follows a tightly timed timetable that runs from June through early July, covering subjects such as Quran, mathematics, physics, chemistry and literature.

Al‑Azhar officials, including Sheikh Ayman Abdel‑Ghany, the acting deputy of Al‑Azhar, highlighted extensive security and anti‑cheating measures, especially against electronic fraud, coordinated with relevant authorities. The ministry reported that 163,677 candidates are sitting the exams this year, of which 81,311 are in the science stream, administered across 581 main committees, more than 10,000 sub‑committees and monitored by over 22,000 teachers to ensure fairness and discipline.