Mauritius SC Additional Mathematics students report exam difficulties

Students sitting for the School Certificate (SC) Additional Mathematics exam on September 30 expressed significant concerns regarding the difficulty and format of the assessment. Candidates reported that the questions were more complex and less direct than the specimen papers, requiring higher levels of reasoning and analytical skills than expected.

In addition to the difficulty of the content, students were caught off guard by a change in format requiring them to write answers in a separate booklet rather than directly on the question paper. This change, combined with tight time constraints, led to widespread anxiety regarding final results.

Educators offered varying perspectives on the issue. Some teachers suggested that a lack of preparation, including a heavy reliance on artificial intelligence for learning and missing mock exams, contributed to poor time management. However, officials from the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) defended the exam, stating that the paper strictly adheres to the official syllabus and Cambridge standards.