The official launch took place at the Les Loupiots School Complex, in the Ngaliema district of Kinshasa. The Minister for National Education, Raïssa Malu, launched the essay exam on Monday in Kinshasa, which counts towards the 2026 State Examination sitting. This marks the start of the certification exams for over a million final-year students across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The ceremony featured the symbolic opening of the trunk containing the exam papers, followed by the distribution of the papers to the candidates.

Held across the entire country, this exam paves the way for the other assessments scheduled as part of the supplementary session, notably the oral and practical exams. This stage marks the start of the certification assessments for over a million final-year students across the country.

Candidates began the exams with the essay, the first stage in a series of tests comprising technical tests, the French oral exam and the practical assessment. According to the official timetable, the essay takes place on 4 May, the technical tests on 5 May, the French oral exam from 6 to 9 May, whilst the practical assessment is scheduled for 11 to 18 May. The regular session of the State Examination will take place from 22 to 25 June 2026.

Regarded as a significant stage in pupils’ educational journey, this examination enables them to demonstrate their ability to think critically, their intellectual creativity and their sense of responsibility, within an atmosphere of discipline and integrity. In a context where discipline and integrity are strongly emphasized, pupils are invited to demonstrate the maturity they have acquired throughout their school career.

For the 2026 session, there are exactly 1,079,675 candidates registered for the long-form essay exam. Of these, 482,557 are girls, accounting for 44.7 per cent, and 597,118 are boys, representing 55.3 per cent of the candidates.

“For this 59th edition, candidates are spread across 3,268 examination centers, an average of 330 candidates per center,” the Minister stated at the official launch.

This essay marks the first stage of the certification exams, ahead of the regular session scheduled for next June. Those who pass both sessions will have the opportunity to pursue further education at higher and university level.

Written by Akilimali Chomachoma