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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 FEBRUARY 2021
NEWS
For instance, while the offi-
cial percentage of Absent can-
didates in 2019 was 9.3%, in
actual fact 14.1% of the can-
didates missed one or more of
the written components.
Since, due to COVID-19,
no oral examination was held
this year, and the number of
absentees can be compared to
those who missed the written
component in previous years.
But even when this is ac-
counted for, the percentage
of absent candidates in 2020
(18.2%) is markedly high-
er than that of 2019 (14.1%),
2018, (10.7%) and 2017
(12.1%).
Examiners insist that this
increase in absent candi-
dates cannot be attributed to
changes in the syllabus or to
any changes in the expect-
ed standards in the exam.
Indeed, despite there being
a new syllabus, the average
scores in the various compo-
nents of the exam were only
marginally different from last
year (and the differences were
well within ranges that are to
be expected across different
sittings).
"Despite the significant
disruptions that COVID-19
has caused, we note that the
candidates' performance in
the 2020 September session
was, on average, better than
in 2019," they said, nothing
a higher percentage of A-C
performances (40.0%, up from
37.4% in 2019), a higher per-
centage of A-E performanc-
es (72.4%, up from 70.8% in
2019), and significantly fewer
candidates who failed (9.4%,
down from 19.9% in 2019).
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
A grade A, B grades A, B, C
2014 3.8% 15% 48.1%
2015 4.1% 14.3% 49.4%
2016 3.1% 12.3% 46.8%
2017 2.4% 11% 42.3%
2018 2.1% 8.2% 43.8%
2019 2.4% 8.1% 37.3%
2020 1.3% 9.4% 40%
