Grade 5 Scholarship exam results best in 6 years- Exams Dept

The best performances in the Grade 5 Scholarship exam in 6 years were recorded this time, with 10.32% or 36,144 of the 350,191 students who sat the exam, qualifying for the bursaries and gaining eligibility to apply for better schools, the Exams Dept's analysis revealed.

The previous best figure was 10.12% in 2013 followed by 9.99% in 2014, 9.55% in 2015, 9.5% in 2016, and 9.46% last year.

The statistics also revealed that the number of candidates obtaining 70 marks and above, were also the highest since 2010, with 79.09%. In 2009 it was 57.6%. Last year only 69.4% obtained more than 70 marks.

Provincially, Sabaragamuwa and North Western Provinces recorded 82% each, gaining more than 70 marks, followed by Western Province 80.71%. The lowest was Eastern Province with 68.65%.

District- wise Kurunegala District had the most number who got more than 70 marks with 86.53%, while the lowest was from Trincomalee with 60.89%. Hambantota 84.84%, Gampaha 84.95%, Kegalle 82.78%, Matara 82.21%, Galle 81.83%, Ratnapura 80.41%, Jaf fna 77.93% and Mullaitivu 76.4% were the other Districts with significant percentages.

In all Districts the percentage which reached the cutoff point were better than in 2017. This year, Hambantota, with 14.33%, had the highest number over the cutoff point. The other best Districts were Jaffna 14.19%, Kurunegala 13.86 %, Vavuniya 12.32% and Matara 12.05 %.