The Ministry of Education announced that more than 62,000 students are retaking their university entrance examinations after a devastating earthquake in March caused widespread destruction, including the loss of exam answer sheets.
The government had organized special preparation camps starting from April 28 in selected townships across Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region, and Kachin State to help students prepare for the rescheduled tests, which began on June 16 and will continue through June 21.
On the first day of retesting, students across these regions sat for their Myanmar language exams under close supervision. Education ministry officials, regional leaders, and security personnel were present at exam centers to oversee the process and ensure everything proceeded smoothly. A total of 62,824 students attended the retests, representing an impressive 98.67% attendance rate across 195 examination centers.
Authorities implemented strict measures to maintain order during the testing period. Health workers, fire safety teams, security forces, and traffic police were deployed to examination sites to handle any emergencies and ensure the safety of students and staff.
The need for retesting arose after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central and northern Myanmar on March 28. The quake caused significant damage in several regions, such as Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region, Magway Region, northeastern Shan State, Nay Pyi Taw Council Area and Bago Region. One of the most severe consequences was a fire at Mandalay University's main hall, where completed exam answer sheets were being stored. The blaze destroyed a vast number of answer booklets, including 280,940 sheets from Mandalay Region, 43,827 from Sagaing Region, and 52,189 from Kachin State, affecting a total of 63,000 students.
To accommodate the affected students, education authorities arranged a complete retesting schedule. The exams began with Myanmar language on June 16, followed by English on June 17, Mathematics on June 18, Chemistry or Geography on June 19, Physics or History on June 20, and Biology or Economics on June 21.
