The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) released the 2026 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, showing English Language as the weakest-performing subject. Only 50.50 percent of candidates passed English Language, while Science and Technology recorded a pass rate of 80.34 percent, down from 84.43 percent last year.
According to Necta Executive Secretary, Prof Said Mohamed, performance in English Language improved marginally compared with 2025, with a pass rate increase of 0.39 percentage points. However, nearly half of the candidates failed to attain a passing grade in the subject. The quality of passes also remained relatively low, with only 22.56 percent of candidates obtaining grades A and B.
Science and Technology presented a more worrying picture, with its pass rate declining by 4.09 percentage points. The decline was more pronounced among candidates attaining higher grades, with those obtaining grades A and B dropping from 48.14 percent in 2025 to 33.60 percent this year. The proportion of candidates securing grade A also fell sharply, from 17.23 percent to 4.69 percent.
In contrast, Mathematics recorded encouraging progress, with the pass rate increasing by 5.90 percentage points to 62.56 percent, from 56.66 percent last year. The improvement was also reflected in higher grades, with the proportion of candidates obtaining grades A and B rising from 21.92 percent to 32.47 percent.
Kiswahili continued to record the strongest performance, with 93.13 percent of candidates passing, an increase of 5.56 percentage points from 87.57 percent in 2025. The quality of passes also improved significantly, with candidates obtaining grades A and B rising from 59.65 percent to 73.81 percent. Civics and Moral Education recorded the second-highest pass rate at 90.12 percent, up from 86.37 percent last year.
The results also reveal differences between boys and girls across several subjects. Girls performed slightly better than boys in English Language and Kiswahili. However, boys performed better in Mathematics and Science and Technology. Overall, 970,876 candidates, equivalent to 85.22 percent of those who received examination results, passed the 2026 examination, compared with 81.80 percent in 2025.
Necta withheld the results of 371 candidates who fell ill and were unable to sit a substantial number of subjects or the entire examination. The council also cancelled the results of 31 candidates, including 26 found to have engaged in examination malpractice and five who wrote abusive language in their examination scripts.
Key points
- English Language remains the weakest-performing subject among Standard Seven candidates.
- Science and Technology recorded a notable decline in both pass rates and the quality of passes.
- Overall, 85.22 percent of candidates passed the 2026 Primary School Leaving Examination.
