Botswana Examination Council


Botswana Examinations Council are a provider of national qualifications, offering examinations and qualifications to schools of Botswana.

Qualifications

BEC provides Key Stage examinations for primary and secondary schools across Botswana. It offers Primary School Leaving Examination, Junior Certificate Examination and Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education.

Primary programme

Botswana Examinations Council offers a primary programme of 7 years, providing curriculum support for affiliated primary schools.

Curriculum

Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)

Junior Certificate Examination (JCE)

Grading

The pass grades for JCE are, from highest to lowest, A*, A, B, C, D, E and U. The maximum aggregate is 63.

Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE)

Grading

The pass grades for BGCSE are, from highest to lowest, A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and U. The process to decide these grades involves the uniform mark scheme. Achieving less than 29% results in a U. The maximum points a student can get is 48 points by six subjects. The table below shows the general grading system which is used when grading students in senior secondary which may be changed by BEC due to standardization.
GradePercentage Points
A*85 - 1008
A75 - 848
B65 - 747
C55 - 646
D45 - 545
E40 - 444
F35 - 393
G30 - 342
U0 - 290

Studying

The number of exams taken by students can vary. A typical route is to study eight+ subjects including core subjects. Five is usually the minimum number of credits required for university entrance, with some universities specifying the need for six subjects that are all C+. There is no limit set on the number of subjects one can study, and a number of students take 9 or more subjects.

Subjects offered

A wide variety of subjects are offered at O-level by the Botswana Examinations Council. This table shows the majority of subjects which are consistently available for study.
SubjectCoreOptional
Accounting
Additional Mathematics
Agriculture
Art
Biology
Business Studies
Chemistry
Commerce
Computer Studies
Design & Technology
English Language
English Literature
Fashion & Fabrics
French
Food & Nutrition
Geography
History
Home Management
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Physics
Religious Education
Science Double Award
Setswana
Statistics