The Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination is the final examination at secondary school level in Malawi. The examination is written by students who are completing the fourth year of secondary school. Students who pass this examination qualify for selection into public and private colleges and universities or get absorbed into the job market.

Candidates who pass this examination are also awarded with a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).

Conditions for the award of MSCE

Candidates are awarded the MSCE if they satisfy one of the following conditions:

Either

Obtaining a pass in six subjects, including English, with at least one distinction/ credit

Or

Obtaining a pass in five subjects, including English, with at least three distinctions/ credits

These conditions could be satisfied in two ways:

 

a) Single – Examination sitting

This is the most common way of obtaining a certificate. A candidate satisfies either of the conditions as stated above in a single examination sitting.

Such certificates are automatically produced for all successful candidates for free and are sent to candidates’ respective secondary schools, where they registered for the examination, from where they are be collected by the candidates themselves.

 

    b) Multiple – Examination sitting

 This occurs when a candidate who fails to satisfy either of the conditions stated above in a single examination sitting. The candidate, therefore, sits examinations in not more than four consecutive years, of the same curriculum, to qualify for the award of certificate. This is called certificate by accumulation since the grades on this type of certificate are accumulated from various examination sittings. The certificate indicates the year the accumulated grades were obtained.

Candidates falling in this category are required to formally apply to MANEB for production of certificate by accumulation by giving all their examination details. Processing fee for the certificate by accumulation is currently K30,000.00

Aggregation of points

This is based on the best six performed subjects (including English if it is among the best or Excluding English if passed but not among the best six)