Behind every grade, BEC handle errors, review and appeals
The Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) has defended its assessment and quality assurance systems amid mounting concerns from parents, educators and stakeholders over examination marking, grade reviews and the impact of remarking outcomes on students’ futures.
Chief Executive Officer David Thobega said significant grade improvements after remarking should not be seen as evidence of systemic failure but as proof that quality assurance mechanisms are working.
“A candidate moving from a D to an A after remarking is not something new; it has happened before and continues to happen. In some cases, the issue may not even be the marking itself but an error in capturing marks into the system. That is precisely why quality assurance mechanisms and the review process exist,” he explained.
Thobega acknowledged public unease, noting that assessment is a way of measuring educational attainment or a learner’s level of understanding.
“Because this is not a physical characteristic that can be measured directly, societies rely on agreed standards and conventions. These standards evolve and require continuous monitoring and quality control.”
Concerns have persisted over the credibility of results, particularly for learners unable to afford remarking fees, and over delays that sometimes clash with university admission deadlines.
Thobega admitted: “There is a possibility that certain candidates experienced disadvantages because of the timelines; it is an issue we continue to monitor and engage stakeholders on.”
He stressed that assessment is inherently complex, requiring safeguards across the examination chain—from question setting to marking and grading.
“However, because assessment involves human beings, there is always the possibility of human error. No organisation can honestly claim that errors can never occur,” he said.
Thobega also addressed perceptions of manipulated grading, noting that the Council shifted from norm-referenced to standards-based grading in 2012.
“In a norm-referenced system, candidates compete against one another, but in a standards-based system, the focus is on whether the learner has demonstrated the required competencies. If every candidate meets the standard for an A, then every candidate can receive an A.”
He dismissed claims of examiner incompetence, saying that teachers assess learners every day through classroom tests, assignments and school-based assessments. “What BEC does is provide specialised training and standardisation for national examinations,” he said.
Despite defending its systems, Thobega admitted financial constraints remain a major challenge.
“The financial environment remains challenging. For several years, government allocations have been declining while our responsibilities continue to expand,” he said.
Nevertheless, he insisted the Council’s mission remains unchanged: “Our responsibility is to provide assessment outcomes that accurately reflect learner achievement. That commitment remains at the centre of everything we do.”