Benin – 73.02% success rate in Baccalaureate 2025: A “political” rate or an overly “easy” baccalaureate?

Never since the creation of the national exam had Benin crossed the 70% pass-rate threshold. The previous record dated back to 1971, with 63.2% of candidates passing, a level only narrowly surpassed in 2021 (64.42%). The 2025 figure of 73.02% therefore shatters these benchmarks and sets a new high. For comparison, the national pass rate often fluctuated between 20% and 45% from 1990 to 2010, with a historic low of just 8.13% in 1983 during a serious crisis in the education system. During the 2010s, the pass rate remained relatively modest (often below 40%), aside from a few peaks (46% in 2005, 42% in 2017) followed by declines.

What stands out above all is the shift seen since 2018-2019, when the rate jumped abruptly from around 33% to over 50%. This trend was subsequently confirmed, with 64.42% passing in 2021 (a first record in 50 years), followed by a few fluctuations linked to the difficulty of the exams or the context (59% in 2022, 56.93% in 2024). The year 2025 therefore marks a spectacular rise of more than 16 points compared to 2024 (56.93%), reflecting unprecedented progress over such a short period. In 2025, out of 78,537 candidates who actually sat the exam, 57,349 were declared successful, compared to around 44,700 the previous year. The exceptional nature of this performance is unanimously recognized – what remains is to explain its causes.

Real performance or a “political” rate?

Faced with this spectacular jump in the pass rate, one question is on many lips. Does this performance solely reflect a genuine improvement in the academic level, or was it facilitated by “political” choices aimed at showcasing good results? In other words, was the 2025 Baccalaureate simply easier? Opinions differ.

On the government and education officials’ side, the message is unambiguous. This success is, above all, the result of hard work by all those involved (students, teachers, supervisors) as part of the reforms under way, and in no way the result of lowered standards. They highlight merit and the effort put in. The Director of the Baccalaureate Office publicly congratulated the system’s stakeholders as well as the Head of State for these “exceptional and unprecedented” results, stressing that “with perseverance and rigor in one’s work, great things can be achieved.”

However, some observers suggest that the 2025 exam may have been more accessible than usual. According to an education-system insider interviewed by the daily Fraternité, “the absence of strikes, better supervision, [the] increased accountability of teachers, and exam papers calibrated for the average candidate” were all factors that could explain this record rate. This remark suggests that the 2025 Baccalaureate subjects may have been tailored to a reasonable average level, without trick questions or disproportionate demands, so that a well-prepared student would have a good chance of passing. In other words, an overly elitist exam may have been avoided in favor of an assessment more in line with students’ general level. If that is the case, this choice can be seen from two angles. On one hand, it gives more students their due and reflects the collective effort made over the years; on the other, it could be interpreted as a way to artificially inflate the pass rate for political or image-related reasons.

However, without a detailed analysis of the exam papers and grades, it is difficult to settle this question. The fact that all of the 2025 national exams (CEP, BEPC, Baccalaureate) saw notable increases could support the idea of an overall improvement in the system – or that of guidelines that encouraged a degree of leniency in grading. Note, for instance, that the BEPC (the certificate marking the end of lower secondary school) exceeded a 77% pass rate this year, also a very high score. The rise in the Baccalaureate pass rate would therefore fit into an underlying trend that began in 2018.

The progress has therefore unfolded over several years (50%, then 64%, and so on), suggesting that the 2025 class is not just an isolated occurrence but the culmination of a steady rise. In that sense, it seems reductive to view the 73% figure as merely the result of a one-off bout of leniency; it is also, and above all, a reflection of deep-seated changes.

The impact of the end of strikes

Several observers agree that the end of repeated teacher strikes has greatly contributed to this success. Indeed, before 2018, work stoppages in secondary education were frequent, heavily disrupting the running of classes and students’ level. Faced with this situation, President Patrice Talon’s government introduced a law in 2018 to strictly regulate the right to strike in education. Law No. 2018-34 of October 5, 2018, in particular, was rigorously enforced, which has ensured an almost total continuity of teaching activities ever since.

The 2025 Baccalaureate results therefore appear to be the consequence of this restored stability. The class that sat the Baccalaureate this year is the first to have gone through its entire secondary schooling without a single strike, from the equivalent of 6th grade through to the final year. In other words, for seven consecutive years, no class was cancelled because of a strike, something unheard of in decades. This stability in the school calendar allowed teachers to complete the planned curricula and students to benefit from nine full months of learning each year, without major interruption. Such conditions were “essential to students’ preparation,” notes one education-system insider, and stand in sharp contrast with previous years, when accumulated delays and uncovered chapters could handicap candidates on exam day.

In other words, the instructional continuity secured since 2018 has likely improved students’ level of preparation. Notably, from the 2019 Baccalaureate session onward (the first full year after the anti-strike law), the national pass rate made a marked leap (to around 50%, up from 33% the previous year). This 2025 cohort, which experienced no “blank” year nor any disrupted calendar, was able to approach the final exam under the best possible conditions of calm and complete coverage of the curriculum. The end of strikes thus appears to be a decisive factor in the current progress.

Education reforms and investment

Beyond the question of strikes, the Beninese government has also undertaken major structural reforms of the education system since 2016, the effects of which are now starting to be felt in teaching quality and exam performance. The Director of the Baccalaureate Office himself attributes these exceptional results to “the fruits of the reforms carried out in the education system” in recent years. Several concrete measures, focused on rigor and innovation, have been rolled out to improve student supervision and accountability among stakeholders.

Digital attendance tracking: The introduction of the electronic platform “Educmaster” has revolutionized the daily monitoring of school activities. This online system makes it possible to track unjustified absences and lateness among both teachers and students, and to make the management of grades and report cards more reliable. It thus brings “unprecedented transparency and precision to school management,” ensuring that everyone is present and on time in class.

Teacher accountability: Education authorities now have tools to assess each teacher’s performance in detail. Results- and progress-based indicators have been introduced, allowing for a fair evaluation of work accomplished and targeted support for teachers facing difficulties. This accountability-focused approach has helped improve the quality of classroom teaching, with every teacher aware that their work is monitored and supported when needed.

Strengthened academic support: Aware of the gaps that had built up for some students, the State has invested, alongside municipalities and local political stakeholders, in subsidizing additional tutorial sessions (Travaux Dirigés, or TD). These free extra classes, held outside normal school hours, give learners additional opportunities for review and deeper study. They have helped close gaps and better prepare candidates by reinforcing what they had learned before the exam.

Support for the most vulnerable students: Particular attention has been paid to keeping girls in the school system through to the Baccalaureate. The government has set up a mechanism to combat harassment and sexual abuse in schools, which has drastically reduced the cases of early pregnancy and dropout that used to hurt girls’ schooling. At the same time, programs such as the regional SWEDD project (“Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend”) have provided school kits and financial assistance to girl students, to remove socio-economic barriers to their success. These measures have no doubt contributed to better school persistence among girls, and more broadly to equal opportunity in the exam.

These performances should also be placed within a socio-economic context that is generally more favorable than in the past. Since the current government took office, education has been made a national priority. “Educational excellence [has been] one of the pillars of President Patrice Talon’s action since 2016,” in the conviction that training a competent younger generation is a condition for the country’s development. This political will has translated into significant budgetary choices. For example, in the Beninese State’s 2025 budget, 42% of resources are allocated to social sectors, particularly health and education, a sign of a clearly stated priority to reduce inequality and modernize essential infrastructure. Concrete projects, such as the expansion of school canteens (which now cover 75% of public primary schools) or the construction of educational facilities, are gradually improving learning conditions across the whole country.

On the social front, there is a greater awareness among families of the importance of schooling. The secondary-school enrollment rate has risen over time, and more and more students are continuing their studies through to the Baccalaureate, including in regions and communities that previously saw earlier dropout. The country’s political stability in recent years, combined with moderate economic growth, has helped create an environment conducive to studying — that is, fewer strikes (as seen above), fewer disruptive social crises, and greater community support around schools.

Of course, these socio-economic factors are more diffuse and harder to quantify. But it is reasonable to think that a slowly improving standard of living and social programs (school transport in certain localities, textbook distribution, etc.) have helped reduce certain material barriers to academic success. Students in 2025, for instance, are the first generation to have had widespread access to digital resources (online courses, educational forums) thanks to the rise of the Internet and mobile phones, which may have helped them better prepare for the Baccalaureate. In other words, today’s socio-economic environment – without being idyllic – no doubt offers more advantages for academic success than it did 20 or 30 years ago.

Regional disparities despite the overall rise

Despite the very good national result, a closer look at the figures reveals that not all areas of the country benefited equally. Significant disparities in pass rates still exist between Benin’s departments. In 2025, while the south and west of the country top the rankings, the north recorded lower rates (although these too are improving). According to official data from the Baccalaureate Office, the Atlantique department posted the best rate with 78.13% passing, closely followed by Couffo (77.95%), Mono (76%), Zou (75.38%) and Littoral (73.47%). At the other end of the scale, the north lags behind, with Alibori bringing up the rear at 60.55%, narrowly preceded by Atacora (65.54%) and Donga (65.57%). Most of the central and northern departments (Borgou, Plateau, Ouémé, Collines) sit around 70%, in line with the national average.

These gaps – nearly 18 points between the best- and worst-performing departments – “highlight the importance of local teaching conditions and the resources available to students,” as some education specialists already noted last year. Indeed, the departments in the south (more urbanized) generally benefit from better school infrastructure, more stable teaching staff (qualified teachers being more numerous in large urban centers), and a higher average standard of living among families. Conversely, the rural and landlocked regions of the north have long accumulated handicaps such as a shortage of specialized teachers, schools that are farther away or less well equipped, and a more precarious socio-economic context that can affect schooling (child labor, early marriage, etc.). Although the State is working to reduce these regional inequalities, notably through social programs and the allocation of additional resources to disadvantaged areas, the gap has not yet been fully closed.

It should be noted, however, that even the weakest-performing departments in 2025 (around 60–65% passing) achieve rates well above the national average of just a few years ago. This means that all regions have seen their results improve, albeit at different paces. Alibori at 60%, for instance, still trails Atlantique at 78%, but it stood at only around 40% just a few years earlier — a significant leap forward.