An Analysis of Success Rates of Candidates with Hearing Impairment in the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Examinations (2020–2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58197/vfqnd074Keywords:
hearing impairment, GCE O-Level, candidate success rates, inclusive education, Cameroon, high-stakes examinations, special needs educationAbstract
The academic performance of learners with disabilities in high-stakes examinations is a major concern for inclusive education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where many barriers make learning harder for these students. This study looked at the candidate-level success rates of hearing-impaired candidates in the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) examinations from 2020 to 2025. Using secondary data from the Cameroon General Certificate Education Board, the study examined the examination records of all twenty-nine hearing-impaired candidates who sat the exam during this period. A candidate was counted as successful if they obtained at least four subject passes at grades A, B, or C. The results showed a low overall success rate of 34.48%, with yearly rates ranging from 20.00% to 75.00%. English Language had the lowest pass rate of all subjects, at zero percent across all six years, followed by History (0.00%), Citizenship Education (13.79%), and Geography (20.00%). English Language, Citizenship Education, Geography, and Food and Nutrition were identified as the subjects most closely linked to low candidate success. These findings point to a need for closer attention to teaching methods, examination accommodations, and curriculum support for hearing-impaired candidates. However, this study did not test any intervention, so it cannot show which measures would improve outcomes; the suggestions offered are possible directions for future policy and practice, not conclusions demonstrated by the data.
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