The Ministry of Education has announced an extension for independent candidates wishing to register for the upcoming May/June A-Level examination session.

Following the expiration of the original March 12 deadline, the Department of Public Examinations (DPE) confirmed in a statement on Thursday that students now have until 12:00 a.m. on 29 March to complete their applications.

The May/June A-Level examination session is being held in the Maldives after a gap of five years. Prior to this, students who wished to sit for the exams privately during the May/June session were required to travel abroad, most commonly to Sri Lanka, leading to increased concerns over costs and accessibility. Some students had also petitioned for the exams to be conducted locally.

Students registering for the exams will be required to pay a fee of MVR 3,000, in addition to separate subject fees for each paper.

The Ministry of Education had earlier stated that reintroducing the May/June session locally was aimed at easing the financial burden on students and families, as the cost of travelling and staying abroad for the exams was estimated to average around MVR 30,000 per student.