The Bignona department is fully prepared for the 2026 Primary School Leaving Certificate (CFEE) exams. A total of 7,722 candidates, including 3,844 boys and 3,878 girls, will sit the exams, distributed across 74 examination centers. To supervise the exams, 644 invigilators, 258 secretaries, and 872 examiners have been mobilized.

But one challenge remains: 299 candidates from IEF Bignona 1 do not have a birth certificate; a situation that requires quick solutions to guarantee their participation.

Authorities, elected officials, teachers, unions, and parents were involved in the practical arrangements for the smooth running of the exams. Law enforcement agencies pledged to ensure the protection of the exam centers and the exams themselves.

A major change marks this session: the entrance exam for 6th grade has been eliminated. Progression to 6th grade will now follow new procedures.

The CFEE will take place entirely in the centers, from the administration of the tests to the correction and the deliberation, like the BFM and the baccalaureate.

For Boubacar Konaté, inspector of the Bignona 1 IEF (Inspectorate of Education and Training), this reform requires meticulous preparation: “We have raised awareness among teachers and communities whose schools are examination centers so that they prepare not only the infrastructure, but also the community for these new procedures. The department is fully prepared thanks to the commitments of the authorities and department heads.”

He also noted that the trend observed this year confirms the progress of girls, who now outnumber boys among the candidates, a result of policies promoting girls' education.

At IEF 2, the same measures are in place. Inspector Jean-Jacques Diadhiou reassures everyone of the commitment of those involved to successfully complete the organization, despite island centers and some areas that are still difficult to access.

In Bignona as elsewhere, the 2026 CFEE session is shaping up to be a full-scale test of the new procedures for transitioning to 6th grade.