After the results of the graduation exam held on March 9 were announced, it became clear that although in previous years, those who scored high results were mainly girls, this year the situation is different. Of course, it is possible that girls will again dominate in the next graduation exams, but the current picture is as follows.
Could this change be related to the improvement in boys' educational performance?
Education expert Mazahir Mammadli, who gave a statement to AzEdu.az on this matter, noted that the difficulty of the questions in the current exams created certain difficulties for both boys and girls:
“Unfortunately, the forecasts made in advance regarding the exams held on March 9 came true. It was expected that the exams would be difficult and the results would drop - as we saw, this was the case. For your information, all three applicants who showed the highest results are from Baku city and the surrounding regions of Baku.
We have repeatedly noted that the State Examination Center has special preparation materials. Students who cannot use these materials, or whose preparation opportunities are limited, naturally cannot show high results. In 2023, there were almost no high results across the regions. In 2024, 55 people, and in 2025, 45 people showed high results, and most of them were girls."
Opportunities for admission to higher education in Azerbaijan are not decreasing, on the contrary, they are increasing year by year:
"This was mainly due to the fact that the questions compiled in 2024-2025 were more in line with curriculum standards. That is, the results in the graduation exams largely depended on this alignment. However, the difficulty of the questions in the current exams created certain difficulties for both boys and girls.
For this reason, I believe that the main issue here is not the difference between boys and girls. Preparation opportunities play a greater role. Those who were able to obtain these materials, attended courses, prepared with tutors, and practiced according to the exam model, showed better results.
Let's hope that we will encounter a more positive picture in the block exams and that this process will be less stressful for applicants and parents. In general, it seems that opportunities for admission to higher education in Azerbaijan are not decreasing, on the contrary, they are increasing year by year. In this regard, the vast majority of applicants aiming for higher education have a chance to become students.
The only issue is that it may not be possible for everyone to score very high points compared to previous years. If the results are low, it is likely that there will be certain decreases in the passing scores, which may make it possible for applicants with lower scores to be admitted to higher education.”
