Iraq's higher education minister issues new rule for assessment-exam students

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Abdulhussein al-Musawi, announced on Monday a new decision affecting students who took part in assessment examinations. According to a written statement from the ministry, the measure was introduced to protect students' academic futures. It grants the heads of deans' committees for the departments covered by the assessment exams the authority to award a "processing score" in relevant courses, based on the statistics those committee heads themselves submitted. Medical faculties were excluded from the arrangement. The additional score will be capped at five points or the equivalent weight of the answer sheet (bubble sheet) for that exam, the ministry said. It added that the policy will be applied per course covered by the assessment exam, provided the passing requirement for the relevant subject is met, and will be implemented in a way that benefits the students.