The first day of the Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate) summer session went smoothly, except for “minor” incidents that did not disrupt the course of the exam, according to the Ministry of Education.

Some 91,000 students headed to designated halls on Saturday to sit for the first exam, which tested their computer skills.

The exam is decisive for students and their families as it is the only criteria used for university admissions.

A total of 138,907 students, 66,455 of them girls, have registered for the session, up from 130,710 students who registered last year.

Of the total, 118,253 students are registered in the academic streams — literary, scientific, Sharia, IT and health education — while the rest are in vocational streams.

“The number of regular students who are scheduled to sit for the exam totals 97,744, while the number of private schooling students stands at 41,163,” ministry spokesperson Ayman Barakat told The Jordan Times over the phone on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Fayez Saudi toured several schools in Amman, stressing the ministry’s commitment to provide necessary facilities to ensure equality among students, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The minister listened to several students, who voiced their relief over the level of the questions and the timing of the exam, according to Petra.

There are 1,681 halls designated for the exam, including one in Tunis.

The summer session will end on July 10.