Each year sees an increase in the number of governments imposing internet shutdowns during national school exams. Authorities will claim such restrictions are necessary to prevent cheating, but there’s no evidence that they are effective. What they do instead is violate people’s rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and participation in public life. and disrupt their livelihoods.
When authorities impose shutdowns during exams, they don’t just impact students; they disconnect millions of people. Businesses grind to a halt, workers miss out on income, and patients struggle to access care. The #NoExamShutdown campaign calls on governments around the world to end this practice once and for all, and to keep the internet open, secure, and free, during exams and beyond.
What happened last year?
In 2025, six countries in the Middle East and Africa continued this disproportionate, unlawful, and harmful practice, with 11 exam-related shutdowns reinforcing a dangerous normalization of shutdowns as a tool of control. In Iraq, authorities imposed multiple shutdowns during exam periods, while Algeria and Jordan continued their pattern of blocking messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. In Sudan, mobile internet was shut down nationwide during exams, putting people at even greater risk amid the country’s ongoing civil war.
COUNTRIES ON THE WATCH
iraq
Iraq consistently ranks at the top of the leaderboard when it comes to exam-related shutdowns. Since at least 2015, authorities have repeatedly cut internet connectivity during varying national exams spanning several weeks, and affecting millions of people repeatedly. This year, exams begin on 25 April for primary students and 26 April for intermediate students, while final exams are scheduled to start on 7 May and 9 May respectively.
Iraqi authorities must invest in evidence-based, proportionate, and rights-respecting measures to secure exams and uphold people’s right to stay connected, rather than simply pulling the plug.
algeria
Since 2016, on the dubious grounds that it prevents cheating, Algeria has normalized disrupting internet connectivity during the Baccalaureate exams that mark the end of high school. And every year, these shutdowns disrupt businesses, limit access to essential services, and silence nationwide communication nationwide.
During this year’s exams, the Brevet d’enseignement moyen (BEM, 19-21 May) and the Baccalaureat (BAC, 7-11 June), Algeria must finally adopt solutions that protect both exam integrity and fundamental rights.
SYRIA
Syria has a long history of imposing internet shutdowns during exams, often cutting mobile internet access for hours each day. Despite the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024, the country’s new leadership has continued this damaging practice, cutting off mobile telecommunications during 2025’s national school exams.
While this year’s exam dates have not yet been announced, exams in Syria usually take place between June and July.
Amid a continuingly shifting political landscape, this is another critical moment for the country’s new regime. Will Syria continue its legacy of digital repression, or instead pursue a path that respects people’s rights, by ending exam-related shutdowns?
jordan
Despite making progress in 2023, Jordanian authorities reversed course in 2024 and 2025 by blocking messaging applications during Tawjihi (General Secondary Certificate) exams; a harmful and disproportionate restriction. During this year’s Tawjihi exams from 25 June to 18 July, Jordan has another opportunity to get back on track. Blocking apps or restricting platforms is still a violation of rights, and we call on authorities to keep the internet fully accessible.
SUDAN
Students in Sudan are sitting exams amid the world’s worst health and humanitarian crisis. On 13 April, more than 564,000 students began sitting secondary school certificate exams across thousands of centres inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries. The exams run until 23 April, but hundreds of thousands of other students, particularly in areas outside government control, are unable to participate.
At a time when people rely on the internet for safety, information, and survival, Sudan’s authorities must break with their pattern of imposing shutdowns during exams, and ensure people remain connected during the upcoming exams.
KENYA
For the past three years, Kenya has blocked countrywide access to Telegram during national secondary school exams; a rights-restricting measure that is both disproportionate and unconstitutional. During this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, taking place between 19 October and 20 November, authorities must break with this pattern and ensure people stay connected, at all times.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
As another exam season approaches, so does the risk of millions being pushed offline. To help fight back, we need your stories. Let us know if you have been personally impacted by an exam-related blackout by using the form below.
Join Access Now, SMEX, the Internet Society, and our partners around the world in calling for governments to #KeepItOn and commit to #NoExamShutdown. Follow us for more information on how you can help end internet shutdowns.
