A student from Kabul province has topped this year’s national university entrance exam, officially known as Kankor, attended only by men as women were banned by the Taliban.
The Taliban-controlled National Examination Authority (NEA) announced the results Sunday, July 21, declaring Atal Khan Rahimzoi, a high school graduate from the capital’s Habibia High School, as the top scorer.
Atal Khan scored 359/360 followed by Sayed Hamed Hashimi from northern Balkh province scoring 357.71 and Shafiullah Nezami from southwestern Farah province scoring 357.25.
While the two top scorers are set to major in medical sciences at Kabul University, Shafiullah will be attending the Faculty of Medicine at Herat University.
This year’s national university exam was conducted in five phases.
In July last year, the Taliban’s head of NEA announced that Kankor would be held in three categories: medical, social, and scientific sciences.
More than 200,000 applicants take the nationwide Kankor exam each year, but no female high school graduates were allowed to take this year’s Kankor. Female students were also disallowed to take the exam last year.
Before the Taliban seizure of power in August 2021, female test takers scored highest in the national university entrance exam for two consecutive years.
The regime has since effectively banned girls’ education above sixth grade and barred women from attending universities. Taliban has also severely restricted women’s rights to employment, mobility, appearance, and other basic freedoms.
Despite international condemnation and pressure, the Taliban authorities have shown no sign of lifting these bans.
