Achieving selfreliance, health and quality of life in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province communities

Learners in South Fly (CMCA) sit for the trial mock exams at the OTDF Tapila Field Base

Access to education in Western Province remains difficult for many students, due to geographical barriers.. vast distances, limited transport, and the remoteness of communities across the North, Middle, and South Fly often make regular school attendance difficult. Combined with economic pressures and limited access to learning resources, these challenges impact students’ preparedness and confidence when facing national examinations.

Recognising these challenges, the Ok Tedi Development Foundation Community Education Services (OTDF CES) introduced atrial mock examination, coaching, and tutorial support program from 18–29 May to better prepare learners for academic success.

Community Education Services Team Leader, Paul Umbe, said the initiative is designed to support Flexible Open and Distance Education (FODE) and Adult Matriculation learners by providing them with a practical examination experience.

“The aim this year is to build confidence among our learners by allowing them to sit for trial mock exams and provide the adequate coaching and tutorial support to better prepare the students to face the real exam challenge,” Mr Umbe said. “Many of our students as second chance learners desperately need support of such, but they do not always have the opportunity before, so this initiative helps bridge that gap.”

He explained that the mock exams and coaching  simulate real examination conditions, giving learners a clearer understanding of what to expect on exam day. This includes managing time, handling exam pressure, and familiarising themselves with the structure of exam questions.

The trial has been rolled out in May across all 11 Satellite Study Centres within the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) regions. While still in its pilot phase, early outcomes have been encouraging.

Initial observations show that many learners who participated in the mock exams and coaching demonstrated increased confidence and improved readiness for their final assessments. Teachers and CES staff have also noted better engagement during  coaching and tutorials  as students become more aware of their individual strengths and areas of improvement.

For many learners, the experience has been both eye-opening and motivating.

One student from Aiambak in the Middle Fly shared that participating in the mock examination and receiving the coaching support helped ease their anxiety about the unknown. “Before, I was very nervous because I did not know what the exam would be like. After doing the mock exam, I now understand how to prepare and manage my time better,” the student said.

Another learner in Tapila, South Fly highlighted the value of practice, saying, “The trial exam and coaching showed me where I need to improve. I feel more confident now going into the real exam.”

Mr Umbe emphasised that while the activity is currently a trial, it has the potential to become an important part of CES support programs in the future.

“As this is still a pilot, we encourage all learners to connect with OTDF CES staff to find out their mock exam and coaching schedules. These sessions are designed to complement the classroom tutoring already provided and to give learners the best possible chance of success,” he said.

The initiative reflects OTDF’s ongoing commitment to improving education outcomes in the CMCA region by addressing not only access to learning, but also the quality of preparation and student confidence.