Ethiopia’s EUEE pass rates have plummeted from 55% in 2021 to 5.4% in 2024, reflecting systemic issues in secondary education quality, exacerbated by curriculum flaws, inadequate teacher training, socioeconomic barriers, and regional conflicts. This study aimed to investigate the causes of the decline and propose solutions to enhance educational outcomes and equity. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting data from 400 students, 100 teachers, 20 administrators, and 5 MoE officials across five regions using questionnaires, interviews, and FGDs. Secondary data on pass rates and resources were analyzed. Quantitative data were processed with SPSS, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis using NVivo. The competency-based curriculum is misaligned with the EUEE, with only 18% of students feeling prepared due to textbook errors. Only 25% of teachers are trained, and rural schools lack resources (UNICEF, 2023). Socioeconomic hardships and conflicts in Amhara and Tigray disrupt preparation, with 70% of students citing economic barriers (Human Rights Watch, 2023). Only 12% access remedial programs, leaving 94.6% of failures unsupported (MoE, 2023). Centralized exam design ignores regional contexts, contributing to low pass rates (Assefa & Desta, 2021). Systemic misalignments and inequities drive the EUEE decline, threatening SDG 4 goals. Revise curriculum, enhance teacher training, allocate resources equitably, establish remedial programs, decentralize exam design, strengthen monitoring, and engage communities.