Remember Deketeke
More than 400 000 candidates will sit the 2026 Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations at over 3 500 centres from October 12, with authorities tightening security and contingency measures to ensure a smooth and credible examination session nationwide, Primary and Secondary Education Ministry spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro has said.
The assurance comes as final readiness checks are being conducted across examination centres, with authorities assessing infrastructure, staffing, security of examination materials, logistics and the welfare of candidates.
Mr Ndoro said preparations are sufficiently advanced for the examinations to begin on schedule.
“We are satisfied that preparations are sufficiently advanced for the examinations to commence on 12 October,” he said.
“However, readiness is not something we treat as a single event. It is a process that continues right up to the examination period.”
The ministry has been working with the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC), provincial and district education offices, school heads and other stakeholders to ensure all centres are ready.
Mr Ndoro said the final assessments covered classrooms and furniture, lighting and electricity, water and sanitation, security of examination materials, accessibility for candidates with disabilities, staffing and the availability of examination officials.
“Where individual centres have operational gaps, these are being identified through the provincial and district structures and addressed through contingency arrangements,” he said.
“Our approach is very clear – no avoidable infrastructure or operational challenge should be allowed to prevent a properly registered candidate from writing an examination.”
The candidates have been preparing through the normal curriculum programme, internal assessments, revision programmes and other examination-preparation activities.
Mr Ndoro said schools were being encouraged to make maximum use of the remaining instructional time.
“Schools have been encouraged to maximise the remaining instructional time, conduct targeted revision and provide additional support to learners who require it,” he said.
He acknowledged that candidates had not all prepared under identical circumstances, with some schools and communities facing challenges with learning materials, staffing and interruptions to learning.
“Examination administration must remain fair, while the broader education system continues to address inequalities in learning opportunities,” he said.
Meanwhile, examination security has been strengthened, with ZIMSEC introducing traceable question papers and personalised answer sheets for this year’s examinations.
Mr Ndoro said the measures will strengthen controls throughout the examination process.
“The traceability feature allows a question paper to be associated with the centre to which it was allocated, while personalised answer sheets strengthen controls against script substitution or the introduction of outside scripts,” he said.
“These safeguards cover the examination chain from printing and packaging through distribution, storage and use.”
He said examination materials will be subject to controlled procedures involving ZIMSEC, the ministry, examination officials, school heads and security agencies.
“Examination security is one of the ministry’s highest priorities,” said Mr Ndoro.
“There will be no tolerance for leakage, impersonation, cheating, collusion, unauthorised materials or any attempt to compromise the integrity of the examinations.”
Staffing of examination centres is also being monitored, with ZIMSEC and the ministry planning the deployment of invigilators, supervisors, monitors and other personnel required to administer the examinations.
“Where a centre encounters a staffing or operational problem, the provincial and district education structures are expected to intervene and make the necessary adjustments,” Mr Ndoro said.
Authorities are also preparing for potential disruptions, including logistical delays, electricity and communication challenges, transport problems, weather emergencies, inadequate staffing and attempts to compromise examination security.
“We are looking at the examination process from the perspective of risk prevention rather than simply responding after something has gone wrong,” Mr Ndoro said.
He said the ultimate objective is to ensure fairness for candidates regardless of where they are sitting for their examinations.
“Our responsibility is not merely to open examination rooms on 12 October. Our responsibility is to protect the integrity of the entire examination process,” he said.
“That means ensuring the candidate in Harare and the candidate in Chivi, the candidate in an urban school and the candidate in a remote rural centre, are all presented with the same examination paper under conditions that are as fair and comparable as reasonably possible.”
Mr Ndoro urged candidates to remain focused on their studies while parents and guardians provide support and teachers and examination officials uphold their professional responsibilities.
“The examinations belong to the candidates and the nation. Every stakeholder has a responsibility to ensure that they are conducted with integrity, fairness and credibility,” he said.
