Harare Bureau
SCHOOLS and examination centres have until March 27, 2026 to register candidates for the November Zimsec Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has announced.
In a statement, the Ministry Director of Communications and Advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro, warned heads of centres to adhere strictly to registration requirements or face consequences.
“Heads of centres bear full responsibility for accurate candidate data submission,” Mr Ndoro said. “All centres must use the online registration system and ensure that every detail is correctly captured before the deadline.”
The ministry also outlined non-negotiable conditions for the upcoming examinations, which include that centres must register a minimum of 10 candidates at both Ordinary and Advanced Level, to be eligible.
On the other hand, private candidates are required to present valid identification documents, including a national ID, passport, driver’s licence, or certified birth certificate, while special needs candidates must have their requirements accurately indicated during registration.
Mr Ndoro said no results will be issued to candidates who fail to sit for all components of their registered subjects.
In a move to protect the integrity of the examinations, the ministry issued a stern warning against unethical practices.
“The Ministry warns against unethical practices such as registering school candidates as private candidates to manipulate pass rates,” Mr Ndoro said. “That is a breach of examination regulations and attracts serious consequences.”
The warning aims to crack down on centres that attempt to inflate their pass rates by hiding underperforming school candidates within private candidate statistics — a practice the ministry says is not tolerated.



