Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke, Zimpapers Reporter
AT least 417 800 candidates are set to sit for the Grade Seven Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) examinations, which begin on September 22, with stringent measures in place to prevent exam paper leakages, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerai Moyo, has said.
“The entry at Grade Seven stands at 417 800 candidates. The Government has put in place all necessary mechanisms to ensure that this year’s examinations proceed smoothly and without any challenges. We want to give confidence to parents, pupils and stakeholders that we are ready.
“As far as Zimsec is concerned, we are more than ready. All the required equipment is already in place, and we want to ensure uninterrupted examinations,” said Minister Moyo.
Examination material for the Grade Seven exams — one of the most important academic milestones — will soon be distributed to all clusters across the country.
Measures to curb leakages include engagement and close co-ordination with key stakeholders involved in the examination paper delivery chain, paper setting, and distribution.
“The Council has put in place measures that have secured the examination process since 2023. These include outreach meetings with heads of centres through their professional associations (Nash and Naph). Working closely with the Ministry from district level right up to Head Office, Zimsec retains custody of question papers, which are only released on the morning of the examination.
“We are using cluster centres where trusted individuals safeguard the question papers until they are released to examination centres. The police and other security agencies are also involved in securing these clusters),” he said.
Minister Moyo emphasised that the era of examination paper leakages is now behind the nation.
“Since 2023, we have not experienced any exam leakages. We are currently working on the Zimbabwe School Examinations Amendment Bill, which will criminalise exam leakage. Anyone involved will face a custodial sentence — there will be no fines.
This year, we are expecting a pass rate of more than 55 percent, which is six percent higher than last year’s 49 percent,” he said.
Minister Moyo underscored that this firm stance marks a deliberate escalation in the fight against examination malpractice, shifting from administrative penalties to serious criminal consequences.
