Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has moved into the final stage of preparations for this year’s Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations, with question papers and stationery already being distributed to cluster centres ahead of the October 12 start.
This year’s public examination season will see 386 211 candidates sit for the two examinations at more than 3 500 centres across the country.
Zimsec public relations manager Mrs Nicky Dhlamini said the examination body was ready for the start of the exams, with the distribution of examination materials already under way.
“Zimsec is fully prepared for the start of the examinations. Question papers and stationery are already being distributed to the cluster centres, ready for collection by centres,” she said.
The O and A-Level examinations begin on October 12, following the Grade Seven examinations, which started on September 21.
A total of 345 368 candidates are expected to sit for O-Level examinations at 2 616 centres, while 40 843 candidates will write A-Level at 925 centres.
Mrs Dhlamini said security and examination integrity remained a priority for Zimsec and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
She said the collaboration had resulted in tighter procedures covering the entire examination chain, from the printing and packaging of question papers to their distribution and eventual sitting by candidates.
“From printing to distribution and eventually the sitting of examinations is closely monitored by security and loss-control teams,” she said.
This year’s security system is not dependent on simply preventing exam paper leaks.
Where premature access to examination material occurs, Zimsec says the security features embedded in the papers can help investigators establish the centre to which the affected papers were originally sent.
This allows investigations to be narrowed down to the relevant point in the distribution chain rather than casting suspicion over large numbers of schools or candidates.
“In close collaboration with State and private agencies, Zimsec can identify and punish only the guilty without prejudicing the innocent candidates,” Mrs Dhlamini said.
Technological improvements in the printing and packaging of examination materials have also strengthened the system.
The security features incorporated into question papers enable Zimsec to identify the specific centre to which papers are destined, while personalised answer sheets are intended to address the illicit use of foreign scripts brought into examination rooms.
Mrs Dhlamini urged anyone with information on possible breaches to use Zimsec’s Axcentium anonymous tip-off platform or report the matter to the nearest Zimsec office.
“As the people of the nation of Zimbabwe, it is in our best interest to maintain the integrity and credibility of the examinations,” she said.
