Government declares ZIMSEC mandatory for all schools from 2027
THE era of parallel examination systems in Zimbabwe is drawing to a close. Beginning in 2027, every learner in the country will be required to sit for Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) exams, placing public schools, private colleges, and trust schools under one national assessment roof for the first time. The announcement was made in […] The post Government declares ZIMSEC mandatory for all schools from 2027 appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
THE era of parallel examination systems in Zimbabwe is drawing to a close. Beginning in 2027, every learner in the country will be required to sit for Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) exams, placing public schools, private colleges, and trust schools under one national assessment roof for the first time.
The announcement was made in the Senate on May 1, 2026, by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo, who framed the policy as both constitutional and overdue.
“Starting in 2027, all the schools in this country are going to offer one examination, Zimbabwe School Examination Council. It will be mandatory for all the schools in Zimbabwe, according to the law,” he said.
“The Constitution says there must be one curriculum, and that curriculum must be examined by ZIMSEC.”
For decades, many of Zimbabwe’s elite private schools have prepared students exclusively for Cambridge Assessment International Education, treating ZIMSEC as optional or irrelevant. That choice will soon disappear.
While the ministry is not banning Cambridge outright, Moyo was clear that it becomes secondary. Schools that still wish to offer Cambridge will have to apply for permission and demonstrate how their learners can manage both syllabi without compromising performance.
“If they think their students are bright, are intelligent enough, they can offer both Cambridge and ZIMSEC, but they must justify how they are going to achieve it,” he told Senators.
The policy is intended to end what the minister called a “two-tier system” in which national qualifications were perceived as inferior to international ones. He pointed to England itself, where Cambridge is no longer the dominant domestic board, as proof that sovereign countries set their own assessment standards. The move dovetails with government’s Heritage-Based Curriculum and Vision 2030, which seek to align education with national development goals and cultural identity.
Reactions have been swift. Proponents argue the reform restores dignity to ZIMSEC and ensures every Zimbabwean child is measured by the same yardstick, regardless of school fees. Critics warn that ZIMSEC’s credibility issues — from past paper leaks to delayed results — could penalise students applying to foreign universities, and question whether the State should dictate examination choice.
The ministry acknowledges the concerns but insists reform is non-negotiable. ZIMSEC has been directed to strengthen security, digitise marking, and clear result backlogs before 2027. Schools have 18 months to align teaching plans, train staff, and communicate changes to parents. After that, compliance will not be optional.
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