Exam Leakages Eliminated: ZIMSEC Security Measures Revealed
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has assured Zimbabweans that the upcoming Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examinations will be secure and free from paper leakages.
As schools prepare to reopen for the third term next week, Grade 7 candidates are expected to begin their examinations in September, followed by Ordinary and Advanced Level students later in the term.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr. Torerai Moyo stated that the government has implemented robust security measures to safeguard the integrity of the 2025 ZIMSEC examinations, which are scheduled to begin this month.
“I am one hundred percent confident that there will not be any leakages because everything is set.
“We have put systems in place to deal decisively with anyone who might wish or attempt to compromise the process,” he said.
Minister Moyo highlighted that there have been no major breaches in the past two years, with the last recorded incident occurring in 2022 when a teacher in Matabeleland South was implicated.
“Examination leakage is now a thing of the past. We have serialised all our examination scripts so that if any breach occurs, our software can detect and trace its origin,” he said.
According to The Herald, the Ministry is also addressing impersonation, which continues to be a concern during national examinations.
Minister Moyo warned that offenders will face jail time, reinforcing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice.
In a move to further strengthen examination integrity, Parliament has gazetted the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Amendment Bill.
Once enacted, the legislation will introduce tougher penalties for candidates and institutions found guilty of cheating or facilitating irregularities.
Individuals convicted of malpractice could face up to five years in prison.
Institutions found guilty of widespread breaches will be deregistered and required to cover the costs of providing alternative examination centres.
Schools where at least fifty percent of the candidates violate examination procedures will be suspended and held financially responsible for relocating affected students.
Minister Moyo stated that the bill is intended to provide a lasting solution to examination fraud and to restore public confidence in the ZIMSEC system.
“We are committed to protecting students and ensuring that the credibility of our examinations is upheld.”
