LEARNERS currently in Form Three and Lower Six under the Cambridge curriculum will sit ZIMSEC examinations in 2027 under a Government directive making ZIMSEC the sole national examinations body.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education clarified the position on 5 May 2026, saying the 2027 timeline was designed to avoid disrupting learners already on the Cambridge pathway.
“For learners currently in Form Three and Lower Six who are on the Cambridge route, the 2027 timeline is deliberate and fair,” ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said.
“These learners will sit ZIMSEC O Level and A Level examinations respectively when they reach their final examination year.”
The ministry said participation would no longer be optional after 2027.
“After 2027, compliance will not be optional. All schools will register candidates solely through ZIMSEC for the national examinations that confer the national qualification,” Ndoro said.
Officials said the move is backed by the Education Act.
“This is grounded in the Education Act. Section 63 mandates a single national curriculum, which can only be assessed with integrity by a single national examinations board,” Ndoro said.
Section 69 of the same Act gives the minister powers to enforce compliance across all schools.
The ministry said Cambridge examinations had not been banned outright, but schools wishing to continue offering them alongside ZIMSEC would need approval.
“Any school that wishes to offer Cambridge examinations alongside ZIMSEC must submit a formal application with compelling justification,” Ndoro said.
Government said the reform is aimed at standardising assessment systems and ending perceptions that international qualifications are superior to local ones.
“This reform dismantles a long standing, unjust two tier system that has falsely divided our children along socio economic lines,” Ndoro said.
“National qualifications have been wrongly perceived as inferior to international ones — a fallacy the Government can no longer entertain.”
Authorities said ZIMSEC qualifications are recognised by universities and employers and are aligned with the Heritage Based Curriculum and Vision 2030.
Stakeholders have been urged to support the transition ahead of the 2027 deadline.
