Sikhumbuzo Moyo-Bulawayo Bureau
THE 2025 Ordinary Level results produced the highest pass rate since independence in 1980, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Dr Torerayi Moyo, has said.
In an interview, Dr Moyo congratulated the 2025 O Level candidates and their teachers for achieving a historic 35,26 percent pass rate, an improvement from 33,19 percent recorded in 2024.
He said the milestone reflected gains being made through sustained education reforms and renewed focus on quality teaching and learning across the country.
“Let us applaud these record-breaking 2025 O Level results, which clocked over 35 percent, the highest since 1980. This is a clear progression from last year’s 33,19 percent pass rate,” said Dr Moyo.
“We commend our teachers for a job well done and congratulate our candidates. The ministry is now working tirelessly to push the pass rate to 50 percent, and strategies to achieve this will be unveiled soon.”
The improved performance comes against the backdrop of wide-ranging reforms being implemented in the education sector under the Second Republic, including enhanced teacher capacitation, closer syllabus alignment and targeted learner support programmes, as the country transitions from the Competency-Based Curriculum to the Heritage-Based Curriculum.
The Heritage-Based Curriculum Framework 2024–2030 places emphasis on skills development, problem-solving, innovation, entrepreneurship, patriotism and Ubuntu, moving away from rote learning. Under the new framework, learners are expected to acquire practical competencies that prepare them for employment, self-reliance and economic productivity.
The Government has also intensified teacher training programmes, strengthened continuous assessment systems and rolled out ICT infrastructure and digital learning tools, particularly in rural and marginalised schools. These interventions are complemented by expanded partnerships with development agencies to improve access to textbooks, learning materials and school infrastructure.
Announcing the results on Friday, Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) board chairperson Professor Paul Mapfumo said the improved performance reflected gains across most candidate categories, with female candidates outperforming their male counterparts.
Female candidates recorded a 36,31 percent pass rate, while male candidates achieved 34,09 percent.
A total of 162 429 female candidates sat for the examinations, with 110 786 writing five or more subjects and 40 225 attaining at least five subjects at Grade C or better. In comparison, 139 635 male candidates sat for the examinations, with 99 022 writing five or more subjects and 33 752 achieving the same benchmark.
Overall, 302 066 candidates sat for the November 2025 examinations, an increase of 10 725 candidates (3,68 percent) from the 291 341 who wrote in 2024. Of these, 209 810 candidates wrote five or more subjects, with 73 978 passing at least five subjects with a Grade C or better.
School candidates recorded a 35,62 percent pass rate, after 62 653 of the 175 893 candidates who wrote five or more subjects attained the minimum pass benchmark, up from 33,70 percent in 2024.
Private candidates also showed notable improvement. Of the 101 719 private candidates who sat for the examinations, 33 917 wrote five or more subjects, with 11 325 passing, translating to a 33,39 percent pass rate, up from 29,60 percent last year.
Education analysts say the rise in pass rates over the past three years suggests that the reforms are beginning to yield results, with the Government addressing teacher shortages. The Government employed 7 472 teachers who were set to be deployed across the country for the beginning of the 2026 school calendar in line with President Mnangagwa’s job creation drive and his quest to improve education outcomes.
Meanwhile, school heads have indicated readiness to implement a ministerial directive restricting the number of subjects candidates may sit for at both Ordinary and Advanced Level.
The directive seeks to ensure that learners study and sit for examinations in line with recommended standards that promote quality learning and better outcomes under the Heritage-Based Curriculum, which is being fully rolled out this year.
The renewed focus on subject limits follows the exceptional achievement of Mukudzei Ziveyi, a Pamushana High School learner from Masvingo Province, who scored 56 points in the 2025 A-Level examinations after sitting for 12 subjects, far above the standard three.
National Association of Primary and Secondary School Heads (Nash) president Mr Cephas Mutumhe said school heads would comply with the policy while continuing engagement with the Government.
“We are the implementers of policy, and we will implement what has been given to us. However, we will continue engaging Government to review the guidelines for the benefit of learners,” he said.
“These engagements came about during the emigration from the Competence-Based Curriculum to the Heritage-Based Curriculum.”
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