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Abigail Mawonde, Harare Bureau
Masvingo Province has again taken the lead in the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Ordinary Level November 2016 national examinations, statistics released by the examination board show.

The province managed a 31.12 percent pass rate. In 2015, the province came out tops with a 31.9 percent passrate.

On second spot in last year’s exams was Manicaland Province with 30.64 percent pass while Mashonaland East took the third position with 30.63 percent.

The Midlands Province came fourth. It managed a 29.97 percent pass while Harare Province sat on the fifth position with a 27.77 percent.

On the sixth position was Matabeleland South which scored a 26.44 percent pass followed by Mashonaland Central with a 25.68 percent pass.

Bulawayo Province sat on the eighth position with a 25.29 percent pass rate while Mashonaland West took the ninth position at 24.39 percent.

Matabeleland North is sitting at the bottom with a 22.77 percent pass, a position which was occupied by Mashonaland East Province in 2015 when it recorded a 22.98 percent pass.

Unlike the November 2016 Advanced Level results where female candidates outperformed male candidates, the Ordinary Level male candidates outdid their female counterparts.

Male candidates scored a 32.13 percent pass rate while their female counterparts scored 27.84 percent.

The same happened in 2015 where male candidates scored a 30.47 percent pass rate while female candidates scored 25.33 percent.

At a national level, the statistics revealed an upward trend in pass rates from 2012.

Last year the national pass rate was 29.86 percent.

In 2012, the national pass rate was 18.4 percent. Year 2013 recorded a 20.72 percent pass. In 2014, the pass rate was 22.38 percent while 2015 recorded  27.86 percent.