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Ivan Zhakata and Mutsawashe Mashandure, Harare Bureau

ADVANCED and Ordinary Level learners who do not have a Continuous Assessment Learning Area (CALA) mark will not get their results even if they have written the theoretical part of the Zimsec examinations.

Speaking during the release of the June A and O level results at a press conference in Harare yesterday, Zimsec board chairperson Professor Paul Mapfumo said candidates must have satisfied their CALA requirements to access results.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s position is that if a candidate does not have a CALA mark, then there will be no results even if the theoretical part of the examination was written,” he said.

In February this year, Government announced changes to the education curriculum, with CALA now being called school-based projects with an emphasis on the learner being observed carrying out the practical aspects at school.

At the infant level of ECD A to Grade 2, learning areas under CALA were reduced from the previous 11 to six and this reduction was extended to apply at the junior level of Grades 3 to 7.

At the secondary school level, the core and compulsory learning areas were reduced from seven to five.

Prof Mapfumo said A and O level examination results were now available online and accessible to all candidates and authorised personnel through the Zimsec portal.

Heads of examination centres would be able to collect the printed results for their schools or centres from ZIMSEC regional offices today. Numbers writing in June are always far lower than the numbers writing in November, and many of those writing in June are sitting examinations for a second time, which is why a lot just write one or a few subjects.

On Olevel results, Prof Mapfumo said a total of 32 026 candidates registered for the June 2024 examinations and of these, there were 919 school candidates and 31 107 private candidates.

A total of 30 088 of the 32 026 who registered sat for a range of subjects from one to seven in June 2024 compared to 21 683 candidates who sat for a range of subjects from one to eight in June last year. 

“This shows an increase of 8 405 candidates which translates to 38,76 percent and the number of school candidates was 825 while 29 263 were private candidates. There was an increase in candidates with special needs from 14 to 38 translating to a 157 percentage increase,” Prof Mapfumo said.

He also noted that a total of 1 938 of the registered candidates did not sit for the examinations and were recorded as absent. 

“The total number of candidates who sat for five or more subjects in the June 2024 examinations was 383 which is 1.27 percent of the total candidature of 30 088 and the remainder sat for less than five subjects,” said Prof Mapfumo. 

“Of these 383, 17 candidates passed with a Grace C or better yielding a total pass rate of 4,44 percent. In comparison, the total number of candidates who sat for five or more subjects in June 2023 was 365 which was 1,68 percent of the total candidature of 21 683 and the remainder sat for four or less. Of these, 99 candidates passed with Grade C or better yielding a pass rate of 0,46 percent”.

He said more private candidates registered for five or more subjects than the school candidates and their performance was significantly lower as compared to that of school candidates.

Prof Mapfumo said the total number of candidates who registered for the June 2024 A level examination was 144 and of these, 125 were private candidates and 19 were school candidates.

“The total number of those who sat for the June 2024 Advanced level examination was 120 as compared to 256 who sat for the same examination in 2023. There was a decrease of 136 in candidature, translating to a percentage decrease of 53 percent. 

“Of these, 52 candidates wrote two or more subjects and 38 obtained Grade E or better in two or more subjects. This translates to an overall pass rate of 31,67 percent. In comparison, in the June 2023 examination, 112 candidates wrote two or more subjects and 85 obtained Grade E or better in two or more subjects. This translated to a 75.89 percent pass rate. These statistics show that there was a 44.22 percent decrease in the overall pass rate”.

Prof Mapfumo said a total number of 18 school candidates sat for the June 2024 examination. Of these, 15 wrote two or more subjects and 13 obtained Grade E or better in two or more subjects, yielding a percentage pass rate of 72.23 percent.

“A total of 102 private candidates sat for the June 2024 examination. Of these, 37 wrote two or more subjects and 25 obtained a Grade E or better in two or more subjects, yielding a percentage pass rate of 24,51 percent.”