Schools to Seek Approval for Cambridge Exams Under New ZIMSEC Policy

Harare - Zimbabwe’s Education Minister, Torerayi Moyo, has announced that schools intending to offer Cambridge examinations alongside ZIMSEC will be required to formally apply for approval and provide justification, as Government intensifies efforts to establish a unified national examination system by 2027.

The directive, issued on 1 May 2026, forms part of a broader policy shift mandating all schools, including private institutions, to register learners for examinations administered by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council as the compulsory national benchmark.

In a statement shared via his official X account, Minister Moyo underscored the Government’s firm stance, indicating that the practice of running parallel examination systems is being phased out.

“From 2027, Zimbabwe will require every school without exception to register its learners for ZIMSEC examinations. The era of parallel foreign examination systems operating outside our national framework is over," he said.

The Minister emphasised that compliance with the policy will be compulsory for all schools nationwide.

“It’s mandatory for all students to write ZIMSEC… This is not negotiable. Government policy is unambiguous, comply or fall out of step with the direction this Republic is moving," he said.

The announcement follows earlier comments made during a Senate sitting on the same day, where Moyo stated that the policy direction is anchored in constitutional provisions and existing education legislation.

“The law says there must be one curriculum… In 2027, every school must be offering Zimbabwe School Examination Council examinations,” he said.

Although Cambridge examinations have not been outlawed, the Government has introduced stricter controls requiring schools to obtain prior clearance before offering them.

“Schools wishing to offer both ZIMSEC and Cambridge should apply for permission to do so provided there is justification for it.

“If they think their students are bright… they can offer both Cambridge and ZIMSEC, but they must justify how they are going to achieve it," he said.

Under the new framework, Cambridge examinations will no longer function as a standalone alternative but will instead be treated as a supplementary qualification, subject to Government approval.

This stance is consistent with remarks previously made on 12 February 2026 during a meeting with the Association of Trust Schools, where the Minister stressed that international examinations should complement, rather than replace, national standards.

“The choice to sit for international examinations should serve as an addition to, not a replacement of, the national standard," he said.

The policy forms part of a wider push to fully implement Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Curriculum across all learning institutions, including private schools.

Minister Moyo has repeatedly expressed concern over the diminishing emphasis on local content, particularly in areas such as national history and indigenous languages.

“Many schools no longer teach the history of Zimbabwe, where we came from and where we are going.

“Our indigenous languages such as Shona, Ndebele, Kalanga, Shangani and Tonga are not taught in many schools," he said addressing members of the Senate in February.

Authorities argue that the reforms aim to ensure uniform assessment standards for all learners while reinforcing national identity within the education system.

“We are building one education system, one standard and one Zimbabwe,” Minister Moyo said.