DT Correspondent
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) released the results for the November 2023 Ordinary level examinations on Monday, revealing a slight increase in the overall pass rate.
The results showed an overall pass rate of 29.41 percent, marking a 4.35 percent improvement compared to the previous year’s achievement.
Professor Eddie Mwenje, the chairman of ZIMSEC, provided a detailed breakdown of the results.
He highlighted that female candidates outperformed their male counterparts and also noted a slight decrease of 3.1 percent in the number of candidates compared to the previous year, with a total of 270,129 candidates sitting for the exams.
Out of the total candidates, 185,021 wrote more than five subjects, and 54,420 of them achieved a Grade C or better classification in five or more subjects.
The figures include candidates who were not in the school system for the year, such as those who were retaking their Ordinary Level examinations through private study.
Professor Mwenje stated, “The November 2023 results show that the percentage pass rate for female candidates was 30.1 percent, while that of males was 29.06 percent.
“These pass rates increased by 5.03 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, indicating better performance by females.”
Among candidates from schools who wrote more than five subjects, a total of 163,533 candidates were recorded, with 49,373 achieving a Grade C or better in five or more subjects, resulting in a pass rate of 30.19 percent.
This pass rate represented a slight decrease of 0.21 percent compared to the previous year, where 162,813 candidates wrote more than five subjects, and 49,501 achieved a Grade C or better pass, yielding a pass rate of 30.40 percent.
Private candidates who wrote more than five subjects totalled 23,095, with 5,047 of them obtaining a Grade C or better in five or more subjects, resulting in a pass rate of 21.85 percent.
This pass rate exhibited an increase of 4.19 percent compared to the 2022 results, where 29,771 private candidates wrote more than five subjects, and 3,668 achieved a Grade C or better pass, yielding a pass rate of 17.66 percent.
The slight rise in the overall pass rate for the November 2023 O Level examinations reflects the efforts of both male and female candidates. While the number of candidates decreased slightly, the improvement in the pass rates indicates commendable performance in the face of academic challenges.
