ZIMSEC Biography
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) is a parastatal responsible for the administration of public examinations in Zimbabwean schools.
| Legal Name | Zimbabwe School Examinations Council |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1994 (32 Years Ago) |
| Organization Type | Parastatal and Examination board |
| Headquarters | Upper East Road, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Official Website | |
| Qualifications Offered |
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Created by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Act [Chapter 25:18], the examination board operates under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Background
The establishment of ZIMSEC stems from a 1983 cabinet decision to localize Ordinary (O) Level and Advanced (A) Level examinations in Zimbabwe. Training for the first group of markers began in 1984, and the first localized O-Level examinations were written in November 1990.
The organization was formally established after the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Act was passed by Parliament in 1994. By 1995, the localization of O-Level examinations was completed, and the first ZIMSEC Board was appointed in October of that year. The council officially commenced operations under an Interim Director in November 1995. Following the appointment of the first substantive Director in July 1996, former Examinations Branch staff integrated into ZIMSEC after their public service roles were abolished. The localization process concluded with the first ZIMSEC A-Level examinations written in November 2002 and full A-Level localization achieved in 2003.
Organizational Structure and Affiliations
Headquartered on Upper East Road in Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZIMSEC operates through various divisions, including Examinations Administration, Information and Communication Technology Examinations Systems Development, Human Capital, and Finance. While these divisions are housed at the head office, the organization also maintains a regional office in each of the ten provinces in Zimbabwe.
ZIMSEC's syllabuses were evaluated by the National Academic Recognition and Information Centre (NARIC) in the United Kingdom and determined to be equivalent to the General Certificate of Education standards in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Furthermore, ZIMSEC holds memberships with several international assessment bodies, namely the Southern Africa Association for Educational Assessment (SAAEA), the Association of Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), and the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA).
Qualifications Offered
The primary function of the council is to provide educational assessments that align with localized curriculum objectives. ZIMSEC confers the following qualifications:
- ZIMSEC Grade Seven Certificate: Awarded upon the completion of primary education Year Seven examinations.
- General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (O-Levels): Conferred after a two-year subject-based course spanning Forms 3 and 4.
- General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A-Levels): A school-leaving qualification for pupils completing pre-university secondary education.