Zambia Records Highest Grade 12 Pass Rate in 2025
The Minister of Education, Hon. Douglas Syakalima, has announced the 2025 Grade 12 School Certificate and Teacher Education examination results, revealing significant improvements in learner performance alongside a continued reduction in absenteeism.
The national School Certificate pass rate rose to 70.26 per cent, up from 68.19 per cent in 2024 and 63.93 per cent in 2020. This marks the first time Zambia has surpassed the 70 per cent threshold, achieved despite increased enrolment following the implementation of the Free Education Policy.
Out of 197,777 candidates who sat for the examinations, 136,434 obtained School Certificates, 54,771 received statements, while 2,941 candidates failed. Absenteeism declined further to 1.83 per cent, maintaining a consistent downward trend.
The Minister attributed the improved outcomes to sustained Government interventions, including the recruitment of teachers, strengthened monitoring systems, timely disbursement of grants, provision of learning materials and the expansion of the school feeding programme.
Performance in teacher education programmes also remained strong. High clear-pass rates were recorded in Early Childhood Education, Primary Teacher’s Diploma, and Secondary Teacher’s Diploma programmes, with comparatively low failure rates.
In total, 588 candidates qualified for the award of a Teacher’s Diploma, comprising 159 in Early Childhood Education, 239 in Primary Education, and 190 in Secondary Education. Graduation ceremonies are scheduled to take place later this year.
Meanwhile, the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) is rolling out measures aimed at strengthening the integrity and efficiency of examination processes. ECZ Director Dr Michael Chilala said these include the development of new examination systems aligned to the revised curriculum framework, integrating both school-based and summative assessments.
Other initiatives include the introduction of a new candidate registration system requiring parental confirmation of learner details via SMS or email, the use of facial capture for candidate authentication to curb examination malpractice, and continued administration of General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations, with registration open until 6 March 2026.
Efforts are also underway to enhance data integrity, including the verification of candidates’ dates of birth to prevent duplication. While submission of a ‘best record’, such as a birth certificate, remains optional, it will become mandatory from 2027.
