The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has introduced personalised answer sheets and traceable examination materials as part of enhanced security me...
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has introduced personalised answer sheets and traceable examination materials as part of enhanced security measures for this year’s public examinations.
The new measures are intended to prevent cheating and protect the integrity of the examinations. They cover the examination process from the printing and packaging of question papers to their distribution, storage and use by candidates.
Security features embedded in the question papers will allow Zimsec to trace examination materials to the centres to which they were allocated. The system is designed to help security teams identify the source of examination materials if candidates gain premature access to question papers.
Zimsec has also introduced personalised answer sheets. The sheets are intended to prevent the substitution of scripts or the smuggling of scripts into examination rooms, strengthening controls over candidates’ examination materials.
The measures come as the 2026 public examination season begins. Grade Seven examinations are scheduled to start on September 21, while Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations will begin on October 12.
Zimsec public relations manager Mrs Nicky Dhlamini said the council was prepared for the start of the examinations. “The season for final examinations is upon us, starting with the Grade Seven examinations on the 21st of September 2026,” she said.
“Zimsec is fully prepared for the start of the examinations. Question papers and stationery are already being distributed to the cluster centres ready for collection by centres,” Dhlamini said.
She said examination security and integrity remained a priority, with technological advances being used to strengthen safeguards throughout the examination process.
“From printing to distribution and eventually the sitting of examinations, everything is closely monitored by security and loss-control teams,” she said.
Under the tracking system, security teams will be able to trace question papers to their centre of origin if candidates gain premature access to examination materials. This is intended to allow investigations to focus on the source of a breach.
Zimsec said the measures were designed to identify those responsible for any breach without prejudicing candidates who were not involved. The council’s security measures therefore cover the movement and use of examination materials throughout the examination chain.
With Grade Seven examinations beginning on September 21 and Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations scheduled to start on October 12, the new measures will form part of the security arrangements for the 2026 public examination season.
