By Staff Writer
ORDINARY Level students pass rate went down to 29,4% on the back of a dismal performance by special needs learners, Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) has reported.
Briefing stakeholders on the occasion to officially announce the release of the Ordinary Level results ZIMSEC board chairperson, Eddie Mwenje revealed that the current pass rate was slightly lower than yester year’s.
“A total of 253 special needs candidates sat for a range of subjects from 1 to 13 in 2023.Of these 159 were 5 more subjects and 41 passed five or more subjects yielding an overall percentage pass rate of 25,79%,” he said.
In 2023 , a total 185 021 pupils wrote five or more subjects and 54 420 passed five or more subjects with Grade C or better giving an overall percentage pass rate of 29,41.
He said school candidates who wrote five or more subjects in 2023 were 163 533 and 49 373 obtained Grade C or better in five or more subjects with 49 501 obtaining Grade C or resulting in a percentage pass rate of 30,4%.
This shows that the 2023 pass rate for school candidates decreased by 0, 21%.
Private candidates who wrote 5 or more subjects were 23 095 and 5 407 obtained Grade C or better in 5 or more subjects resulting in a pass rate of 17,66%.
This shows an increase of 4,19% in the 2023 pass rate of for private candidates.
The total number of female candidates who sat for the 2023 Ordinary Level Examinations was 141 968 and of these 96 963 wrote five or more subjects with 29 094 passing five or more subjects , thus translating to a percentage pass rate rate of 30,01.
The total number of female candidates who sat for the Ordinary Level Examinations was 146 106 and of these ,97b 565 wrote five or more subjects with 24 371 passing 5 or more subjects , thus translating to a percentage pass rate of 24,98 showing an increase of 5,03 % in the 2023 pass rate for female candidates.
Mwenje said the total number of male candidates who wrote excams was 128 431 and of the total 88 088 wrote five or more subjects and 25 596 passed five or more subjects translating to a percentage pass rate 25,16.
The pass rate for male candidates in 2023 thereby increased by 3,9%.
