The Zimsec 2021 November A-Level results released yesterday, inclusive of the Continuous Assessment Learning Activity, show a 3,68 percent rise in the overall pass rate compared to the previous examination year.
Zimsec board chairman Professor Eddie Mwenje yesterday said heads of examination centres can start collecting the results for their respective schools or centres from the regional offices from today.
The results were expected to be accessible online at Zimsec portal to all candidates and authorised personnel from last night.
Prof Mwenje said 49 128 candidates sat for the November 2021 examinations compared to 50 287 in 2020, representing a 2,03 percent decrease in candidate entries.
“Of these, 48 234 wrote two or more subjects compared to 49 153 last year. For those who wrote two or more subjects, 40 842 obtained Grade E or better. This translates to 84, 67 percent pass rate.
“In November 2020, however, 49 153 wrote two or more subjects and 39 802 obtained Grade E or better in two or more subjects translating to a percentage pass rate of 80, 98.
“The national pass rate for 2021, therefore, increased by 3,68 percent,” he said.
Prof Mwenje said 20 262 female school candidates who sat for two or more subjects in the November 2021 Advanced Level examinations and 18 043 passed two or more subjects yielding a 89,04 percent pass rate.
This resulted in an increase of 3,24 percent from 85,8 percent in 2020.
“The total number of male school candidates who sat for two or more subjects were 20 337 and 17 233 passed two or more subjects, translating to 84,72 percent, which is a 4,61 percent increase from 80,31 percent in the previous examination.
Prof Mwenje said the total number of school candidates in November 2021 was 40 806.
“Of these, 40 599 wrote two or more subjects and 35 276 obtained Grade E or better yielding a percentage pass rate of 86, 89.
“In comparison, 42 231 school candidates sat in November 2020, with 41 691 writing two or more subjects and 34 597 obtaining Grade E or better, yielding a percentage pass rate of 82,98. This translates to a percentage increase of 3,99 in 2021,” he said.
Professor Mwenje in November 2021, the total number of private candidates was 8 322, and of these, 7 725, wrote two or more subjects, with 5 566 obtaining a Grade E or better.
This translates to a percentage pass rate of 72,05 percent.
In November 2020, 8 056 private candidates sat for examinations, with 7 462 writing two or more subjects and 5 205 obtaining a Grade E or better.
That translated to a 69,75 percent pass rate.
Professor Mwenje said 56 special needs candidates sat for the November 2021 examinations, with 54 passing two or more subjects, yielding a percentage pass rate of 96,42 percent.
The candidates were in four different categories namely enlarged print, braille, hearing impairment and physical impairment.
Professor Mwenje said they were excited that they were releasing the results earlier than was the case for the 2020 results by at least three weeks.
“We are also grateful to God that as we continue to see an improvement in the Covid-19 pandemic situation, it may point to the fact that we may soon return to normalcy,” he said.