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At least 154,373 candidates, representing 28.64 percent, who sat for the 2025 Grade Seven examinations have failed and will therefore not proceed to Form One (Grade Eight), Education Minister Douglas Syakalima has announced.
A total of 587,471 candidates registered for the Primary School Leaving Examination, with 71.36 percent recording a pass.
Addressing a media briefing at the Ministry of Education in Lusaka on Tuesday, Syakalima said 91.72 percent of registered candidates sat for the examination, with girls accounting for a higher proportion of candidates than boys.
He said the national absenteeism rate declined to 5.9 percent, reflecting improved participation across the country.
Syakalima further disclosed that 6,956 candidates failed the Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination.
He announced that the 2025 Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination was the last under the old system, and that all non-progressing candidates will be placed in Form One classes in 2026 under the new education framework.
Syakalima described the released results as a “Christmas and New Year gift” to the Zambian people and a reflection of ongoing education sector reforms, assuring parents and learners of improved performance and transparency.
He said examination processing had been completed on time to allow parents to adequately prepare their children for school when Form One and Grade Ten classes open on January 12, 2026.
“The timely release of results is meant to help parents prepare their children early. For the Junior Secondary School examination, 206,357 candidates obtained certificates, pushing the progression rate to Grade Ten to 72.25 percent, up from 55.89 percent the previous year,” Syakalima said.
The Minister attributed the improvement to the abolition of automatic progression and other government interventions.
He noted that while more boys than girls failed the examinations, the trend required further analysis and stronger parental involvement, particularly in supporting the boy child.
“No examination leakages were recorded in 2025, reinforcing public confidence in the system. Results will be accessible via the 8383 SMS shortcode and the ECZ online portal at no cost,” Syakalima said.
He urged parents to ensure children report to school on the official opening date, stressing that learning will commence immediately.
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