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Education Minister, Dr. Douglas Syakalima, has announced that 3,990 candidates, representing 26.03 percent out of the 15,331 candidates that sat for five or more subjects during the 2024 exams obtained the General Certificate of Education.
Syakalima also revealed that at least 117,301 candidates, representing 85.96 percent, passed in at least one subject out of the 136,455 who sat for the 2025 Grade 12 GCE, while 19,154 candidates, representing 14.04 percent, failed.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on Monday to announce the results, Syakalima, said the 2025 pass rate decreased by 1.42 percentage points compared to 2024.
Syakalima said a total of 12,785 candidates, representing 7.89 percent, were absent from the examinations, comprising 5,474 males (42.82%) and 7,311 females (57.18%).
He added that absenteeism showed an increase of 0.68 percentage points, from 7.89 percent in 2024 to 8.57 percent in 2025.
The Minister revealed that 10,431 candidates (68.04%) obtained Statements for passing in some but not all subjects, while 910 candidates (5.94%) failed.
A total of 149,240 candidates registered for the 2025 GCE, a slight decrease of 0.46 percent from the 149,920 candidates in 2024. Of those registered, 48,093 (32.23%) were male and 101,147 (67.77%) were female.
On the Junior Secondary External Examination (Grade 9), Syakalima said 138,152 candidates registered, including 59,656 males (43.18%) and 78,496 females (56.82%).
Of these, 130,615 candidates (94.54%) sat the exams, with 56,259 males (43.03%) and 74,356 females (56.97%). Seven thousand five hundred thirty-seven candidates (5.46%) were absent, showing a slight reduction from 2024.
“Out of the 130,615 candidates who sat the examination, 102,271 candidates (78.29%) passed in at least one subject, while 28,344 candidates (21.70%) failed,” Syakalima said.
Of the 36,049 candidates who sat for six or more subjects, 8,552 (23.72%) obtained Certificates, 19,718 (54.70%) obtained Statements, and 7,779 (21.58%) failed.
Performance analysis by subject revealed that Art and Design had the highest mean score at 72.16%, while Religious Education recorded the lowest at 21.15%, mirroring trends from the 2024 examinations.
Syakalima assured that both the GCE and Junior Secondary External examinations were conducted without any question paper leaks.
However, he noted 17 suspected cases of malpractice in the Junior Secondary exams and 479 cases in the GCE, with results for affected candidates withheld pending review by the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ).
“The government will not tolerate examination malpractice, and all erring individuals will face the law,” the Minister stated.
He also announced that the 2025 Grade 9 exams would be the last under the old curriculum as Zambia transitions to the new curriculum.
ECZ Executive Director, Michael Chilala, said measures were in place to ensure a smooth transition for both learners and teachers.
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