The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) has introduced new security measures for the 2026 public examinations, including personalised answer sheets and traceable question papers.
The measures are aimed at strengthening the security of examination materials and making it easier to identify the source of any leaked papers.
Grade Seven examinations are set to begin on September 20, while the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations will start on October 12.
Under the new system, each candidate will be issued with a personalised answer sheet, making it harder for learners to enter examination rooms with answer sheets that may already contain answers.
Question papers will also be traceable to the examination centres where they were allocated. If a question paper is leaked, the tracking system will allow authorities to establish the centre linked to the particular paper and investigate how it left the examination system.
The examination papers will be monitored throughout the process, from printing and packing to distribution.
The enhanced tracking system is expected to help authorities distinguish between candidates who may have been involved in examination malpractice and those who had no involvement.
By tracing the movement of examination materials, ZIMSEC will be able to investigate suspected leaks more closely while protecting candidates who have not participated in any malpractice.
The measures come as schools prepare for the 2026 examination season, with candidates expected to sit for their examinations under tighter controls.
