The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has introduced new security measures for the 2026 public examinations, including personalised answer sheets and traceable examination materials.
The measures are aimed at strengthening examination security, preventing cheating and protecting the credibility of the examination process.
According to Zimsec, security features embedded in question papers will allow the council to identify the examination centre to which particular papers were distributed.
The system is expected to assist security teams in tracing the source of any breach in cases where examination materials are accessed before the scheduled time.
Zimsec has also introduced personalised answer sheets for candidates.
The sheets are designed to make it more difficult for candidates to substitute examination scripts or introduce unauthorised scripts into examination rooms.
The enhanced security measures cover the entire examination process, including the printing, packaging, transportation, distribution, storage and writing of examinations.
Zimsec public relations manager Mrs Nicky Dhlamini said the council was ready for the 2026 examination season.
“The season for final examinations is upon us, starting with the Grade Seven examinations on the 21st of September 2026,” Dhlamini said.
She said examination papers and stationery were already being distributed to cluster centres for collection by individual examination centres.
“Zimsec is fully prepared for the start of the examinations. Question papers and stationery are already being distributed to the cluster centres ready for collection by centres,” she said.
Dhlamini said examination integrity remained a key priority, with technology being used to strengthen security controls.
“From printing to distribution and eventually the sitting of examinations, everything is closely monitored by security and loss-control teams,” she said.
The traceability system is expected to help investigators identify the source of examination materials if a paper is accessed prematurely.
Zimsec said the measures would also help ensure that candidates who are not involved in any breach are not unfairly affected by security incidents.
The Grade Seven examinations began on September 21, while the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations are scheduled to start on October 12.
The new measures will therefore be in place throughout the 2026 public examination season.