16/09/2025
Nearly 500 caught cheating in 2025 GCE exams
THE 2025 General Certificate Examinations (GCE) and Junior Secondary External examination may have been free from leakage, but that did not stop crafty candidates from trying to outsmart invigilators, with close to 500 cases of malpractice recorded in the General CE exams alone.
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Education Minister Douglas Syakalima, who announced the release of the results today, revealed that while no exam paper was leaked, 479 cases of cheating were detected in the GCE.
On the Junior Secondary External side, 17 cases of malpractice were reported.
“Examinations were leakage-free, but other forms of malpractice such as collusion, assistance, and smuggling of unauthorised materials into exam rooms were reported,” Siakalima said, warning that all offenders will face the law.
The results of the affected candidates have been withheld as the Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) sits to determine their fate.
For the Junior Secondary External Examination, 138,152 candidates registered, with 130,615 sitting the exam.
Of these, 102,271 passed at least one subject (78.29 percent), while 28,344 candidates (21.7 percent) failed completely, not passing any subject.
Out of the 36,049 learners who sat six or more subjects, 8,552 obtained full certificates, 19,718 obtained partial certificates, and 7,779 failed.
On the GCE side, 149,240 candidates registered, but only 136,455 translating into 91.43 percent sat the exam.
Of these, 117,301 learners passed at least one subject, while 19,154 failed all their subjects.
Out of 15,381 candidates who sat five or more subjects, 3,990 which is 26.03 percent obtained full school certificates, 10,431 received statements of results, and 910 translating into 5.94 percent failed.
While thousands of learners celebrated their success, the nearly 500 caught in malpractice now face a tense wait as the Examination Council of Zambia determines their fate.
Kalem