ZIMSEC Mathematics O level exam paper 2 has allegedly been making rounds on WhatsApp earlier this week well before it was written on Thursday. The scandal brings up once more the credibility of not only Zimbabwe’s education system but that of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) as well.
ZIMSEC’s scandals of leaked papers
At this point, one can go as far as to say this leaking of papers is becoming almost a tradition, as almost every year such scandal befalls ZIMSEC. An enquiry into why ZIMSEC papers are leaking by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in 2017 revealed that:
Mathematics had the highest number of papers that were leaked; English coming in second followed by Science.
The situation gets worse for ZIMSEC; founder and lead developer of Age X, Van Lee Chigwada claims to get hounded for exam tips because most people mistake him for an employee of the exam council:
I often get people asking for exam tips or some sort of information on ZIMSEC papers. My company does a lot of revision applications for ZIMSEC so that’s where the confusion comes from.
The fact that Chigwada has been approached speaks to the fact that either employees of ZIMSEC or the teachers who draw up the examinations or proofreaders or printers do share upcoming exam papers. While it is wrong we also have to be fair and look at the economy aspect of our nation and the Covid19 pandemic. Many are struggling to make ends meet with current salaries.
I honestly wouldn’t blame them for pushing the hustle and this year of all years one would make a killing with so many candidates ill-prepared because of the pandemic’s disruption of the education system.
ZIMSEC’s competence is further challenged by the missing map debacle that left some candidates sitting for the O level Geography paper 1 examination on Tuesday with no maps to refer to. While it is not clear whether it was a printing error or the council’s negligence, the situation adds fuel to an already questionable situation.
All this is quite disturbing. A lot of Zimbabwean students who sit for ZIMSEC public examinations apply for university places outside the country. The more ZIMSEC’s credibility is damaged, the more difficult it will be for those students to be accepted. It may get so bad that the majority will just revert back to Cambridge examination syndicate.
Any comments?
ZIMSEC is yet to comment on the matter as they verify the authenticity of the images provided by my source of the paper in question. We will provide and update once we get their comment. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education couldn’t be reached for their own comment on the matter.
Images in Question
14 comments
If you classify something as an allegation, you can’t later refer to or treat it as fact. There is thus no scandal till such a point it proven true.
Neither have you provided sufficient evidence that Zimsec employees/printers provide (or have provided) “information” on Zimsec exams. I assume Mr. Chigwada’s contact information is in his app. Where are candidates getting the contact information for the employees/printers? And, even if they do somehow get them, you have only shown that candidates ask for information, not that they were ever supplied with it.
Still on that, “Information of some sort” still leaves it unclear what candidates were asking Mr. Chigwada for. They could easily have been asking for legit information. It sounded to me like they just mistake him for a Zimsec representative, when making possibly legit queries.
Someone with access to the Exam papers is making them available before the examination is taken. As custodians of the exam process, Zimsec is solely responsible. It is also their duty to follow up on each leak.
As for the information I get asked for, people ask for exam papers before they are written. I do what I can to report these but following up is hard for everyone. How is that a legit query for Zimsec?
Zimsec has a “Ask us for exam leaks section”?
All that aside, I received a paper that was to be written Thursday morning, at night the day before. That is more than worth looking into.
Is it an allegation, or fact, that “Someone with access to the Exam papers is making them available before the examination is taken.” The article starts as an allegation but is primarily written as fact, without concrete support of your claim.
And, as I said, it is not clear what information was being asked for from Mr. Chigwada (supposing that is you). Your response makes it seem like that was obvious or implied. No mention is made of what is now being claimed in commentary (Re-read the article)
And, if you are stating FACTUALLY that you received a copy of the paper before it was written WHY is the article a SUPPOSITION or ALLEGATION rather than a FACTUAL statement of events?
I definitely knew about most of this, but having said that, I still found it helpful. Nice work!
Its all true my daughter is writing her classmates had the in their fones at first she thought it was a lie but it became true wen they were writing the one on the fone and on the paper wr the same but its not maths only its the subject and i kno the person who gave those students the whatsapp paper if you trace you can find them
TANGIRAI PA MUFAKOSE HIGH 1 even mwana wa headmaster anawo ma paper ese
Did you make a report of any sort to the authorities? Those in possession of FACTS don’t seem to be doing that.
ZIMSEC can not keep quiet when there are such allegations level against them. ZIMSEC should investigate such and respond and give the nation a peace of mind. Credibility, validity and accountability lies with ZIMSEC. The perennial leaking of exams makes the ZIMSEC Exam less credible.
when is the replacement paper
is there going to be a replacement paper
This is not good for us as students to sit four times for one subject
It’s good to see leaked paper
its so good
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