The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) pass rate in the June 2019 Ordinary Level examinations fell compared to 2018 while the Advanced Level pass rate increased slightly.
The results were released on Friday last week and were accessible to candidates at exam centres on Monday.
In a statement, Zimsec board chairman Professor Eddie Mwenje also revealed a massive decrease in the total number of candidates who sat for the June examinations. Part of the statement reads:
In 2019, a total number of 75 055 candidates registered and sat for a range of subjects on O-Level from one to 10 compared to 141 246 candidates that set in June 2018, however, the total candidature decreased by 66 191 with a percentage decrease of 46,86.
The number of school candidates who sat for this examination was 17 345, of these 1 268 wrote five or more subjects.
A total of 562 candidates passed five or more subjects with a C or better, translating to a pass rate of 44,32 per cent.
The number of private candidates was 57 710, of these 1 950 wrote five or more subjects and 180 passed five or more subjects with a C or better, translating to a percentage pass rate of 9,23 per cent.
In 2018 916 out of 2 054 school candidates passed five or more subjects with a C or better, translating to a percentage pass rate of 44,59, said Mwenje.