Over 115,000 students earn grade 12 certificates in 2023, marking a slight improvement in performance

A total of 115,532 students in Zambia obtained Grade 12 School Certificates in 2023, reflecting a slight increase of 0.14 percentage points from the previous year’s pass rate of 68.03 percent.

This comes from the 169,464 candidates who sat for the Grade 12 examination in 2023, Education Minister Douglas Syakalima announced on Friday in Lusaka.

While 50,404 candidates (29.74 percent ) received Statements of Results, 3,528 candidates (2.08 percent) failed the examination.

The minister noted that despite a 3.83 percent increase in the total number of candidates from 2023, the percentage of students passing the exam had slightly improved.

“A total of 172,977 candidates are registered for the 2024 examination, an increase of 3.83 percent from last year,” Syakalima said, adding that of the 172,880 Zambian candidates, 169,464 (98.02 percent ) sat for the exams, with an absentee rate of 1.98 percent.

He further highlighted the positive impact of government interventions on the results, including the provision of educational grants, teacher recruitment, the supply of school meals, and the enhancement of learning environments.

Syakalima also pointed out that the gender gap in enrollment has been narrowing, with more girls than boys now sitting for exams at the Grade 7, 9, and 12 levels.

However, in terms of performance, boys continue to outperform girls overall.

He called for a study in 2025 to explore gender disparities in exam results and the reasons behind absenteeism.

The Minister urged Permanent Secretaries and Controlling Officers to explore strategies that foster an inclusive education environment where both girls and boys have equal opportunities to succeed.

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