The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) has effectively doubled examination fees for 2026 for a key cohort of students by removing a critical government subsidy.

While announcing a general freeze on published rates, the council has clarified that all candidates sitting for the June 2026 Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations will be required to pay the full, unsubsidised cost.

The dramatic increase stems from the government’s strict adherence to a one-time subsidy policy, which has been extended to encompass the entire June session.

Officials confirmed that the June examination sitting is primarily intended for candidates retaking subjects.

Consequently, in line with state policy, these individuals are no longer eligible for the 55% government subsidy that significantly reduced costs during their first attempt.

The council’s official statement directly attributes the steep fee hike to this withdrawal of state support.

Officials explained that the financial model is designed to support students only once through their primary attempt, with repeat candidates having already benefitted from prior assistance.

“The June examination is for candidates who are re-writing Examinations/subjects hence, in accordance with the Government of Zimbabwe’s policy on examination fees subsidy, they are not eligible for the 55% subsidy as they benefitted from it in the prior sessions.”

As a result of this change, the fees for the upcoming June 2026 examinations are now set at a uniform twenty-four United States dollars per subject for Ordinary Level and forty-eight dollars per subject for Advanced Level.

This marks a profound increase for students who were previously shielded by the subsidy.

For instance, an Ordinary Level candidate rewriting a subject will now pay $24, compared to a heavily subsidized rate of $11 in their initial sitting an increase of over 118%.

Similarly, an Advanced Level repeat candidate faces a jump to $48 per subject.Education stakeholders have reacted with concern to the announcement.

This standardized, higher rate will apply uniformly to all June 2026 registrants, whether they attend public schools or private colleges, eliminating the previous cost distinction between institution types for this session.

The move provides early clarity for 2026 planning but underscores the high stakes attached to initial exam sittings.

The government’s policy now firmly places the full administrative cost of re-taking examinations onto the families of students, a decision that could deter some from seeking to improve their grades.

This development highlights the ongoing tension between maintaining accessible education pathways and managing fiscal constraints within Zimbabwe’s examination system.