Grade 7 pass rate drop caused by CALA

Zim Now Writer

The drop in the annual pass rate recorded for the 2022 Grade Seven examination might have been a result of the new continuous Assessment and Learning Area Activities (CALA) component, a senior official said.

Speaking soon after the announcement of the 2022 Grade Seven public examination results yesterday, Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) board chair Professor Eddie Mwenje said the drop was unexpected because this year had fewer disruptions, unlike the last two years which had several Covid-19-induced disruptions.

“The reasons are sometimes very difficult to establish until you do a deep analysis of the results which we do normally just to advise the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on certain aspects. Given that this year students received much more time for learning than in the previous year, they ought to have done better.

Zimsec director Dr Lazarus Nembaware said the continuous assessment learning activity (CALA) could be one of the factors.

“It could be other reasons, which we will look into but as of now, we also think that candidates are still settling in into the CALA component. This is the second year in which CALA has been part and parcel of the examination system so it could be that and we will look into those areas more critically after the release of these results,” he said.

Zimsec recorded a higher number of candidates writing the examination as compared to last year. “A total of 343 169 candidates sat for the 2022 Grade Seven examinations as compared to 325 573 candidates who sat for the same examinations in 2021, showing a 5,4 percent increase in candidature, that is an additional 17 596 candidates,” said the Zimsec director.

“Out of the 343 169 candidates who sat for the 2022 Grade Seven examinations, 177 466 were female while 165 703 were males. The pass rate for female candidates is 43,66 percent while that of male candidates stands at 36,22 percent. The results show that female candidates out-performed their male counterparts,” said Nembaware.