Most families with children sitting Zimsec exams will lose the government's help with exam fees over the next two years. Cabinet has approved a phased end to the universal subsidy that has covered more than half of the fees since 2020.

Information Minister Dr Zhemu Soda announced the decision at the post-Cabinet briefing in Harare on Tuesday. The Herald, NewZimbabwe and ZimEye reported it. Cabinet approved a review of the Zimsec Examination Fee Subsidy Framework and Examination Financing Model, which Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube presented as chair of the Cabinet Committee on National Development Planning.

Who still gets help

The change comes in two steps, according to The Herald.

In 2027, support continues for pupils at rural primary schools classed as P3, rural secondary schools classed as S3, satellite schools, and pupils on the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).

From 2028, only BEAM beneficiaries will qualify.

Everyone else, including most pupils at urban government, council and mission schools, falls outside the listed groups from 2027. My Zimbabwe News noted that the Cabinet announcement did not give a new fee schedule or say how much support eligible pupils will get in 2027.

Why the government is changing it

The subsidy began in 2020 as Covid-19 relief. Government first paid 53% of exam fees and parents 47%; in 2021 the state share rose to 55%, The Herald and ZimEye reported.

Ncube said the blanket subsidy did not separate pupils who genuinely need help from those whose families can afford to pay. "We waited. We thought that naturally this is benefiting our citizens but we can't wait forever because Covid was not here forever as well," he told journalists, as quoted by The Herald. "We will not rush to end it for everybody."

He also said the BEAM list itself is being audited. "In some areas the bulk of those who are benefiting from this basic educational system module, do not in fact deserve this support at all. They are the wrong beneficiaries," Ncube said, according to The Herald. The audit will be completed soon, he said.

What it could cost families

NewZimbabwe reported that, under the subsidy, parents paid US$11 per O Level subject against a full fee of about US$24, and US$22 per A Level subject against US$48. Neither Zimsec nor the ministry has published 2027 fees in the sources we checked, so the final cost per subject is not yet known.

The decision comes days after Supa Mandiwanzira, who chairs Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, told a pre-budget conference in Bulawayo that nearly 40,000 learners dropped out of school in 2025, mainly because of financial hardship, NewZimbabwe reported.

Why it matters for the diaspora

Many Zimbabweans in the UK and elsewhere help pay school costs for children and relatives at home. For a candidate sitting several O Level subjects, the loss of the subsidy could roughly double the exam bill unless the school qualifies for continued support. Families should check with their school whether it is classed as P3, S3 or satellite, and whether the pupil is on BEAM, before the 2027 registration period.

We'll update this story when Zimsec or the ministry publishes 2027 exam fees and registration arrangements.

Sources: The Herald, "Cabinet revises Zimsec fees subsidy", 4 Nov 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/cabinet-revises-zimsec-fees-subsidy/ · The Herald, "Universal ZIMSEC exam fee support to end in 2028", Nov 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/universal-zimsec-exam-fee-support-to-end-in-2028/ · NewZimbabwe, "Mthuli Ncube scraps ZIMSEC exam fee subsidies, retains support for vulnerable learners only", 4 Nov 2026: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/mthuli-ncube-scraps-zimsec-exam-fee-subsidies-retains-support-for-vulnerable-learners-only/ · ZimEye, "Government Revises ZIMSEC Fees", 4 Nov 2026: https://www.zimeye.net/2026/11/04/government-revises-zimsec-fees/ · My Zimbabwe News, "Government says parents to pay full exam fees...", Nov 2026: https://www.myzimbabwe.co.zw/news/192342-government-says-parents-to-pay-full-exam-fees-without-any-government-support-see-who-now-qualifies-for-zimsec-subsidy.html

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