When do Grade 7 results come out?

ZIMSEC usually releases Grade 7 results in late November or early December. The 2025 results came out on 28 November 2025. Watch ZIMSEC's website and the news for this year's date.

How do I check my child's results online?

Go to results.zimsec.co.zw and enter the centre number, your child's candidate number and their date of birth. The school has the centre and candidate numbers. Results stay online for a few days only, after which you collect the results slip from the school.

How do Form 1 boarding places work?

Form 1 boarding places are applied for through the Ministry's online platform, EMAP (Electronic Ministry Application Platform), which covers both public and private boarding schools. Demand is far higher than supply: for 2026 the Ministry said about 30,000 boarding places were available, against roughly 100,000 applications a year. Apply to several schools and have a day-school plan as well.

What about day schools?

For Form 1 at a day school, parents have usually gone to the school directly with the results slip, birth certificate and Grade 7 report. Ask the school what it needs and by when, as practice varies.

My child didn't pass all six subjects. What now?

Many children don't: in 2025 just under half of candidates passed all six subjects. Speak to the Grade 7 teacher and to the secondary schools you're interested in, as schools set their own entry requirements. Day schools close to home are often the most flexible.

Grade 7 results are out: what to do next

Last checked 13 October 2026

Results day is a big moment for the whole family. Whatever the slip says, there's a good school for your child. Here's how to check the results, how Form 1 places work, and how to move quickly without panicking.

1. Check the results

Results go online at results.zimsec.co.zw. You'll need the centre number, your child's candidate number and their date of birth, so ask the school for the numbers before results day. The portal is busy on the first day; if it doesn't load, try again early in the morning or late at night. After a few days the results come off the website and you collect the slip from the school.

2. Apply for boarding places through EMAP

Form 1 boarding places, at public and private schools, are applied for through the Ministry's online platform, EMAP. Competition is stiff: the Ministry said there were about 30,000 boarding places for 2026, and it receives roughly 100,000 applications a year. Apply to more than one school, keep your phone on for messages from schools, and keep a copy of every application.

Many private and mission schools also set their own entrance tests or interviews, and some hold them before results come out. Ask each school you like what it needs from you, and when.

3. Line up a day school too

Even if you're hoping for boarding, find a good day school near home as a back-up. Take the results slip, birth certificate and Grade 7 report, and ask what the school needs and by when. The table below shows how many secondary schools we list in each province; tap a number to see them, with parent reviews where we have them.

4. Compare before you accept

If you get more than one offer, compare the full cost per term (fees, levies, boarding, uniform, transport), the subjects offered, and what other parents say. The Form 1 guide has a list of questions to ask every school, and you can compare up to three schools side by side on SchoolReviews.

Dates and rules change from year to year. Check the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and ZIMSEC for this year's results date and EMAP window, and confirm entry requirements with each school.

Secondary schools by province

Province	Secondary schools
Bulawayo	89
Harare	298
Manicaland	433
Mashonaland Central	264
Mashonaland East	389
Mashonaland West	392
Masvingo Province	359
Matabeleland North	207
Matabeleland South	172
Midlands	372