⬆️ ANALYSIS | GCE Results: What the Numbers Tell Us
The 2025 General Certificate of Education (GCE) results are out, and behind the statistics is a story about opportunity, gender dynamics, and persistent gaps in Zambia’s education system.
A total of 149,240 candidates entered for the exam, slightly fewer than last year. The gender distribution stands out. Nearly 68 percent were female and only 32 percent were male. The GCE has become a second-chance route largely for women, many of them school dropouts due to early marriages, pregnancies, or financial struggles. This shows both resilience and the barriers girls face in completing education the first time.
Out of those who entered, 136,455 actually sat, meaning 12,785 were absent. That is 8.57 percent, higher than last year. Almost 3 in 5 absentees were female. This raises questions. Are financial challenges, domestic responsibilities, or social pressures forcing more women out even after registering? The growing absenteeism rate is a warning sign.
The results themselves are mixed. 117,301 candidates (85.96 percent) passed at least one subject, but 19,154 (14.04 percent) failed everything. The overall pass rate dropped by 1.42 percentage points compared to 2024. This decline, though small, signals that quality of learning and exam preparation remain uneven.
Focus now shifts to the 15,331 candidates who sat for five or more subjects, the group eligible for a full School Certificate equivalent. Only 3,990 (26.03 percent) achieved that goal. Just one in four candidates who aimed for the full certificate succeeded. The majority, 68 percent, walked away with only statements of results. 910 candidates (5.94 percent) failed outright.
The bigger picture is clear. The GCE remains a critical bridge for those who missed out the first time, but it is not yet delivering wide success. Many enter, fewer complete, and even fewer cross the finish line with the full certificate. For women especially, the GCE highlights structural inequalities that start much earlier in life.
What these results reveal is not just performance but a national challenge. Zambia must not only make exams accessible but also address the reasons behind dropouts and failures: poverty, gender burdens, lack of support systems, and inconsistent learning opportunities.
The numbers are now public. The real question is whether policymakers, schools, and communities will treat them as more than statistics. Because behind every candidate counted in the pass rate or absentee list is a story of struggle, resilience, and unfinished potential.
Gathering by Goran Handya, drafting by Joshua Illya, analysis by Ollus R Ndomu
© The People’s Brief | September 15th, 2025
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When you look at the gender pie, it’s clear females learners are working harder than their male counterparts. Watch out for the consequences of these results. In a way, it portrays a progressive trajectory towards balancing power dynamics giving females a good chance for professional jobs. For the males, they better wake up and work hard otherwise they will remain cadres, thieves and street beggers.
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The general trend is that the boy child is getting left behind. If you look at the technical schools established they are almost exclusively for girls. The girl child has a wider choice in terms of good secondary schools whereas there is almost nothing for the boy child. On the Copperbelt, we have Ndola Tech for girls, Fatima and Ibenga. The boy child had Chiwala Secondary School which is now like a haunted house, a shadow of its former self.
This inbalance will have dire consequences for the nation, with households being headed by women since they will have the financial clout.