Frequently asked questions

You have four main routes: A Level at a school or college, a National Certificate at a polytechnic, a vocational or trade course at a training centre, or an apprenticeship. A Level is the most common, but it is not the only way into a diploma or a degree later. Search School Seeker by the subjects you passed and you will see which programmes at each type of institution accept O Level results directly.

Neither is better. A Level is the longer route and keeps university options open. A polytechnic National Certificate is shorter, more practical, and can lead to a National Diploma and then a degree, often while you work. The right choice depends on how soon you need to earn and what you want to do. Compare both side by side on School Seeker with your actual results.

Plenty. Many programmes in the arts, humanities, hospitality, agriculture, media and some commercial fields do not require a Maths pass, and others accept it as an alternative to another subject. The idea that no Maths means no options is one of the most common and most costly myths in Zimbabwe. Enter your results on School Seeker and see exactly which programmes still accept you.

Most colleges ask for five O Level passes at grade C or better, usually including English. Some programmes require Maths or a science; others require particular subjects related to the course. The number alone is not the whole story, so check the requirements for each specific programme rather than the institution as a whole.

Yes. You can resit subjects with ZIMSEC, take a bridging or foundation course, or start with a vocational or trade qualification that asks for fewer passes and builds from there. Many people reach a diploma this way. Use School Seeker to find programmes that match the passes you already have, then decide whether resitting is worth it.

Vocational training centres and polytechnics run courses in areas including motor mechanics, electrical and electronic engineering, building, welding, hospitality and catering, agriculture, garment construction, hairdressing and ICT. Entry requirements are generally lower than for A Level and the courses are shorter. School Seeker lists vocational centres alongside universities so you can weigh them against each other.

That depends on your points and your subject combination, not on your points alone. A programme can ask for a certain number of points and for specific subjects, so two students with identical points can qualify for very different things. Enter your subjects and grades on School Seeker and you will get the list of programmes that accept both.

It varies by programme, not by university. Competitive programmes such as medicine, engineering and law ask for high points, while many others accept far fewer. There is no single national cut-off. School Seeker holds the published requirement for each programme, so you can see where your points land across every institution at once.

You have more options than you have been told. Many degree programmes accept modest points, and a National Diploma at a polytechnic can take you to a degree afterwards, sometimes with credit for what you have already done. Resitting is also an option but rarely the only one. Check what your current points already qualify you for before assuming you need better ones.

Usually yes. Two passes in relevant subjects, together with the required O Level passes, is the common minimum for degree entry in Zimbabwe. The passes normally have to be in subjects the programme lists. The number of passes gets you considered; the subjects and points decide which programmes.

More than teaching and law. Arts subjects open routes into media and journalism, marketing, tourism and hospitality, development studies, psychology, public administration, languages, social work and much of the commercial field. Filter School Seeker by your subjects and you will see the full list rather than the handful people usually name.

Often yes. Programmes list the subjects they require, and for many the list is broader than students expect. Where a subject is genuinely required, a certificate or diploma in the field can get you in without repeating A Level, and some institutions run bridging courses. Check the requirement on the programme itself before assuming one missing subject rules you out.

Each grade carries points: A is 5, B is 4, C is 3, D is 2 and E is 1. Your total is normally your best three subjects, so three Bs give you 12 points. School Seeker adds this up for you as you enter your grades, then shows what that total reaches.

A certificate is the shortest and most practical, usually entered after O Level. A diploma is longer, more specialised, and often entered after a certificate or A Level. A degree takes three to five years and is offered by universities. They are steps on the same ladder rather than separate worlds: a National Certificate can lead to a National Diploma, and a diploma can lead to a degree.

Universities award degrees and carry out research. Polytechnics award national certificates, diplomas and higher national diplomas, with a strongly practical focus and close ties to industry. Technical and vocational colleges concentrate on trade and skills training over shorter periods. Entry requirements and fees generally fall in that same order, and the routes connect: a polytechnic diploma can lead to a degree later.

English at O Level is required almost everywhere. Maths is required for science, engineering, commerce and most computing programmes, but not for many arts, humanities and social science programmes. Check the individual programme rather than assuming, because this single requirement stops more people than it needs to.

Nursing programmes typically require five O Level passes including English, Maths and Science, and many now ask for A Level passes in sciences such as Biology and Chemistry. Requirements differ between training schools and degree programmes, so compare them directly rather than relying on what one institution asks.

Engineering degrees normally require A Level Maths and Physics, sometimes with Chemistry depending on the branch, plus O Level English and Maths. Engineering diplomas at polytechnics ask for less and are a genuine route into the same field. Both appear side by side on School Seeker with their published requirements.

Universities and their individual degree programmes are registered with the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. Polytechnics, teachers' colleges and vocational centres are registered through the relevant ministry and examining bodies. Accreditation applies programme by programme, so an accredited university can still run a programme that is not yet accredited. Ask which body accredits the specific programme, and treat an institution that cannot answer as having answered. School Seeker's catalogue is built from the official registers.

Yes, where they are registered and their programmes accredited by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, on the same terms as state universities. Several of Zimbabwe's long established private universities are church founded. Recognition follows accreditation rather than ownership, so check the register for the specific programme rather than assuming private means lesser, or that public means safe.

There is no single best university for every student. The right university for you depends on what you want to study, your results, entry requirements, location, budget and what you value in an institution. A university that is a strong option for engineering may not be the best fit for someone interested in medicine, business, agriculture or the arts. School Seeker helps you compare universities and other institutions on the courses they offer and your own results, so you find the best fit for you rather than relying on a general ranking.

Fees vary widely between universities, polytechnics, teachers' colleges and private institutions, and between programmes at the same institution. Laboratory and clinical programmes cost more than classroom ones. The only useful answer is the fee for the specific programme you are considering, which is why School Seeker lists fees in the same field for every programme so you can compare them honestly.

There are government schemes, institutional bursaries, church and mission funds, employer sponsorships and scholarships from foundations and embassies. Most are advertised narrowly and closed before many students hear about them. School Seeker keeps a scholarships section so they sit next to the programmes rather than scattered across noticeboards.

Yes. Zimbabwean students can apply for international scholarships where they meet the eligibility requirements. School Seeker aims to make relevant scholarship opportunities easier to discover alongside local education options, so you can explore more than one pathway.

Yes, though it may not be the route you first pictured. Polytechnics and vocational centres cost less than universities, some programmes can be studied part time while you work, and payment plans and bursaries exist at many institutions. Sort by fees on School Seeker to see what is actually within reach before ruling anything out.

Polytechnic programmes are generally cheaper and shorter than degrees, and they lead to qualifications employers recognise. A National Diploma can also be topped up towards a degree later, spreading the cost over more years. Compare the total cost of both routes rather than the annual fee alone.

There have been government loan and grant schemes at various times, and some banks and institutions offer their own arrangements, but availability changes from year to year. Check the current position with the institution directly before counting on it, and treat any scheme that asks you to pay to apply with suspicion.

Most universities have a mature entry route for applicants above a set age, usually with work experience and sometimes an entrance test in place of the standard points. The rules differ by institution, so check the specific one, but not having the usual A Level profile does not close the door.

Yes. O Level and A Level results do not expire, and many institutions run programmes designed for people already working. Where your results fall short, a certificate or bridging course can get you back on the ladder. Enter the results you have on School Seeker and see what they still open, whether you sat them last year or twenty years ago.

Yes. Many institutions run parallel, block release, evening, weekend and distance programmes aimed at people in full time work. They usually cost more per year than conventional programmes but let you keep earning. Look for the study mode on each programme page.

Start from the qualifications you already hold rather than from scratch. A certificate or diploma in the new field is often enough to move across, and some programmes give credit for prior learning or relevant work experience. Browse the programmes that lead into the field you want on School Seeker, then work backwards to the entry requirements.

School Seeker is an education discovery platform that helps people find suitable institutions, courses, scholarships and educational pathways. Instead of searching through university and college websites one by one, you explore the options in one place and use your qualifications and interests to narrow them down. The goal is simple: help you answer "What can I do next?" with options relevant to you.

No. Searching the catalogue, comparing programmes and getting matches is free, and you do not need an account to use it.

From the institutions themselves and the official registers, including the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. Where a programme's entry requirement has not been published or confirmed, we say so on the programme rather than guessing at a number.

It compares your results against the published entry requirements for every programme we hold: your best three A Level points, or your count of O Level passes, plus the subjects each programme requires. Programmes you meet are shown as matches, and ones you narrowly miss are shown separately so you can see how close you are. Nothing is hidden because an institution did or did not pay us.