By A Correspondent- 2021 Ordinary and Advanced Level examination candidates resumed writing the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) exams on Monday after a two-week break.

O’ Level candidates sat for Biology as well as English Literature papers while A’ Level candidates sat for Physics, with the last exams set to be written on 31 January.

Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa deferred schools opening from 10 January to a date yet to be announced and directed that pupils in non-examination classes should remain at home.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro said the absence of other classes has made it easier for the examinations classes to observe COVID-19 protocols. Said Ndoro:We are very lucky that the exams are being written in an environment where the other learners aren’t there.

So social distancing is very easy to implement. We can make use of more infrastructure than is necessary and we can have more spacing than the spacing that we normally have.

The exams around the country started off smoothly, especially in Bulawayo.

We have gone around schools with the City Health department making sure that all schools are adhering to the protocols of COVID-19.

We are making sure that the standard procedures are in place, such as having thermometers, hand washing bays and the like.

Biology Paper Two, English Literature for A-Level, Physics for A-Level and it all went smoothly and we are glad that even the invigilation process went well.

Our noble and responsive teachers came to the party and managed to invigilate very well so it’s all systems go and there are no challenges and we don’t anticipate challenges until the exams are over.

Ndoro said pupils who test positive for coronavirus will be isolated while they continue to write their exams.-statemedia