A Zimbabwean genius student has stunned the nation after scoring an extraordinary 56 points at Advanced Level, one of the highest academic achievements ever recorded in the country.
Mukudzei Zivei, a learner from Pamushana High School, passed 12 A-Level subjects with distinction, earning an average of 4.67 points per subject, equivalent to a 93.4% overall mark. At A-Level, a distinction is five points, meaning his results place him among the very best academic performers Zimbabwe has ever produced.
Mukudzei took on a demanding mix of science, technology and business subjects: Pure Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Additional Mathematics, Mechanical Mathematics, Software Engineering, Accounting, Economics, Crop Science and Statistics. He passed every single one with flying colours and now plans to study Aerospace and Systems Engineering at university.
His achievement has drawn admiration across the country and reignited debate about how far academic excellence can be pushed within Zimbabwe’s education system.
Not the first Zimbabwean Genius from the same school
Mukudzei is not the first learner at his school to reach this level. In 2022, another student from the same institution scored 50 points after sitting an unusually high number of A-Level subjects, showing a growing trend of exceptional but extreme academic workloads.
However, his success has also prompted the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to introduce new rules.
The ministry has now instructed schools to stop registering learners for more than nine subjects at Ordinary Level and more than three principal subjects at Advanced Level. The move is aimed at protecting learner welfare, maintaining curriculum standards and ensuring depth of understanding rather than academic overload.
Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the decision follows concerns that some learners are being pushed into taking excessive numbers of subjects.
“To ensure depth of learning, quality of instruction and the integrity of learner outcomes, the ministry has instituted a cap on the number of examinable subjects,” Ndoro said.
“The standard is a maximum of nine subjects at Ordinary Level and three principal subjects at Advanced Level under the Heritage-Based Curriculum.”
He added that universities locally and internationally require only three A-Level subjects for entry, making the practice of sitting 10 or more subjects unnecessary and potentially harmful.
Zimbabwean genius, Mukudzei, revealed that he attended only one lesson per subject per week, while special arrangements were made with ZIMSEC to allow him to sit some exams alone due to timetable clashes. The ministry now says such arrangements will no longer be allowed under the new policy.
The government says the new limits are designed to prevent burnout, protect academic standards and ensure learners gain deep understanding rather than shallow, overloaded knowledge.
While the policy change will restrict future learners from following Mukudzei’s path, his achievement remains historic.
In a country facing persistent economic challenges, limited resources, and ongoing skills shortages, his story has come to stand as a powerful symbol of Zimbabwe’s intellectual potential. It serves as a reminder that despite structural constraints, world-class talent can and does emerge from local classrooms.
With the right encouragement, discipline, and access to opportunity, young Zimbabweans are able to compete confidently on the global stage, challenging long-held assumptions about where excellence comes from and what is possible within the country.
Mukudzei Zivei’s success goes beyond impressive results or academic rankings. It is a story driven by discipline, curiosity, and a strong dedication to learning. His journey offers a glimpse of a future in which Zimbabwe nurtures engineers, scientists, and innovators capable of solving complex problems and making significant contributions to global knowledge and technological progress. Zimbabwe’s greatest resource may well be the talent it continues to cultivate.
