Dar es Salaam — A TOTAL of 133,655 registered candidates are sitting for the 2026 Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE), which begins today across Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.
According to the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA), another 14,679 candidates have registered for Teacher Education Examinations under both revised and old curricula, also commencing today.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, NECTA Executive Secretary, Professor Said Mohamed, said that among the 133,655 ACSEE candidates, 126,578 are school candidates while 7,077 are private candidates.
He noted that among school candidates, 64,187 are boys (50.71 per cent) and 62,391 are girls (49.29 per cent).
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
A total of 214 candidates have special needs, including 178 with low vision, 18 who are blind, five with hearing impairments and 13 with physical disabilities.
For private candidates, 4,259 are male (60.18 per cent) and 2,818 are female (39.82 per cent). Among special needs, including 14 with low vision and one with vision impairment.
Regarding teacher education examinations, Prof Mohamed said that out of the 14,679 registered candidates, 12,789 will sit for diploma-level teaching examinations under the revised curriculum aligned with the 2014 Education and Training Policy (2023 Edition).
Of these, 10,674 candidates are enroled in the Primary Education Diploma programme, including 3,830 men (35.88 per cent) and 6,844 women (64.12 per cent).
Meanwhile, 1,379 candidates are taking the Early Childhood Education Diploma, comprising 317 men (22.99 per cent) and 1,062 women (77.01 per cent).
In addition, 736 candidates will sit for the Special Needs Education Diploma examination, including 326 men (44.29 per cent) and 410 women (55.71 per cent).
Among candidates under the revised curriculum, 42 have special needs, including 17 with low vision, 18 with vision impairment, two with hearing impairments and five with physical disabilities.
Prof Mohamed further said that 1,540 candidates have registered for teacher education examinations under the old curriculum at diploma level, specifically in science and mathematics subjects.
Of these, 1,017 are male (66.04 per cent) and 523 are female (33.96 per cent), with two candidates having special needs.
He added that 329 candidates have registered for re-sit examinations under the old curriculum at diploma level for secondary education, including 193 men (58.66 per cent) and 136 women (41.34 per cent).
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
At certificate level, 21 candidates are registered, including eight men (38.10 per cent) and 13 women (61.90 per cent).
Prof Mohamed assured the public that all preparations for the examinations have been completed, including the distribution of question papers, answer booklets and other essential materials to all regions in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
The ACSEE is being conducted at 1,068 secondary schools and 226 centres for private candidates, while teacher education examinations are taking place in 104 teachers' colleges.
He emphasised that the ACSEE is crucial for students and the nation, as it assesses the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired over two years of advanced secondary education.
The results are used to select students for admission into universities and other higher learning institutions.
Prof Mohamed also urged regional and council examination committees to ensure maximum security at all examination centres and strict adherence to NECTA guidelines, calling on supervisors to report on time and perform their duties with integrity.
He warned that NECTA will not tolerate any form of examination malpractice, stressing that any candidate found cheating will have their results nullified in accordance with examination regulations.
