Dar es Salaam. The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) has cancelled the results of 58 Advance Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE) candidates after they were caught cheating during this year’s Form Six examinations, including using mobile phones to access ChatGPT for answers while sitting the exams.
The announcement came as NECTA reported another year of strong academic performance, with the number of students attaining Division I increasing significantly and the overall pass rate remaining above 99 percent.
Speaking at a press briefing in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, on Monday, NECTA Executive Secretary Prof. Said A. Mohamed said 133,647 candidates registered for the 2026 Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE), with 125,056 of the 125,320 candidates whose results were processed passing in Divisions I to IV.
More than 67,000 students attained Division I this year, continuing an upward trend in top-level performance. A total of 67,696 candidates, equivalent to 54.09 percent, earned the highest division compared with 61,120 candidates, or 48.57 percent, in 2025—an increase of 5.52 percentage points.
Despite the improved performance, Prof. Mohamed said NECTA had taken disciplinary action against candidates found to have violated examination regulations.
“The methods of cheating varied,” he said. “Some candidates entered examination rooms with unauthorized notes, others collaborated during the examination, while some were caught with mobile phones using ChatGPT to search for answers online.”
The council said the cancelled results send a clear message that technological tools, including artificial intelligence applications, cannot be used to gain an unfair advantage in national examinations.
In a separate development, NECTA withheld the results of 190 candidates due to various circumstances, including health-related reasons. Those students will be allowed to retake the examinations in 2027 in accordance with NECTA regulations.
The council also announced the suspension of Excellence Open School in Manyara Region from administering future national examinations after it was found to have breached examination management procedures.
