Every year thousands of parents and guardians turn to the Electronic Ministry Application Platform (eMAP) to secure Form One boarding school places for their children.
This post will show you how you can use that system to apply fast and hopefully get your preffered school for your child.
When Will eMAP Applications for 2026 Open?
The official dates for the eMAP 2026 Form One application have not yet been confirmed. Parents and guardians should keep checking www.emap.co.zw and this page for updates.
For context, last year (for the 2025 intake), the eMAP Zimbabwe portal opened on 1 November 2024. Parents were able to log in, create accounts, and select their five preferred schools even before Grade 7 results were released. However, no school made final selections until ZIMSEC results came out in December.
This meant some parents had to go back to the emap.co.zw login page and adjust their school choices once results were out — especially if their child’s points did not match the cut-off for the schools they had initially selected.
👉 Our advice for 2026:
Boarding places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so timely adjustments are critical.
Apply to your top five schools early as soon as the portal opens.
Once Grade 7 results are released, log in again and make changes quickly if needed.
Remember, if all five schools reject your application, the system allows you to reapply to five more schools.
You can find information on how to view the Grade Seven results online here to prepare in advance.
How Are eMAP 2026 Applications Processed?
You will only be notified by SMS if your child’s application is accepted or rejected — and this happens after the Grade 7 results are released, since those results are central to the selection process.
It’s strongly advisable to submit your application as soon as the eMAP Zimbabwe 2026 portal opens. Boarding school places are very limited, and competition is fierce.
For example, in 2024, there were only 25,000 boarding places available against 393,000 Grade 7 candidates nationwide.
Even though not every candidate applied for a boarding place, demand still far exceeded the available slots. Because of this, admission is based on a first-come, first-served system, provided your child meets the school’s minimum cut-off units.
If you want to look for a place for a child who did their primary school outside Zimbabwe e.g. in South Africa or Botswana you can check the FAQ section below for how you can go about it.
How to apply for a Form One 2026 Boarding School Place in Zimbabwe using the eMAP system
Follow these steps to apply once the www.emap.co.zw 2026 application portal is open.
Step 1: Access the Emap application portal
Visit www.emap.co.zw and click on the link close to the bottom of the page that says ‘If you do not have an account please Sign Up Here‘.
Read and understand the instructions and click on ‘I understand‘.
Step 2: Create an eMap Form One Application 2026 account
On the Emap account creation page enter the required details including centre number, candidate number and date of birth using the details that appear on the pupil’s result slip.
After you are done confirm that the former school has cleared the pupil and proceed.
On the next form, you must fill in the fields for your mobile number, email (it’s listed as an optional field), password of your choice, and confirm password.
Make sure you keep the password safe as you will need it to log in and check the status of your application.
Click ‘Register‘ once you are happy with the details.
Step 3: Sign In To The eMap Application Account
Your account will now be set up and you can then sign in using the link provided to begin the application process. If the link does not work you can click here to go to the sign-in page.
On the page enter the centre number, candidate number and password in the respective fields then click the sign-in button.
Step 4: Choose The Schools You Want
Click where it says ”Apply for Form 1 place” then select the province and district of your choice.
You will see a list of available boarding schools. Choose the school you want and click apply. Repeat the process for the remaining fourteen schools of your choice.
Be Careful Here! Once you apply to a school you can't change it. In other words, make sure you apply for the schools you want as there is no way of changing a school once you have applied.
OpenClass offers current profiles and reviews of schools to assist you in selecting the best one you can afford for your child.
Ensure you gather all the necessary information about schools well in advance to make an informed choice.
This approach will simplify the process of selecting the top 5 schools suited to your specific situation.
Step 5: Check The Status Of Your Application
You can follow up on your Form 1 online application 2026 by clicking on the Check Status of Application button anytime you log in.
That's it you are done. That is how to apply for a Form 1 boarding place online in Zimbabwe.
Once You Have Finished Your Form One Online eMap Application Please Take Of The Following
Your application can show any one of the following statuses:
Pending – application still under consideration
Accepted – you have been offered a place
Processed – once a particular school has accepted your child, all the other outstanding schools’ statuses will automatically be changed to ‘Processed‘.
Rejected – your application was unsuccessful
- Once you decline an offer there is no guarantee that you will get the same offer back
- The offering of a place is done randomly from your shortlisted schools.
Tips On How To Get The Most Out Of The 2026 Zimbabwe Online Boarding Application
Follow these tips to make the online Emap application faster and easier.
Check out the comprehensive school profiles ahead of time
Get to know about the conditions at the schools you intend to apply to ahead of time. You can check the updated profiles on this website for that.
The profiles include up-to-date contact details for the schools, enabling you to reach out for more information if needed.
It's crucial to review the cut-off unit requirements for schools while doing your research.
For instance, a school like Langham High requires a maximum of 8 units and your child has fifteen, applying there would be unproductive.
You can also join our groups and get reviews from other parents. The links to the groups are below:
You can even join our newsletter under this article to be alerted via email whenever we publish or update a school profile.
By joining us on social media, you'll access a wealth of information that will simplify your school selection process.
(Know any parents also looking for a Form One place for 2026? Share this article with them so that they can also make an informed decision.)
Attend school open days
Whenever possible, attend school open days to gain firsthand insights and more detailed information about specific schools. This guide will help you get the most out of school visits on open days.
We also have a guide that will help you evaluate private boarding schools.
Shortlist at least 20 schools
While you can apply to a maximum of 5 schools, consider shortlisting at least 20.
This strategy prevents rushed decisions if your top choices are full by the time you apply. It's important to avoid selecting schools purely to meet the quota without conducting thorough research on them first.
You might find yourself applying to a school that is unaffordable, too distant, or has substandard boarding facilities by your criteria.
Apply early
For the 2026 Zimbabwe Form One boarding school allocations, which operate on a first-come, first-served basis, it's essential to apply early.
This is particularly important for popular schools expected to experience high demand. Early application can significantly increase your chances of securing a place at your preferred school.
This is why it is important to do your research well ahead of time.
We will assist you apply early by promptly notifying you on our platforms when the application platform opens. This is one more reason you should join our social media accounts.
Start buying essentials for your Form One child ahead of time
While this advice isn't directly related to the 2026 Emap online application, gradually acquiring basic items like stationery and trunks can alleviate the pressure of last-minute preparations.
We have put together a list of the general requirements for a Form One boarder in Zimbabwe.
If you have any questions or tips to help other parents please share them in the comments below.
Below is the official announcement of the opening dates of the platform for 2025 (click to enlarge).
Frequently Asked Questions On How To Apply For A Form One Place On eMap for 2026
Visit www.emap.co.zw and click on the link close to the bottom of the page that says ‘If you do not have an account please Sign Up Here‘.
Read and understand the instructions and click on ‘I understand‘. Enter the child's details on the next page.
You can't change a school once you have applied on the eMap platform. Your best chance is to be rejected at all five schools and then reapply. So take your time and make sure you apply to the schools you want.
No, you can't and there is no guarantee that if you reapply to the same school you will get accepted again. So be careful with rejecting offers.
Yes, you can.
Currently, you can apply to a maximum of fifteen schools at once
The application platform will be closed on 31 December 2025. However, you should apply early to increase your chances of getting a place at your preferred school.
You can log in to the account and click ‘Check Status of Application‘. Zimsec says it will send notification SMS's as well but it's best to check for yourself time and again.
Reapply again to fifteen schools. However, this is highly unlikely if you've conducted thorough research, as you'll apply to schools that match your child's results more closely.
There is no prescribed waiting time. The time taken to process the application depends on the school of your choice.
This is a special case. You will have to take your papers and approach the nearest provincial education office to present your case. You will be given further instructions there.
You can visit www.openclass.co.zw and you will see profiles of high schools there. There you will also learn about the uniforms and fees of the various listed schools in Zimbabwe.
It means that one particular school has accepted your child and the status of all other schools changes to ‘Processed‘.
It will be open from the 1st of November to the 31st of December 2025.
This is very helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Helpful
kindly notify me when the portal opens
I would like to register my appreciation on the way the eMAP was presented ,this was really good keep it up.
Well done it was really helpful