AGCE Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
Examine society, language and place through BMIT’s eight-subject AGCSE combination across Forms 1–4.
About the course
Examine society, language and place through BMIT’s eight-subject AGCSE combination across Forms 1–4. TjiKalanga, English and Business Enterprise Skills are compulsory. Mathematics, History, Geography, Literature in English, and Family and Religious Studies form the five-subject pathway, with local evidence and respectful discussion central to your learning.
What you'll learn
Present an evidence-based account in TjiKalanga and English.
Compare historical sources and explain differences in interpretation.
Use maps, numerical evidence and field observations to investigate a place.
Support a literary or ethical interpretation with relevant evidence.
Develop an enterprise idea which respects community knowledge and cultural resources.
Requirements
Prepare with primary-level literacy, numeracy and a regular study routine. Tell your teacher which language or learning support you need.
Arrange access to required books, a suitable device and the supervised practical or fieldwork facilities for your subjects. Confirm BMIT entry arrangements and examination registration separately.
Course content
Eight subjects across Forms 1–4. TjiKalanga, English Language and Business Enterprise Skills are compulsory in every pathway. The five pathway subjects complete your programme.
2 learning stages 8 subjects
1Forms 1–47 subjects
2Forms 1–2 foundation, Forms 3–4 subject study1 subjects
Subjects in this programme
Eight subjects across Forms 1–4. TjiKalanga, English Language and Business Enterprise Skills are compulsory in every pathway. The five pathway subjects complete your programme.
8 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Forms 1–4
- TjiKalanga (Kalanga). Develop your use of TjiKalanga through reading, conversation, listening and writing. You will work with local accounts and everyday situations, then produce longer explanations and creative responses. Language practice connects accuracy with meaning, audience and purpose throughout Forms 1–4. Compulsory common subject
- English Language. Develop the English you need for study, work and everyday communication. You will read varied texts, discuss their meaning and practise writing for different audiences. Increasingly demanding tasks build control of structure, vocabulary, grammar and evidence across Forms 1–4. Compulsory common subject
- Business Enterprise Skills. Study how a practical business idea develops into an organised enterprise. You will investigate customers, compare choices about resources and prepare a business plan. Local enterprises provide the setting for applying finance, marketing and management across Forms 1–4. Compulsory common subject
- Mathematics. Build mathematical fluency through connected work on number, algebra, shape and data. You will use diagrams, symbolic expressions and calculations to solve increasingly demanding problems. Tasks develop both accuracy and the ability to explain your reasoning across Forms 1–4. Pathway subject
- History. Study historical change through Zimbabwean, African and wider world experiences. You will compare accounts, examine evidence and explain how political, social and economic conditions shaped events. Written work develops from organised description to sustained, evidence-based argument. Pathway subject
- Geography. Investigate places and the relationships between people and their environments. You will interpret maps and data, study physical processes and examine resource use. Field observation and Southern African examples connect geographical knowledge with decisions about settlements, livelihoods and environmental care. Pathway subject
- Family and Religious Studies. Examine religion and family life through a respectful study of different traditions. You will compare beliefs and practices, consider their social settings and discuss ethical questions. Activities develop careful interpretation, informed dialogue and respect for people with different perspectives. Pathway subject
Forms 1–2 foundation, Forms 3–4 subject study
- Literature in English. Read prose, poetry and drama with growing attention to language and interpretation. You will discuss different responses and learn to support your own reading with textual evidence. Introductory reading in Forms 1–2 prepares you for the separate Forms 3–4 literature programme. Pathway subject
Assessment and practical learning
- Regular language, subject-knowledge and problem-solving tasks with feedback.
- A subject portfolio containing written work and relevant oral, digital, field or supervised practical evidence.
- A BMIT integrated project and mock examinations. The registered examination centre must confirm ZIMSEC assessment arrangements and school-based project requirements.
Practical application
Prepare a community heritage and place portfolio with permission from contributors. Combine an oral-history account, a map or geographical dataset, a literary response and an enterprise proposal. Distinguish evidence from interpretation, acknowledge contributors and present selected work in TjiKalanga and English.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Forms 1–4
TjiKalanga (Kalanga)Compulsory common subject
Develop your use of TjiKalanga through reading, conversation, listening and writing. You will work with local accounts and everyday situations, then produce longer explanations and creative responses. Language practice connects accuracy with meaning, audience and purpose throughout Forms 1–4.
Learning outcomes
- Interpret spoken and written TjiKalanga in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- Write coherent texts using suitable vocabulary, grammar and register.
- Present and discuss ideas while respecting speakers and cultural context.
Main topics
- Listening for meaning and accurate retelling
- Conversation, pronunciation and oral presentation
- Reading comprehension and interpretation
- Vocabulary, grammar and sentence construction
- Register, functional writing and composition
- Oral traditions, creative writing and translation
Practical task
Record an agreed local oral account with permission, prepare a written version and discuss language choices with your teacher.
Assessment
Listening and reading tasks, an oral presentation, functional writing and a revised composition portfolio.
English LanguageCompulsory common subject
Develop the English you need for study, work and everyday communication. You will read varied texts, discuss their meaning and practise writing for different audiences. Increasingly demanding tasks build control of structure, vocabulary, grammar and evidence across Forms 1–4.
Learning outcomes
- Interpret information and implied meaning in spoken and written texts.
- Write clearly for different purposes and audiences.
- Present a reasoned viewpoint and revise language using feedback.
Main topics
- Listening, note taking and oral instructions
- Discussion, presentation and register
- Reading comprehension and inference
- Vocabulary, grammar and editing
- Functional, descriptive and narrative writing
- Argument, summary writing and examination responses
Practical task
Prepare an English report and short presentation about a local issue, using information you have checked and acknowledged.
Assessment
Comprehension, listening and speaking tasks, edited writing, summaries and timed written responses.
Business Enterprise SkillsCompulsory common subject
Study how a practical business idea develops into an organised enterprise. You will investigate customers, compare choices about resources and prepare a business plan. Local enterprises provide the setting for applying finance, marketing and management across Forms 1–4.
Learning outcomes
- Assess a business opportunity using evidence about customers and resources.
- Prepare a simple enterprise plan with realistic costs and operating decisions.
- Explain how finance, people, marketing and operations affect performance.
Main topics
- Enterprise and the business environment
- Business ideas, ownership and start-up
- Planning, objectives and implementation
- Business finance, costs and financial records
- People management and operations
- Customer research, marketing and business growth
Practical task
Develop a small enterprise proposal with customer research, a cost estimate, an operating plan and a presentation.
Assessment
Business case questions, planning exercises, calculations and a documented enterprise project with an oral explanation.
MathematicsPathway subject
Build mathematical fluency through connected work on number, algebra, shape and data. You will use diagrams, symbolic expressions and calculations to solve increasingly demanding problems. Tasks develop both accuracy and the ability to explain your reasoning across Forms 1–4.
Learning outcomes
- Select a suitable mathematical method for a stated problem.
- Carry out calculations and represent relationships accurately.
- Explain a solution and judge whether the result is reasonable.
Main topics
- Number, sets, money and financial calculations
- Algebra, equations, variation and graphs
- Geometry, measures and mensuration
- Trigonometry and spatial reasoning
- Statistics and probability
- Vectors, matrices and transformations
Practical task
Investigate a measurement, budgeting or data problem and present your calculations, assumptions and interpretation.
Assessment
Short exercises, multistep problems, data interpretation and timed written assessments showing full working.
HistoryPathway subject
Study historical change through Zimbabwean, African and wider world experiences. You will compare accounts, examine evidence and explain how political, social and economic conditions shaped events. Written work develops from organised description to sustained, evidence-based argument.
Learning outcomes
- Place events in context and explain causes and consequences.
- Compare historical sources and evaluate their limitations.
- Construct an argument supported by relevant historical evidence.
Main topics
- Historical evidence and early societies
- Zimbabwean states and regional relationships
- Colonial expansion, administration and resistance
- Nationalism, liberation and independence
- Post-independence change and governance
- World conflict and regional or international co-operation
Practical task
Investigate a local historical question using agreed oral or written sources and explain where accounts agree, differ or leave gaps.
Assessment
Source-based questions, chronological and thematic explanations, extended writing and a historical enquiry portfolio.
GeographyPathway subject
Investigate places and the relationships between people and their environments. You will interpret maps and data, study physical processes and examine resource use. Field observation and Southern African examples connect geographical knowledge with decisions about settlements, livelihoods and environmental care.
Learning outcomes
- Interpret maps, geographical data and field observations.
- Explain interactions between physical processes and human activity.
- Evaluate a resource or land-use decision using evidence.
Main topics
- Maps, spatial representation and geographical data
- Weather, climate and environmental processes
- Landforms, ecosystems and water resources
- Population, settlements and land use
- Agriculture, mining, industry and energy
- Transport, trade, environmental management and fieldwork
Practical task
Complete a permitted local field enquiry, using a map, recorded observations and a simple dataset to answer a geographical question.
Assessment
Map work, data-response tasks, structured explanations and a fieldwork report.
Family and Religious StudiesPathway subject
Examine religion and family life through a respectful study of different traditions. You will compare beliefs and practices, consider their social settings and discuss ethical questions. Activities develop careful interpretation, informed dialogue and respect for people with different perspectives.
Learning outcomes
- Describe beliefs and practices accurately and respectfully.
- Compare religious perspectives without stereotyping communities.
- Explain a reasoned response to an ethical or social question.
Main topics
- Approaches to religion and respectful comparison
- Indigenous Religion in community life
- Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- Beliefs, practices, rites and religious practitioners
- Family, identity, education and social relationships
- Ethics, rights, environment and social responsibility
Practical task
Compare accounts of a family or community practice using suitable learning materials and explain both shared features and differences.
Assessment
Structured knowledge questions, comparative responses, ethical case analysis and a reflective enquiry portfolio.
Forms 1–2 foundation, Forms 3–4 subject study
Literature in EnglishPathway subject
Read prose, poetry and drama with growing attention to language and interpretation. You will discuss different responses and learn to support your own reading with textual evidence. Introductory reading in Forms 1–2 prepares you for the separate Forms 3–4 literature programme.
Learning outcomes
- Explain how a writer uses language and form to create meaning.
- Compare interpretations using evidence from a text.
- Develop a coherent personal response in writing or performance.
Main topics
- Reading prose, poetry and drama
- Setting, character and plot
- Language, imagery and literary technique
- Themes, context and different interpretations
- Personal response and critical appreciation
- Evidence-based literary essays and performance
Practical task
Prepare a close reading or short performance of an approved text, explaining the choices which shape your interpretation.
Assessment
Passage-based responses, comparative discussion, literary essays and a reading or performance portfolio.
Instructors
