Zimbabwe's National Student Technology Skills Championship. Certify. Build. Pitch.
Enter the PMI Project Management track at EPCON. Earn the PMI Project Management Ready certification, plan and deliver a real school or community project with your team, and compete for a place among the four finalist teams who pitch live to industry judges at the national finals on 3–4 December 2027.
Register for EPCONUS$100 · or 3 installments of $45 + $35 + $30 · Team of 2–4
Plan And Deliver A Real School Or Community Project
Not a mock exercise. A real project with a plan, a budget and a close-out report, judged on planning and delivery against plan, not on size.Every Organization Runs on Projects. Learn to Deliver Them.
See what the EPCON season looks like, from your first practice test to the finals stage.
Three Things Employers And Universities Actually Look For
Ideas are everywhere. People who can plan them, run them and finish them on time and on budget are not. EPCON leaves you with proof that you can.
A Global Credential
PMI Project Management Ready, from the Project Management Institute through Certiport, the first step on the PMI certification pathway.
A Real Project
A real school or community project your team planned, delivered and closed out, documented like the professionals do.
Employer Exposure
Every capstone is judged by a national panel. The strongest four pitch live to industry judges at the national finals.
Your 2027 EPCON Season
One season, three stages, and a national stage at the end of it.
Certify
Prepare with LearnKey and GMetrix, then pass your PMI Project Management Ready exam by 17 September 2027, at school or a nearby Certiport Authorized Testing Center. Write it whenever you’re ready; retakes run until 1 October. Your first-attempt score sets your provincial and national ranking.
Build
Plan and deliver a real school or community project with your team of 2 to 4, then submit your plan, schedule, budget, risk log and close-out report online by 5 November 2027. A national panel judges every capstone.
Pitch
The four strongest project teams present what they planned and what they delivered, live at the national finals, for Best Capstone.
Stand Out
Leave as a certified graduate with a delivered project to show employers, and a first step towards PMI’s CAPM certification.
Decided by Your Exam Result
Only your first attempt counts. Highest score ranks first; on a tie, the shorter exam time ranks higher, following Certiport World Championship rules.
Decided by A National Panel
Every capstone is judged nationally online. Your exam score plays no part.
Real Project. Real Team. Real Proof of Skill.
Choose a real project at your school or in your community, such as an event, a fundraiser, a clean-up, a club program or a small renovation, and run it from start to finish.
Initiate
Define the project, its purpose, its stakeholders and what success looks like, in a short project charter.
Plan The Schedule
Break the work into tasks, set milestones and assign every task to a team member.
Plan The Budget And Risks
Estimate costs, find the money or resources, and keep a risk log with your responses.
Deliver
Run the project, track progress against the plan and manage the changes that come up.
Close Out
Compare what you delivered with what you planned, and record the lessons learned.
Submit
Submit your plan, schedule, budget, risk log and close-out report online by 5 November 2027.
Team capstone of 2 to 4. Every team member registers, certifies and is ranked individually. A small project, well planned and well delivered, beats a big one that drifts. Need teammates? Find a teammate →
Everything You Need to Certify And Compete
$45 + $35 + $30
This Is What You'll Walk Away With
Every certified graduate earns an official PMI Project Management Ready certificate, recognized by employers worldwide.
Sample shown for illustration. Your certificate carries your name and certification details.
Press Play. Join The SkillHackers.
PMI Project Management Ready Is Step One on Your PMI Pathway
After EPCON, keep building. Entering a second track yourself also earns a 10% multi-track discount (15% for three or more).
CAPM
PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management, for when you are ready to go further.
Microsoft Office Specialist (Excel)
Build schedules, budgets and trackers that projects run on.
Entrepreneurship & Small Business
Plan and launch a venture the way you would run a project.
Going through A Tough Season? Apply for Sponsorship.
EPCON sponsorship is for students who are financially disadvantaged or going through a rough patch. When you apply, describe your financial situation honestly so sponsors can understand your need.
Applications go to external sponsoring organizations, who make the final decision. Submitting an application does not guarantee sponsorship.
A Transparent Process
Two Divisions, One National Stage
Junior Division · Ages 13–22
Secondary and early tertiary students competing for national rankings, Best Capstone and People’s Choice.
Open Division · Up to Age 25
University students and recent graduates competing for national rankings, Best Capstone and People’s Choice.
Open to students in all 10 provinces. No provincial rounds and no travel: you write at school, or at a nearby testing center we arrange where a school has no computer lab. Rankings are published online and all awards are presented at one national ceremony on 3–4 December 2027 at St John’s College, Harare. Parent or guardian details are required for entrants under 18.
Coach This Track? Get Certified Free.
When at least 5 learners from your school or club register and pay for the PMI Project Management track, the teacher who coaches them gets a complimentary bundle: LearnKey materials, a practice test, the certification exam and a retake. One bundle for every 5 paid learners, up to 3 per track per school, for registrations by 31 March 2027. Schools and clubs entering 10 or more learners on one invoice pay US$90 per entry.
Take It with You
The Choose Your Track guide helps families and schools decide; the information pack covers the whole season. Share them with your parents, your school or your company.
Before You Register
What is EPCON?
EPCON is Zimbabwe's national student technology skills championship. Every competitor certifies and builds a capstone. The strongest capstones in each track pitch live at the national finals on 3–4 December 2027 at St John’s College, Harare.
Which certification does this track include?
PMI Project Management Ready, an entry-level certification from the Project Management Institute that covers the foundations of project management.
Does our project need to be big?
No. Judges score your planning and how well you delivered against your plan, not the size of the project. A small project, well run, can win.
Do I need a team?
Yes, teams of 2 to 4. Every member registers and certifies individually, and certification rankings stay individual. Find a teammate →
What do we submit?
Your project charter, schedule, budget, risk log and close-out report, plus a short demo video and summary like every other track.
Do I need to be certified before the finals?
Yes. EPCON is certification-first: you must pass your PMI Project Management Ready exam by 17 September 2027 (retakes until 1 October) to compete.
How are rankings decided?
All rankings come from your certification result and follow Certiport World Championship rules: the highest score ranks first, and on a tie the shorter exam time ranks higher. The top 10 in each province are published online, the provincial #1 wins a prize, and the national top 3 win prizes at the national ceremony.
Who pitches at the finals?
Every capstone is judged nationally online. The four strongest PMI Project Management capstones are shortlisted to pitch live at the national finals on 3–4 December 2027, and one Best Capstone winner is chosen. Your exam score plays no part in capstone judging.
What is the People’s Choice award?
The four PMI Project Management finalists go up for an online community vote on EPCON, EPCON SkillHack and EdgeCircle. One vote per track per verified account. The winner is revealed at the awards ceremony.
Can I get help paying for registration?
Yes, if you're financially disadvantaged or going through a rough patch. Register for this track, then apply for sponsorship from your EdgeCircle profile and describe your financial situation. Sponsoring institutions choose directly from the applicant pool and we don't influence their decisions, so sponsorship isn't guaranteed. We recommend paying the $45 installment deposit so you can start preparing early. If you're selected, we refund you.
Can my school or club register a group?
Yes. School and club entries are invoiced, and schools and clubs entering 10 or more learners on one invoice pay US$90 per entry. When at least 5 learners from a school or club register and pay for a track, the teacher who coaches them gets a complimentary bundle for that track: LearnKey materials, a practice test, the certification exam and a retake. One bundle for every 5 paid learners, up to 3 per track per school, for registrations by 31 March 2027. Request a school invoice on WhatsApp and our team will set up your learners.
Is there a discount for entering more than one track?
Yes, for one student entering different tracks: 10% off two tracks and 15% off three or more, when you pay for them in full together. Installments are paid per track and aren’t discounted. The group rate and the multi-track discount don’t combine; each learner gets whichever is better.
What if I don’t pass my exam the first time?
Rankings use your first attempt only, so prepare well before you sit. If you don’t pass, you can retake for US$25. You can retake any time before 1 October 2027, even before the 17 September exam deadline. Pass the retake and you are certified, so you can still build, submit your capstone and pitch if you are shortlisted. Registered students can pay for a retake online.
Can our school club enter as a team?
Yes. Many clubs make their capstone the club’s project for the year. Every team member registers and certifies in the track by 1 October 2027, when teams are locked, and teams follow the track’s format. A club can enter several teams in different tracks. Rankings stay individual, and the strongest club in the country wins Club of the Year at the national finals.
Who works with learners, and how are they kept safe?
Teachers, club patrons, mentors and judges. Partner mentors and judges work with learners only through their school or club, with a teacher or patron present or copied in, and never ask learners for personal contact details. Learners keep ownership of their capstone work unless their school agrees otherwise. Parent or guardian details are required for entrants under 18. Learners under 18 should approach companies through their school or club, with a teacher or patron copied in.
Is there somewhere to study if I don’t have internet or power at home?
Yes. Registered students can use an EPCON study lab for US$15 a month, whenever no classes are running. Use one of our computers, or bring your own laptop and use our internet. It’s there for students without internet at home or affected by power cuts. Book a slot on WhatsApp first and we’ll confirm your nearest lab: +263 781 004 006. Registered students can pay for lab access online.
Where do I write the exam?
At your school. Where a school has no computer lab, we are arranging Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs) nearby, and students not in school write at the nearest CATC. There are no provincial rounds and no travel.
Your EPCON Season Starts Here
Certify. Build. Pitch. Deliver a real project with your team and leave as certified graduates.
US$100 · installments available · multi-track discounts · schools are invoiced