Matric Exams Are Written In-Person
Matric Exams, set by the Department of Basic Education, are only to be administered and written in person. There are NO Matric exams written online. Matric exams have assigned exam sessions and exam centres that is communicated to students beforehand.
When Are The Matric Exams Written?
High School: National Senior Certificate
The Matric Exams for High School Students writing the National Senior Certificate exams are scheduled for the October/November exam session or the exam period communicated by the Department of Basic Education.
Adults: Senior Certificate (Amended)
The Matric Exams for adult students writing the Senior Certificate (Amended) are scheduled for the May/June exam session or the exam period communicated by the Department of Basic Education.
Matric Exams Registration
High School: National Senior Certificate
The registration for the National Senior Certificate of High School students are done by the High School the student is attending. The High School registers the student to write the National Senior Certificate and registers their school as an examination centre for their High School students to write at.
Online Exam Registration
You can register online by using the Department of Basic Education e-Services site.
In-Person Exam Registration
Find your nearest Education District Office and register in person.
How To Register Online Or At The District Office
- Complete the registration form
- Include/attach/upload your supporting documents
Documents You Will Need
- Completed registration form
- A certified copy of your ID or birth certificate. Non-South African students will use their passport as identification.
- Repeat candidates must include a copy of their previous highest qualification
- Examination numbers of previous Grade 12 or equivalent exams.
Documents You Have To Take With You To Your Exam
- Exam admission letter
- Proof of identity. This includes ID, passport or birth certificate
- High school students only need their exam admission letter
- Exam timetable
Matric Exam Centre
Matric exams allow for examination centres to be opened where the exams are administered under strict guidelines as set out by the Department of Basic Education.
Location
High School: National Senior Certificate
The location of Matric exam centres for High School Students will usually be at the High School. If the location is not at the High School, the exam centre will be communicated to the student by the High School.
Adults: Senior Certificate (Amended)
When you register online or in person, you will be required to select an examination centre closest to where you live. The Matric exam centres are generally located at schools. The District Office will assist you in selecting the correct exam centre.
Invigilation
The Matric examination centres will have a chief invigilator and regular invigilators. Their job is to ensure that:
- Candidates write their correct identity numbers/exam numbers on their examination answer books
- Each exam session must commence and terminate according to the time specified on the exam timetable
- Invigilators must move around the examination room without disturbing the candidates
- An invigilator may not help a candidate with answering exam questions or explaining “unclear” parts of the exam paper to the candidates
- Invigilators must protect the integrity of the exam paper and not leak it to candidates
- Invigilators must adhere to the special exam requirements of certain subjects
- Invigilators can not invigilate an exam subject that they are teaching
Admission of students to, and their exit from, the examination room
The invigilators have specific duties of the admission of students to, and their exit from, the exam room and they are:
- Every candidate must produce his/her admission letter as well as proof of identity to be admitted to the examination room
- Only in special cases may a candidate be admitted to the examination room after the commencement of the exam but not after the first hour of the exam
- A candidate must be seated at least fifteen minutes before the exam session begin.
- Every candidate has ten minutes of reading time for every question paper. No writing may take place during this time
- A candidate may not leave the exam room during the course of the first hour of the exam session
- Only registered candidates for the exam, the chief invigilator and an authorized representative of the department may be admitted to the exam room
- A candidate may leave the exam room in case of emergency, but only under supervision
Matric Exam Centre Rules
The following rules are mentioned at the beginning of every exam session. This is a copy of those rules:
- The examination will now be conducted in this room for the following subjects: (the invigilator then announces the actual subjects). Candidates who have not entered for these subjects must now leave the examination room.
- No explanation of examination questions may be asked for or given.
- As soon as you have handed in your examination script, you must leave the examination room. You will not be allowed to leave the examination room within the first hour from the start of the session. In an emergency, a candidate may leave the room under supervision.
- A candidate must carefully read and comply with the instructions, which appear on the front cover of his/her answer book and also those on the question paper
- You are not allowed to assist another candidate or try to assist him/her to get help or communicate with anybody other than the invigilators. Any questions should be directed at the invigilator
- You may not create a disturbance in the examination room or behave in an improper or unseemly manner
- You may not disregard the instructions of the invigilator
- Unless otherwise stipulated for an examination, you may not have a book, memorandum, notes, maps, photos or other documents or papers (including unused paper), or other material which may be of help to you in the examination, other than that provided to you by the invigilator and the admission letter in your possession, while you are in the examination room. The excuse that you have forgotten that you had it in your possession will not be accepted.
- Only non-programmable calculators may be used by a candidate in the examination, except in subjects where these are indicated on the question paper as being prohibited
- If you do not obey these instructions, you render yourself liable to suspension from future examinations, and the Department may, in such a case, refuse to give you credit for the examination papers written
- All aids and answer books, as well as the answer sheets issued to you, must be handed in before you leave the examination room
- Read any errata on a specific question paper to the candidate(s) concerned
- You are allowed ten minutes reading time of the question paper before the official commencement of the examination during which NO writing of any kind may take place
Minimum Pass Requirements
High School: National Senior Certificate
An NSC certificate will be issued to a high school candidate meeting the following minimum pass requirements in their exams:
- 40% in your home language subject
- 40% in two other subjects
- You can fail your first additional language subject but then you must achieve:
- 30% in the remaining subjects
- A total of 6 passes are required with an average of 33⅓%
Adults: Senior Certificate (Amended)
A senior certificate (Amended) will be issued to an adult candidate meeting the following minimum pass requirements in their exams:
- Pass three subjects at 40%, one subject must be an official Home Language subject
- Pass two subjects at 30%, one subject must be an official First Additional Language subject
- Achieve a minimum of 20% in the sixth subject
Matric College Matric Courses
Adult Matric/Volwasse Matriek
Matric College offers the Adult Matric Course in both English and Afrikaans via distance learning. If you have not achieved your Matric and are over the age of 21 you can apply to study this course and write the final Matric exams to obtain a Senior Certificate (Amended).
The entry requirements for this course are:
- You are 21 and older when you write your Adult Matric Exams. You can apply as early as 19 years old for this course
- You can read, write and understand English or Afrikaans
- You passed Grade 9 and have proof of certificate or report OR
- You passed a Grade 9 equivalent course (ie. an ABET Certificate) that has two official language subjects
Matric Upgrade
The Matric Upgrade course is available to students who want to improve the Matric marks they received when they wrote the Matric Exams. Matric college offers this course in English or Afrikaans via distance learning. Students can choose subjects they previously wrote or completely new subjects. You can add the results of your new subjects to the existing Matric Certificate you have.
The entry requirements for this course are:
- You already completed Matric
- You have an incomplete Matric result OR a failed Matric report from Umalusi OR a passed Matric Certificate from Umalusi
- You are 21 or older when you write your Matric Upgrade exams. You can apply as early as 19 years old for this course
- You can read, write and understand English or Afrikaans
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Do If I Fail My Matric Exams
If you failed your Matric exams you can have your exam papers:
- Rechecked
- Remarked
- Viewed
Recheck
- An examiner will re-calculate your marks on your exam paper
- You are able to recheck all your Matric exam papers you wrote
- You Pay R29.00 per paper to the Department of Education to have your papers rechecked
Remark
- Your exam is marked by a new examiner
- You are able to re-mark any amount of Matric exam papers you wrote
- You pay a fee of R120.00 per paper to the Department of Education for a re-mark
View
- You can request to view the Matric exam paper you wrote
- You can only view exam papers after remarking and rechecking
- This process will cost you R234.00 per subject payable to the Department of Education
Prices for recheck, remark and viewing of Matric exam papers are subject to change.
Author: Mohamed Ajmoodien
Editor: Amy Venter