NSC South Africa

Overview

The National Senior Certificate (NSC), commonly called "Matric", is South Africa's school-leaving examination at the end of Grade 12. It is set and administered nationally by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), with provincial education departments handling registration and the writing of exams. Passing the NSC completes secondary schooling, and the result, combined with school-based assessment, determines whether a candidate can go on to a bachelor's degree, a diploma, a higher certificate, or vocational study at a TVET college.

Who can apply

• Full-time Grade 12 learners at a public or independent school are registered for the NSC by their school; no separate application is needed.

• Private and adult candidates who are no longer at school can write the NSC on their own. Adult candidates are generally expected to be at least 21 years old in the year they write, and to hold a Grade 9 pass (or an equivalent qualification, such as ABET Level 4) before registering for the full set of NSC subjects.

• Private and adult candidates register directly with their provincial education department, or through the DBE's online e-Services portal, ahead of the exam they plan to write.

Exam pattern

Every NSC candidate must offer a minimum of seven subjects, split into compulsory and elective subjects.

Most subjects are assessed through a final external written exam set and marked under DBE oversight, combined with School-Based Assessment (SBA) completed during the school year. Depending on the subject, the final mark is typically weighted about 75% external exam and 25% SBA; Life Orientation is assessed entirely through internal, school-based assessment.

Marking and results

Marks are reported as percentages for each subject, which also map to a seven-point symbol scale (from an A symbol at the top down to an FF, the lowest). To pass the NSC overall, a candidate must:

• score at least 40% in their Home Language;

• score at least 30% in at least two other subjects; and

• pass at least six of their seven subjects.

Beyond this minimum pass, the NSC recognises three pass levels that determine what a candidate can study next:

Universities set their own, often stricter, subject and percentage requirements on top of these minimums, so meeting a pass level does not by itself guarantee admission to a specific programme.

Important dates

The main NSC exam cycle runs once a year. For the 2026 NSC exams, the written papers run from 13 October 2026 to 26 November 2026, with papers scheduled in a morning and an afternoon session each exam day. Results from the previous year's exams are typically released in January: for the 2025 NSC exams, results were announced by the Minister of Basic Education on 12 January 2026, with individual candidates able to check their own results online from 13 January 2026.

Private and adult candidates who want to write a supplementary or rewrite exam, through programmes such as the Second Chance Matric Programme, register separately for a May/June sitting; exact registration windows are published by the DBE each year and vary slightly by province.

How to apply

Full-time school learners are registered automatically by their school and do not need to apply separately. Private and adult candidates follow these steps:

1. Confirm eligibility (age and any prior Grade 9 or equivalent qualification) with the relevant provincial education department.

2. Register as a private candidate either online through the DBE's e-Services portal or in person at a provincial education department office, within the registration window published for that exam sitting.

3. Submit the required documents, typically a completed registration form, a certified copy of an ID or birth certificate, and (for candidates who have written before) previous examination numbers.

4. Pay any registration fee set by the province, where applicable; registration for government second-chance programmes is free or low-cost in most provinces.

After the exam

Passing the NSC at any of the three pass levels earns the National Senior Certificate. For candidates applying to higher education, matric results feed into an Admission Point Score (APS), which each university or university of technology calculates from a candidate's best six or seven subjects (always including Home Language and Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy). Universities use the APS, together with their own subject and minimum-mark requirements, to decide admission to specific degree or diploma programmes. Candidates who do not meet the pass level they need, or who want to improve a subject mark, can rewrite individual subjects in a later exam sitting.

Preparation tips

• Confirm your subject combination early against the entry requirements of the study programmes or careers you are considering, since Mathematics versus Mathematical Literacy and specific electives can open or close options later.

• Work through DBE-released past exam papers and official marking guidelines for each subject; question patterns tend to repeat from year to year.

• Track School-Based Assessment tasks throughout the year, since they typically make up around a quarter of the final mark in most subjects.

• Calculate your target APS for your intended programmes ahead of time, and check each university's own admission requirements rather than relying on the NSC pass level alone.

FAQs