Nerves and excitement fill the air as thousands of learners across the country sit down to write the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Tuesday 21 October.
In the province, about 77 442 candidates are registered to write the exam; these include 67 606 full-time matric learners and 9 836 part-time or repeat candidates.
The exam kicks off with 12 736 candidates writing the computer applications technology practical exam.
According to the provincial department of education, the subject with the largest number of candidates is mathematical literacy, with 53 206 candidates writing paper one on Friday 31 October, and paper two on Monday 3 November.
David Maynier, provincial education minister, said the implementation of the exam is a mammoth administrative exercise with candidates writing at over 400 exam centres across the province.
“Candidates will write at 473 exam centres, with 2 046 trained invigilators appointed to keep a close eye on proceedings. Marking will take place at the beginning of December, with 954 000 examination scripts being marked by 4 190 markers.”
People’s Post caught up Rayyan Ebrahim, last year’s top matric learner in the country to share some helpful tips with the matriculants.
“The exam period is also quite long, so make sure to look after yourself physically and mentally by eating well, sleeping well and exercising. Try not to isolate yourself during this time – you may not be attending classes at school anymore, but you will still need the support from your peers. Forming study groups with them is a really effective way to study,” he said.
Ebrahim said that during the final stretch of exams, fine-tuning his knowledge proved to be the most effective way to study.
“For the final stretch of exams, I found that fine-tuning my knowledge was the most effective way to study. The main method I used to study was to teach myself and my friends the content I was learning. Putting the content in your own words really helps you retain the information better and builds a deeper understanding of the material.”
Nicholas Schreiber, one of the top quintile-five learners in the province last year, encouraged learners to stay focused.
“You should know roughly where your strengths and weaknesses are after prelims, so really focus on the areas of subjects where you can have a good improvement to get the most out of your finals marks.”
Maynier urged the public to ensure the exams proceed without disruptions.
The national education minister will announce the national and provincial pass rates on Monday 12 January 2026, and candidates will receive their individual results the following day.
