The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is concerned with the high absenteeism rate among grade 12 learners who register to rewrite their matric exams but do not show up to exam venues to complete their exams.
More than 40% of learners who registered to rewrite their National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Senior Certificate (SC) exams this year did not attend the exams.
Matric candidates who participated in the May/June NSC and SC exams can finally see their results after the DBE released all May/June matric results earlier this week. Candidates were advised to collect their results at examination centres around the country.
The DBE revealed that only 60% of learners who registered to write the May/June NSC exams turned up to write the examinations. Only 53% of SC candidates who registered for the mid year matric exams participated in the exams.
The department revealed their intention to find and subsequently implement measures that would ensure candidates who register to participate in examinations are able to write their exams.
The DBE is exploring measures that could be implemented for future years, to increase candidate turn out for these examinations.
May/June Matric Exam Administration
Despite concerns about learners not showing up for examinations, the department says the exams were successfully administered despite several challenges. These challenges include community service delivery protests.
They added no serious examination irregularities occurred, which ensures that the results received by candidates are credible.
There were no serious examination irregularities that posed a threat to the integrity and credibility of the examination as a whole.
More than 93,000 candidates participated in the SC exams while more than 185,000 learners participated in the NSC exams. This means that more than 200,000 individuals worked towards obtaining their matric qualification during the examinations.
What Next For Matric Candidates
Matric candidates who were successful during the examinations can now move on to the next step of their education journey by pursuing further studies or seeking employment.
Candidates who are unsatisfied with their results can apply for a Matric Exam Re-mark or Re-check.
Matric Exam Re-mark
Candidates who believe their given marks don't accurately reflect their actual performance on the written papers can apply for their scripts to be re-marked. This involves a complete re-evaluation of their original answer scripts by a different marker.
The intention of a matric exam re-marks to gain a fresh perspective and potentially adjust marks to more accurately represent the student's abilities and performance.
Matric Exam Re-Check
Additionally, candidates can opt for a matric recheck process. This entails a thorough review to ensure proper marking of all questions and accurate calculation of marks. The purpose of a re-check is to prevent errors or oversights that might have occurred during the initial marking of exam scripts.
Applications for re-marks and re-checks will be accepted from August 7, 2023, until 21 August 2023. This brief window allows learners to potentially enhance their results without the need to retake the matric exams.
The application process for re-marks and re-checks is conducted through an online e-services platform.
Candidates must accurately fill out the required fields and agree to the terms and conditions.
Careers Portal has several resources to assist matric learners in their preparation for the National Senior Certificate Examinations (NSC). This includes past papers and memorandums that learners can use to prepare for their matric examinations.
Is a Matric Exam Re-mark or Re-check Free?
A payment is necessary prior to applying, with fees being R104 per subject for re-marks and R25 for re-checking a subject.
Re-marking results will be available from September 19, 2023. Students who remain dissatisfied with the outcome can choose to retake their matric exams.
Matric Exam Rewrites
Only candidates who participated in the May/June NSC matric exams can register to rewrite their exams later this year. Applications to rewrite their NSC exams in the October/November matric exams must be completed before 21 August 2023.
There is no online registration option for these candidates.
It's important to note that registration for matric exam rewrites must be completed at an examination centre or at the nearest district education office.
SC matric candidates can register to rewrite their matric exams in the 2023 May/June matric examination season. Registration for SC matric rewrites will open on 2 October 2023 and will close on 9 February 2023.
Registration for SC exam rewrites can be done at an examination centre or at their beard district education office.
Second Chance Matric Programme
Matric candidates who are rewriting their exams are reminded of the Second Chance Matric Programme (SCMP) which aims to help them prepare for examinations. This support is provided to registered learners.
Individuals who register for the SCMP do not pay any fees to take part in the programme and are supported through face-to-face lessons at more than 100 centres around South Africa.
Lessons are also broadcast on television and SABC regional radio stations to assist learners prepare for exams. Candidates are also issued with study materials and notes to ensure they are ready for their matric exams.
Why Do Learners Participate In May/June Matric Exams?
The May/June exams allows individuals to rewrite their final school examinations and obtain a NSC or SC qualification. Matric candidates who missed a November final matric exam or want to improve their results are allowed to register for the May/June NSC exams. The SC is aimed at giving adult learners the opportunity to write their matric exams.
The NSC is written by candidates that are in school and would have written the previous October/November examination and the Senior Certificate is written by adult matric candidates.
While candidates who register for these two qualifications will write the same examination, they earn a different certificate if they are successful.It's important to note that the SC and the NSC are equivalent and are both level 4 National Qualification Framework (NQF) level qualifications.
