Umalusi CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi condemned examination fraud, describing it as a “criminal practice”, undermining the credibility of the system.
Umalusi has issued a stern warning to pupils and teachers against cheating, as more than one million candidates prepare to sit for the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations from next week.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed that final exams will officially begin on Tuesday, 21 October, with the Computer Applications Technology Paper 1 practical, and run until Thursday, 27 November.
Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, South Africa’s national education quality assurance body’s CEO, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, condemned examination fraud, describing it as a “criminal practice” that undermines the credibility of the country’s education system.
“Umalusi berates and condemns this criminal practice with the contempt it deserves,” said Rakometsi.
“Cheating compromises the integrity of our national examination system, which we are mandated to jealously protect as a quality council.”
He urged pupils, teachers and officials to “refrain from involvement in any form of irregularity or cheating” during the 2025 exams, warning that the council will monitor the process closely to ensure compliance with all regulations.
More than one million candidates to write the 2025 exams
According to Umalusi’s audit of the system’s readiness, more than one million candidates have registered across four assessment bodies to write this year’s end-of-year examinations.
The NSC accounts for the largest share of candidates, with 766 543 full-time pupils registered under the DBE, and an additional 23 601 from the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI).
A further 137 018 part-time candidates will also sit for the exams to improve results obtained in previous years.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) said the number of students writing this year is almost half a million pupils less than those who started grade 1 in 2014.
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“It is chilling that approximately 450 000 learners have disappeared from the system before even reaching their final year. These are the children whose stories don’t make it into glossy press releases about pass rates or top achievers.
“They are the children who dropped out because of hunger, pregnancy, violence, poverty, or sheer disillusionment with a substandard education system. They are South Africa’s forgotten generation, and they deserve answers,” said BOSA Leader Mmusi Maimane.
Don’t exclude students for the sake of pass rates
Rakometsi said all NSC candidates have been issued with examination admission letters and should be allowed to write.
“We sincerely hope that the persistent phenomenon of teachers and principals refusing to allow registered candidates to write examinations in particular subjects will be a thing of the past. This unlawful practice is motivated by the desire to improve results.”
Rakometsi urged pupils and parents to report any incidents of exclusion to the authorities immediately.
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System ready for 2025 exams
Rakometsi confirmed that “the system is ready to conduct, administer and manage the 2025 end-of-year national examinations,” noting that Umalusi had completed an extensive audit of the readiness of public and private assessment bodies, including the DBE, DHET, IEB and SACAI.
“The highlighted areas of concern are not systemic and therefore will not put the overall credibility and integrity of the 2025 examinations in jeopardy,” he said.
Examinations will take place at approximately 9 400 centres across the country, with personnel trained to manage the process effectively.
Umalusi has also approved all question papers, following a rigorous moderation process to ensure fairness and standardisation.
Rakometsi said Umalusi is satisfied with the security measures in place to safeguard the printing, packaging, storage and distribution of question papers.
“Umalusi will deploy its officials to monitor the conduct of the examinations to ensure full compliance with the relevant regulations concerning assessment and examination guidelines,” he added.
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He also encouraged communities to “jealously protect the education of our children” and to refrain from disrupting exams through protest action.
“Umalusi discourages communities from using the examinations as leverage for any form of protest action,” he said. “Every South African must ensure that no candidate is unduly disadvantaged.”
Results and certification
The marking process will begin on 15 November and end on 18 December 2025, followed by standardisation and verification procedures.
The release of results will be announced on 9 January 2026, with certificates issued within three months thereafter.
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