Preparation for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations is completed across all nine province, with candidates writing their first exam paper on Tuesday.

According to the department more than 7 000 examination centres were prepared with enhanced security measures and risk-based monitoring to ensure the examination run smoothly and securely. This includes 6 411 public school examination centres, and 603 independent centres.

This year a total of 815 051 full-time candidates have registered for the October/November examination, showing an increase of 48 508 candidates compared to last year. The total for registered part-time candidates is 147 781.

While it is all systems go for the final exam for the matric class of 2026, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube called for a broader assessment of provincial education performance, saying the matric pass rate should no longer be the sole measure of the quality of the basic education system. 

Gwarube said the focus on achieving the highest National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate had created unintended consequences, including practices that could undermine learner progression and participation in key subjects.

Addressing the media in Pretoria on Sunday, the Minister said provinces, districts and schools had become increasingly focused on improving their pass rates, sometimes at the expense of developing the skills South Africa needs.

“This obsession has had unintended consequences and has incentivised the wrong kind of behaviour,” she said.

Gwarube said these practices included preventing weaker learners from progressing to Grade 12, keeping learners in Grade 11 when they should be progressed under the applicable rules, and encouraging learners to take Mathematical Literacy instead of Mathematics to improve the likelihood of passing.

She warned that an excessive focus on the overall pass rate could undermine the development of skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as Accounting and Economic Sciences.

“This obsession with the matric pass rate and its perverse incentives has been to the detriment of this country’s ability to produce skills in STEM professions, in Accounting and Economic Sciences. This must change; if our country is to be economically competitive, it needs deep and meaningful skills in STEM and other gateway subjects,” she said. 

Broader performance indicators

The department intends to increasingly assess provincial performance through a wider range of quality indicators.

These will include Bachelor passes, distinctions, learner retention, participation and performance in gateway subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting and Economics.

Gwarube said this approach would allow provinces to benchmark their performance more meaningfully and identify areas requiring intervention. 

“The question should not only be whether learners passed, but whether provinces are improving literacy, numeracy, retention and subject participation,” Gwarube said. 

The proposed approach places greater emphasis on what learners achieve and the subjects they take, rather than relying on the overall pass rate as the primary indicator of success.

Increase in full-time registrations

Gwarube said the increase in full-time registrations indicated that more learners were remaining in school and completing matric in good time. 

The department has also implemented learner support interventions across all 75 education districts, reaching 159 180 learners at 1 262 centres.

These interventions include additional revision opportunities, teacher support, mock examinations and access to learning materials to address gaps in learner performance. 

Effect of Covid-19

Gwarube said the department had also considered the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Class of 2026, whose schooling was disrupted during the transition from the Intermediate Phase to the Senior Phase.

The department has used previous examination diagnostic reports to identify persistent learning difficulties and guide teachers in strengthening curriculum delivery and learner preparation.

The Minister said a broader approach to measuring provincial performance would help the education system identify weaknesses and focus interventions where they are most needed.

The 2026 NSC examinations begin on Tuesday, with the department saying preparations are complete across the nine provinces