SA Matric Exams

If you're in the dark about what the minimum pass requirements for matric are, here's all you need to know.    Every year around exam time and then again when results are released, there seems to be confusion about the matric pass requirements. Often, you even hear people saying, "Agh, you only need 30% to pass." This is misleading and simply not true, because the pass requirements aren't as simple as you may think. As a matric student, you need to take at least 7 subjects and at the very least, you need to pass your home language at a minimum of 40%, two other subjects at 40% as well, and three others at 30%, in order to obtain a higher certificate pass. Thus, as Elijah Mhlanga, a spokesman for the Department of Basic Education explains, “If the learner does not satisfy the minimum subject requirements, he will not be awarded with the [National Senior Certificate], even though he may have attained an exceptionally high mark in one or two of...

Scoring a neat 97% aggregate in the final matric exams placed Christine, who just graduated from Hoërskool De Kuilen in Kuilsrivier, Cape Town, in the second position in South Africa (quintile 5) for matric 2016. Let's first pore over her marks: English Home Language: 99% Afrikaans Huistaal: 96% Mathematics: 98% Information technology: 98% Life sciences: 96% Physical sciences: 95% Life orientation: 99% No surprise then that she was invited to the prestigious prize-giving event at Vodacom World where minister Angie Motshekga announced the matric results for 2016. We asked Christine a few questions: What were your favourite subjects? CV: I love maths and took AdMaths (an advanced mathematics programme) after school too. I find biology particularly interesting, and then I also enjoy the practical aspect of IT. Did you do any extracurricular activities? I did fencing at the Tygerberg Fencing club. I also play piano and the drums. What advice can you...

As matric celebrations die down and the Class of 2016 start their last year of school, taking a little time to bed down a solid routine can mean the difference between failure and success, an education expert says. “These past weeks have seen many celebrations and accolades afforded to the top matriculants of 2015. When considering what made them get to the top, there is one thing that really stands out – routine,” says Nola Payne, Head of Faculty: Information Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education institution. “Almost without exception, these high achievers, regardless of their backgrounds, credited being organised and focused on their goals as being key to their success,” she says. Payne says both this year’s matrics as well as students preparing to enter higher education for the first time can make their lives much easier, and their studies more successful, if they set in place a solid struct...

It's time! Months and months of hard work is all coming together now as you prepare for the final stretch. Here's a handy calendar printable with all the dates of each paper. Simply click, save and print. All exam details follow below. Best of luck, matrics! Abbreviations: HL: Home language FAL: First additional language SAL: Second additional language P: Paper

9:00 Computer Applications Tech P1 (3 hours) Practical

9:00 Information Technology P1 (3 hours) Practical

9:00 Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu HL, FAL, SAL P1 (2 hours) Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish, Modern Greek SAL P1 (2 hours) Latin SAL P1 (3 hours) Portuguese HL, FAL, SAL P1 (2 hours) German HL, SAL P1 (2 hours) Hebrew SAL P1 (2 hours) Urdu HL, FAL and SAL P1 (2 hours) Serbian SAL P1 (2 hours)

9:00 English HL and FAL P1 (2 hours) English SAL P1 (2½ hours)  14:00 Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu HL P2 (2½ hours) Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours) Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish SAL P2 (2 hours) Latin P2 (1½ hours) Modern Greek SAL P2 (2 hours)  Portuguese HL P2 (2½ hours) Portuguese FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours) German HL P2 (2½ hours) German SAL P2 (2 hours) Hebrew SAL P2 (2 hours) Urdu HL P2 (2½ hours) Urdu FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours) Serbian SAL P2 (2 hours)

9:00 Accounting (3 hours)  14:00 Portuguese HL and FAL P3 (2½ hours) German HL P3 (2½ hours) Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Tamil, Telegu HL and FAL P3 (2½ hours)

9:00 Tourism (3 hours)   14:00 Information Technology P2 Theory (3 hours)

9:00 Mathematics P1 (3 hours) Mathematical Literacy P1 (3 hours) Technical Mathematics P1 (3 hours) 14:00 Religion Studies P1 (2 hours)

9:00  Mathematics P2 (3 hours) Mathematical Literacy P2 (3 hours) Technical Mathematics P2 (3 hours) 14:00 Visual Arts (3 hours)

9:00 Geography (Theory) P1 (3 hours) 14:00 Geography (Map work) P2 (1½ hours)

9:00 isiZulu, isiXhosa, Siswati, isiNdebele HL and FAL P1 (2 hours) isiZulu, isiXhosa, Siswati, isiNdebele SAL P1 (2½ hours) 14:00 History P1 (3 hours)

9:00 Afrikaans HL and FAL P1 (2 hours) Afrikaans SAL P1 (2½ hours) 14:00 Economics P1 (2 hours)

9:00 Physical Sciences (Physics) P1 (3 hours) Technical Sciences P1 (3 hours) 14:00 Religion Studies P2 (2 hours)

9:00 Physical Sciences (Chemistry) P2 (3 hours) Technical Sciences P2 (3 hours) 14:00 Computer Application Tech P2 Theory (3 hours)

9:00 Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda HL and FAL P1 (2 hours) Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda SAL P1 (2½ hours) 14:00 Economics P2 (2 hours)

Religious Day – Diwali

9:00 English HL P2 (2½ hours) English FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours) 14:00 Civil Technology (3 hours)

9:00 Life Sciences P1 (2½ hours) 14:00 Mechanical Technology (3 hours)

9:00 Life Sciences P2 (2½ hours)  14:00 Engineering Graphics and Design P1 (3 hours)

9:00 Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda HL P2 (2½ hours) Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours) 14:00 Consumer Studies (3 hours) Hospitality Studies (3 hours)

9:00 Afrikaans HL P2 (2½ hours) Afrikaans FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours) 14:00 Electrical Technology (3 hours)

9:00 isiZulu, isiXhosa, Siswati, isiNdebele HL P2 (2½ hours) isiZulu, isiXhosa, Siswati, isiNdebele FAL and SAL P2 (2 hours)

9:00 Agricultural Sciences P1 (2½ hours) Nautical Science P1 (3 hours) 14:00 Dramatic Arts (3 hours)

9:00 Agricultural Sciences P2 (2½ hours) Nautical Science P2 (3 hours) 14:00 Engineering Graphics and Design P2 (3 hours)

9:00 isiZulu, isiXhosa, Siswati, isiNdebele HL and FAL P3 (2½ hours) 14:00 Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga,Tshivenda HL and FAL P3 (2½ hours)

9:00 History P2 (3 hours)  14:00 Equine Studies (3 hours)

9:00 Business Studies (3 hours) 14:00 Maritime Economics (3 hours)

9:00 Afrikaans HL and FAL P3 (2½ hours)  14:00 Agricultural Technology (3 hours)

9:00 English HL and FAL P3 (2½ hours) 14:00 Dance Studies (3 hours)

9:00 Music P1 Theory (3 hours) Sport and Exercise Science (3 hours) 14:00 Music P2 Comprehension (1½ hours)

9:00 Agricultural Management Practices (3 hours) 14:00 Design (3 hours)

Get your matric results quickly and easily in a number of different ways. Where can we get the results? You can get easy access to them via a number of different options: 1. News24 You can get your results on News24's Matric Results website and mobisite:  matricresults.news24.com . Register now to receive an SMS the moment the results are released. 2. School  The Department is encouraging learners to get their results from the schools or centres where they wrote their exams. (Call first to make sure they’re open). This is fun as classmates can gather round and celebrate or commiserate together. The certificate will be printed and posted only weeks later. 3. Newspapers   The results will be published in all major daily newspapers. You’ll need to know your exam number (no names are published). You won't be able to see subject results, only whether it's a pass, Bachelors pass, etc. 4. Send an SMS For state schools: The Department of Bas...

Worried about how you’re going to check your matric results in 2018? We have each method explained here, so that you don’t need to panic.  Matric exams are officially over, matric weekend has been celebrated and now to find out the matric results…The last thing you need to worry about is figuring out HOW you’re going to check your results, as soon as they’re released. Have no fear. We’re here to help. Four Ways to Check Matric Results 1. Online Bear in mind that website traffic will be high on the release date, so expect delayed response times. Log on to the Department of Basic Education’s website  here . You will need the following to log in: Exam number  (don’t misplace this during the holiday!) Home Language Your personal details  (name, surname, etc.) If you attended a public/government school, then your results will definitely be available on this site. The  IEB website  and News24 will also have the results ava...