By Levy Masiteng
A record 962 832 candidates have registered to write the 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, including 815 051 full-time candidates and 147 781 part-time candidates, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube announced on Sunday.
She made the announcement during a media briefing in Pretoria.
The department said the full-time cohort is the largest in the history of the NSC examinations, with 48 508 more candidates registered than last year. Part-time registrations have also increased by 10 763 compared with 2025.
“The Class of 2026 is the largest full-time cohort to sit the National Senior Certificate examinations to date,” Gwarube said.
The exams are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 13, and conclude on Thursday, November 26, according to the Department of Basic Education’s official timetable.
To accommodate the growing number of candidates, the department said it has established a network of about 7 100 exam centres across the country.
It has also established 189 marking centres and recruited 51 104 qualified and experienced educators to mark examination scripts.
Gwarube said the department had completed the setting, moderation and quality assurance of examination materials, with all question papers and examination instruments reviewed by the department and approved by Umalusi.
“We have significantly strengthened our security controls across the entire production and distribution chain,” she said.
She said the department was taking a “zero-tolerance approach to examination irregularities” and had reinforced candidate and parent pledge agreements to promote a culture of integrity. A 24-hour examination hotline is also active for members of the public to report suspicious activity.
“I appeal to communities not to prejudice the Matric Class of 2026 by disrupting the NSC Exams for service delivery, political nor socio-economic dissatisfaction,” Gwarube said.
“The NSC candidates cannot resolve societal problem, it is ministers, as elected representatives, who must account.”
She said the department’s 2026 Learner Support Programme had reached 159 180 learners across 1 262 centres in all 75 education districts.
The programme provided additional learning and revision opportunities, particularly for progressed learners and schools experiencing performance challenges.
“Candidates were also supported through revision guides, previous question papers, online learning materials and mock examinations,” the department said.
“All candidates have been provided with all the support they would need to perform, and I am happy to declare that learners are ready for the 2026 NSC Exams,” Gwarube said.
She also warned matriculants against participating in so-called pens-down or shutdown parties.
“We discourage shut down/pens down events, they can risk you life,” Gwarube said.
During the briefing, the department was questioned about 50 candidates who had allegedly been implicated in an examination irregularity involving similar answers.
The department said it had lodged an application for leave to appeal the judgment in the matter and would await the court’s decision before proceeding with a formal appeal. The candidates reportedly maintained that their answers were similar because that was how they had been taught.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Basic Education Dr Reginah Mhaule outlined the department’s preparations for marking and the release of the 2026 matric results.
Mhaule said marking was scheduled to take place from 1 to 12 December, with all marks expected to be captured by 14 December.
Gwarube is expected to announce the results of the Class of 2026 in January 2027.
Mhaule also confirmed that 3, 4 and 5 November would be non-examination days, with the break accommodating the local government elections scheduled for 4 November.
The exams will resume on Friday, 6 November.
INSIDE POLITICS
