All systems go: KwaZulu-Natal ready for 2025 Grade 12 final exams
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education says it is ready for the Grade 12 exams which are set to start on October 21.
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The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education says it is all systems go for the start of the 2025 Grade 12 final examinations, set to commence on the October 21.
MEC for Education Sipho Hlomuka briefed the public on the department's state of readiness on Tuesday morning.
“As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, we are pleased to announce that the province is fully prepared to commence the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
“This year, 179,751 full-time and 16,148 part-time candidates, making a total of 195,899 learners, will sit for their final examinations across various examination centres throughout the province. This marks a 3% increase compared to the 190,452 candidates who wrote in 2024, reflecting the continued growth and commitment of the KwaZulu-Natal education system in ensuring that every eligible learner is afforded the opportunity to complete their schooling journey.
“This upward trend is a clear reflection of the Department’s sustained efforts to improve learner retention, reduce drop-out rates, and expand access to quality education. It also demonstrates the growing confidence of learners and parents in the public education system,” said the MEC.
Hlomuka added that the Department has worked tirelessly to ensure that all logistical, administrative, and security arrangements are in place to guarantee the smooth and credible administration of the examinations.
“Our province runs the largest examination system in the country, supported by 6,450 invigilators overseeing 6,712 examination rooms across 1,705 public centres and 61 private examination centres,” he continued.
Hlomuka also spoke on the logistics of the exams. He said examination materials will be distributed through 13 storage points and there are 103 distribution and collection centres. KZN will print 113 question papers, totalling 35,192,785 printouts, to be written across 27 morning and 27 afternoon sessions.
Speaking on their ambition to improve the pass rate, he said, “We began the 2025 academic year buoyed by the outstanding results of the Class of 2024. While we celebrated those achievements, we recognised that our real challenge lay ahead — to surpass our own success. We therefore developed a 2025 Academic Improvement Plan, aimed at improving our pass rate from 89.5% to a minimum of 95%, with the ultimate goal of reaching a 100% pass rate. All twelve districts crafted district-specific improvement plans aligned to the provincial strategy.
“Our provincial vision remains clear: every learner who sits for the final examination must pass. We know that external factors sometimes make a 100% pass rate difficult, but we are determined not to fall below 95%. This would still represent significant growth from 2024,” said the MEC.
Hlomuka stated that the Department has also prioritised exam integrity and credibility.
“We conducted advocacy and training sessions for Chief Invigilators and other staff, employing additional monitors to safeguard the examination processes. District core teams trained staff to ensure irregularity-free examinations. A total of 7,889 markers have been appointed, with appointment letters to be issued by the end of October 2025.
“Marking sessions will run from December 2 to 12 across 32 marking centres. The Department is pleased to confirm that all arrangements are in place to ensure that examination markers and all related personnel are paid on time.”