KwaZulu-Natal's matric exams wrap up successfully, with no major incidents reported
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education celebrates the successful conclusion of the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has announced the “successful and incident-free conclusion” of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, marking a smooth end to the writing phase for nearly 200,000 candidates across the province.
Addressing the media on Thursday, MEC for Education Siphosihle Hlomuka said the province could “confirm that no major irregularities were reported,” praising the cooperation of learners, invigilators, and school management teams. “Learners, invigilators, and school management teams adhered to all examination protocols, contributing to a safe and orderly environment,” he said.
All public and independent examination centres reportedly opened on time and operated without disruption throughout the exam period. Monitoring teams deployed from the early hours consistently found centres ready, with “invigilators ... present, trained, and correctly allocated and question papers arrived securely and on time.”
Despite registering 195,592 candidates including 180,454 full-time and 15,047 part-time learners, the department recorded an absentee rate of just 2%, primarily among part-time learners.
The MEC commended the cohort’s discipline and commitment. “Our learners arrived early, well-prepared, and focused,” he said.
“We congratulate you for heeding our call ... to maintain discipline, avoid any form of irregularity in order to continue to uphold the integrity of our education system.”
While the writing phase ran smoothly, a few isolated but serious incidents affected individual candidates.
These included a car accident in uMlazi, an assault where “one candidate assaulted a fellow candidate and study partner with boiling water” and an arson attack that damaged matric classrooms at Mpolweni Secondary School, though contingency plans prevented disruption of the exams.
The department has offered psychosocial support and confirmed affected candidates will be allowed to write in June 2026.
Hlomuka emphasised that the stability of the exams stemmed from strong systems and coordinated planning across the province, highlighting “secure handling and transportation of examination papers,” “daily monitoring,” and support from law enforcement.
Marking is already underway at 32 approved centres with 7,889 markers and additional marking staff.
According to the MEC, centres opened on November 26 and are “fully functional and they have all received their marking scripts,” with marking scheduled to run from 2–12 December. Umalusi will oversee moderation ahead of the results release in January 2026.
In his message to matrics, Hlomuka praised their resilience: “Reaching this stage is a milestone on its own, but it is not the end, now more than ever you need to maintain momentum and focus.”
He encouraged learners to rest and seek counselling services where needed while awaiting results.
With the province’s examination process completed without major disruption, the department says it is now focused on ensuring a transparent and credible marking process. “The Department is proud to have delivered an examination process marked by integrity, stability, and professionalism,” Hlomuka said.