Western Cape matric candidates prepare for finals amid record pass rates

A total of over 67 000 matric candidates are expected to write their finals in a matter of days.

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed that numbers relating to the National Senior Certificate (NSC) will be released tomorrow, determining statistics and the number of exam centres etc.

Kerry Mauchline spokesperson called on candidates to place enough emphasis on preparing for their finals as the days drew closer.

“We have over 67 000 full time matric candidates writing this year, and their matric teachers, tutors and officials have been hard at work preparing our candidates for the final hurdle of their school careers,” she said. 

“We encourage our matrics to make the most of the time remaining before the exams begin on  October 21 to revise their work carefully and make use of the resources available to them. The time they invest now will pay dividends when the results are released in January.”

Mauchline said as the candidates prepared for their exams, there was enough material available to assist with the studying process.

“Our annual Matric Support booklet has been delivered to schools, which contains past matric papers, administrative details like the exam timetable and pass requirements, study tips and advice for post-school studies,” she added.

We also provide a Tips for Success booklet that provides detailed advice on how to study effectively, the key concepts you need to know for the exam, guidance on maintaining health and wellness during the exam period, an example study timetable, and advice from former matric learners.”

The Western Cape's class of 2024 achieved an 86.6% pass rate, a 5.1 percentage point increase and the highest ever for the province. 

The Bachelor pass rate rose by 5.6 percentage points to 47.8%. The province also led the country in Mathematics (78%) and Physical Science (79.4%) pass rates.

For Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN), the Western Cape had the second-highest pass rate (91%) and the highest Bachelor pass rate (63.3%) nationally in 2024.

In January, four Western Cape learners attended a celebratory breakfast with Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, in Johannesburg. Rayyan Ebrahim from Pinelands High School was recognized as the top candidate in the country for 2024. Other top candidates in Quintile 5 included Matthew Christopher Wise (Pinelands High School) and Nicholas David Schreiber (Rondebosch Boys’ High School). Jordan Raubenheimer from De La Bat School was second in South African Sign Language.

Education MEC David Maynier also visited Joe Slovo Secondary in Khayelitsha in January, which saw its pass rate increase from 87.2% in 2023 to 99.3%, and its Bachelor passes more than doubled from 25.1% to 56.2%.

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