No more supplementary exams for future matrics

MBOMBELA – The spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education, Mr Elijah Mhlanga recently explained that supplementary exams will be scrapped completely and replaced with a second national exam in May and June.

Mhlanga said this is an effort to improve the matric pass rate and create more opportunities for pupils.
“We want to create a better opportunity for more people. We found that of those that qualified, fewer registered and even smaller numbers actually came through to sit for the supplementary exams, simply because they didn’t have enough time to prepare for them,” he said.

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Supplementary exams have in the past been written in February, only weeks after matric candidates received their results in January. With the introduction of the June exams, candidates will have enough time to prepare for them.
Mr Jasper Zwane, spokesperson for the provincial department of education said the province is ready for the June exams which will allow candidates to write as many papers as they wish.

“Unlike the supplementary exams, which allow a candidate to rewrite only two subjects, the June exams will allow them to write as many subjects as they wish, or all their subjects,” he said. Zwane says matriculates may also rewrite subjects they have passed, but would like to improve on.

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The matric examination is currently taking place in 555 examination centres in the province.

There are 58 401 candidates registered in Mpumalanga.