Matric exams kick off this week

It’s just three more nights of sleep before the country’s matric pupils sit down to take the most important examinations of their school careers. They will write their first papers this Wednesday, and their last paper on 6 December.

Gauteng has more than 175 000 pupils registered to take their final exams, almost an 18% increase from last year’s 149 385 matriculants. The class of 2021 now has the highest number of enrolments for the National Senior Certificate (NSC).

Of the 175 599 candidates, at least 132 887 are full-time pupils and 42 712 are part-time candidates. Part-time pupils have one or more outstanding subjects to qualify for the NSC qualification.

Visit The Citizen’s matric portal to view your results and see who South Africa’s top performers are.

There are 1 987 special needs pupils among the 175 599. There are 1 004 examination centres accredited to host the exams, which include:

• 652 public school exam halls;
• 244 independent school exam centres;
• 97 adult basic education training centres;
• eight prisons exam halls’;
• three designated provincial exam centres.

An extensive network of monitors across the province has been trained as chief invigilators and monitors.

ALSO READ: Four tips to help your teen cope with matric exam stress

“The invigilators and monitors are sourced from our head office, districts and other education stakeholders, to ensure the processes relating to conduct, administration and management of the NSC examination is fair, credible and run with integrity,” said Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.

The department had put security measures in place to manage the distribution and collection of question papers and answer sheets. “These arrangements will be facilitated daily to ensure there are no leaks of question papers,” he said.

Gauteng has the second-largest examination process after KwaZulu Natal. Some 2.1 million question papers have been printed.

“We have ensured that we increase security arrangements around the printing of question papers,” said Lesufi.

Thirty marking venues have been prepared and 12 889 markers have been hired to mark the final papers. More than 2 500 examination assistants will oversee the marking process as a form of quality assurance.

“The first marking session will take place on 15 November and the second on 7 December. We expect the marking process to be completed by 23 December,” said Lesufi.

There will be social distancing in exam centres.

– news@citizen.co.za