Can you rewrite your matric exams after 10 years? Here’s what you need to know

With less than a month left until 2021 concludes, the end of the year is usually a good time for most people to start thinking about furthering their studies or improving their skills in the new year.

But what if you wrote your matric exams 10 years ago and wish you could rewrite certain subjects to improve your results? Or you were not able to finish your matric or even reach Grade 12?

There is a way to obtain your matric qualification and further your studies through the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) Senior Certificate (SC).

ALSO READ: When will be the matric exams results be released?

The SC, equivalent to today’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) which is being written by thousands of Grade 12s throughout South Africa, makes it possible for people who have been out of school for many years to obtain their matric certificate.

Registrations for adults that qualify to write the 2022 Senior Certificate examination opened 1 October 2021 and will close on 31 January 2022.

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

Candidates can register at any provincial DBE office (which includes the provincial head office, the district office or a circuit office) or can register online here.

But how does the whole process work?

Qualification

Candidates who qualify to write the SC must meet the following requirements:

• Adults who are 21 years and older who have a General Education and Training Certificate (GETC).
• If you have a Grade 9 school report (or the old standard 7) that states that you have passed the grade or standard.
• A recognised equivalent qualification obtained at NQF level which requires two official languages.
• If you have an incomplete Senior Certificate qualification or an incomplete NSC.

Exceptions

Only in exceptional cases, out-of-school youth who are 18 and 21 years old, who could not complete their school education due to circumstances beyond their control, can write their Senior Certificate. But this needs to be verified by the head of department in the provincial basic education department.

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Adult candidates who are 21 years and older with an incomplete NSC may choose to complete the NSC or convert to the Senior Certificate. 

Should the candidate choose to convert to the Senior Certificate, they may not revert to the NSC and attempt to complete the NSC qualification.

Registration for the SC

To be registered for the SC, you will need to submit the following:

• A completed registration form.
• A certified copy of your ID document or birth certificate or passport (foreign candidates).
• Repeater candidates must attach a copy of their previous highest qualification.
• If you have you entered and wrote any other Grade 12 or equivalent examination before you will need to supply the examination numbers for those exams.

Pass requirements

A Senior Certificate will be achieved by an adult candidate who meets the following requirements in the exams:

• Pass three subjects at 40%, one of which must be an official language at Home Language level.
• Pass two subjects at 30%, one of which must be an official language at First Additional or Home Language level.
• Obtain a subminimum of 20% in the sixth subject.

For more information on the registration criteria, subject choices and promotion requirements visit the DBE’s Senior Certificate page on: https://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/SeniorCertificate.aspx

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe