More than 900 000 candidates across the country are expected to sit for the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on Tuesday.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says she is confident that the NSC will be administered without incident.

Gwarube briefed the media on the department’s state of readiness for exams at Skukuza, Mpumalanga. She says strict security and protocols have been put in place to ensure the safety of the question papers.

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Over the past few weeks, Grade 12 learners put in the work. Study camps were established to help the learners prepare for the exams.

The Minister is confident the exams will be conducted flawlessly.

“This year, we have 766 000 candidates who have registered as full-time candidates. This is the highest number since the final examinations started in 1996. We also have about 137 000 part-time candidates, which also represents a sustained downward trend for 3 years. In total, we have 900 000 candidates who will sit for the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams.”

Security measures have been strengthened to ensure the safety of the question papers.

Every truck distributing question papers will be GPS tracked, and every stage of distribution will be monitored. All provincial departments have verified their systems.

Gwarube adds, “No national examination is without risk, but potential risks have been anticipated and mitigated. All printing and storage points are secured, alarmed and access-controlled. Officials with learners in Grade 12 are excluded from handling live papers. Distribution is monitored via Global Positioning System (GPS) tracked vehicles, with no overnight storage in transit.”

Meanwhile, the provincial Education Department is leaving nothing to chance.

Mpumalanga Education MEC Lindi Masina says, “We have strengthened our systems to ensure that this time around no learner should enter into a center with a cellphone to an extent that there will be some scanners to ensure that when they get in the exam room, there is nothing that can tempt them to do such things.”