Despite concerns over potential irregularities and cheating, Umalusi – the education quality watchdog – has given the thumbs up for the 2025 matric exams beginning next week.

Over a million learners are set to write their end-of-year exams at about 9 400 examination centres starting from next week.

Addressing the media in Pretoria, Umalusi chief executive officer Dr Mafu Rakometsi confirmed the body’s readiness to oversee the examination process.

He, however, said there were areas of concern identified but added that they will not put the integrity of examinations in jeopardy.

The body has conducted an audit assessing the readiness of public and private assessment bodies, including the Departments of Basic Education (DBE) and Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute, to conduct the 2025 national exams for specific qualifications.

According to Umalusi, exam centres have been classified as low, medium, or high-risk based on factors such as past involvement in irregularities, private centres, especially private colleges administering DHET exams and centres administering the National Senior Certificate exam for the first time.

Rakometsi said the body would not disclose the location of the high-risk centres to prevent exploitation of their past weaknesses.

He said all concerns have been escalated to the relevant provincial heads, directors-general of basic and higher education, and the IEB CEO for corrective action before the exams commence.

Rakometsi urged parents, guardians, teachers, and all stakeholders to offer their full support to the candidates during this crucial period, ensuring that no candidate is unfairly disadvantaged.

He also discouraged communities from using examinations as leverage for any form of protest action. 

“It is the duty of every South African to jealously protect the education of our children. Umalusi will deploy its officials to monitor the conduct of the examination to ensure full compliance with the relevant regulations,” he said.

He issued a stern warning to learners and teachers alike to refrain from involvement with any form of irregularity or cheating during these examinations.

“Umalusi condemns these criminal practices with the contempt it deserves. Cheating compromises the integrity of our national examination system which we have been mandated to jealously protect as a quality council. We sincerely hope that the persistent practice of teachers and principals refusing to allow registered candidates to write examinations in particular subjects will be a thing of the past,” he said.

He said the unlawful practice is motivated by the desire to improve the schools’ results.

To curb it, Umalusi advised parents, learners and guardians to immediately report such practices to the relevant authorities.

Dr Mary-Antoinette Dliwayo, senior manager at Umalusi, said 766,543 full-time learners from DBE and 17,896 learners from independent schools will sit for their matric examinations next week.

Umalusi cannot provide the number of N3 candidates yet, as the DHET is still finalising candidate registration numbers for the N3 exam, with completion expected by October 28, 2025.

Dliwayo reported that Umalusi has identified a shortage of markers in specific DBE subjects, including History and certain language papers. 

However, based on the DBE’s submitted reports, Umalusi is satisfied that the department’s strategies – such as additional recruitment drives, early start of marking, and extending the marking period – will address the gaps before marking begins.

“Going forward, Umalusi will undertake the oversight monitoring of the writing of examinations at a sample of examination centres across the four assessment bodies. To ensure that the assessment bodies mark the candidates’ scripts according to the approved marking guidelines and that the standard of marking is consistent and fair, Umalusi will conduct verification thereof,” Dliwayo said. 

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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