Essential timetable for the 2025 NSC examinations: Key details for matric candidates
As October approaches, a staggering 77,442 candidates in the Western Cape are poised to embark on the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, which kick off on Tuesday, 21 October 2025.
This cohort represents a notable increase in the number of full-time matriculants, showcasing a growing commitment among students to achieve their educational aspirations. Of the total candidates, 67,606 are full-time students, while 9,836 comprise part-time or repeat entrants, marking a significant rise of 3,231 full-time candidates compared to the previous year.
The examination period promises to be a dynamic and demanding time, with a total of 112 exam papers scheduled to be written before the conclusion of the assessments on 26 November 2025.
The exams will commence with the Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Practical exam, involving 12,736 candidates on the first day itself. Among the subjects, Mathematical Literacy continues to dominate, with 53,206 candidates expected to sit for Paper 1 on Friday, 31 October, followed by Paper 2 on Monday, 3 November.
Interestingly, the diversity of subjects also reveals that there are instances of underrepresentation, with only a single candidate registered each in Sesotho First Additional Language and Setswana Home Language.
The administration of these examinations represents a formidable logistical challenge. A total of 473 exam centres will be utilised, overseen by 2,046 trained invigilators ensuring the integrity of the examination process.
Following the exams, the task of marking will unleash the efforts of 4,190 markers who will meticulously assess nearly one million examination scripts—954,000 to be precise. Marking is set to commence in early December, with results highly anticipated by candidates and educational institutions alike.
Western Cape MEC for Education David Maynier expressed gratitude towards the examination officials, highlighting the immense effort put forth by teachers and their students in preparation. “We appreciate the incredible work that our examination officials do each year to ensure that the exams run smoothly.
“Our matrics and their teachers have also put in a tremendous amount of work to prepare for these exams, so we appeal to everyone in our province to put the best interests of our candidates first during the exam period. We wish our candidates all of the best for the final days of revision and look forward to celebrating with them when the results are released,” Maynier stated.
Adding to the excitement and anticipation, the national Minister of Education is slated to unveil the national and provincial pass rates on Monday, 12 January 2026, with individual results following a day later. This pivotal moment serves not only as a reflection of the candidates’ hard work, but also of the educational strides made within the Western Cape.
IOL