The National Senior Certificate or NSC is a high school diploma and is the school-leaving certificate in South Africa. This certificate is commonly known as the matriculation (matric) certificate, as grade 12 is the matriculation grade. The NSC, previously known as the Further Education and Training Certificate or FETC, replaced the Senior Certificate with effect from 2008 and was phased in starting with grade 10 in 2006.
NSC Examinations
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations commonly referred to as “matric” has become an annual event of major public significance. It not only signifies the culmination of twelve years of formal schooling but the NSC examinations is a barometer of the health of the education system.
When will the final National Senior Certificate examination be conducted?
From October to December of each year.
Must a learner register to write the final National Senior Certificate examination?
Yes, before 15 March of the year that a learner will sit for the final examination. All subjects to be written, including those from approved assessment bodies must be registered.
Who is eligible to write the National Senior Certificate examination?
- Current Grade 12 learners
- Anyone whose School-based Assessment validity has not expired may register as a part-time candidate for the NSC examinations. The School-based Assessment validity expires after 3 years from the date the candidate first wrote the NSC exams.
What are the minimum requirements for a candidate to obtain a National Senior Certificate?
The minimum requirements are:
- Achieve 40% in three subjects, one of which is an official language at Home Language level and 30% in three subjects.
- Provide full evidence in the SBA component in the subjects offered
What is the role of Umalusi?
Umalusi is responsible for the quality assurance of assessment in the Grade 12-year and issues the National Senior Certificate to successful candidates
National Senior Certificate Pass Mark Requirement
The following levels must be met as a minimum requirement to proceed to the next grade.
- Home Language: Level 3 (minimum 40%)
- First Additional Language: Level 2 (minimum 30%)
- Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy: Level 2 (minimum 30%)
- Life Orientation: Level 3 (minimum 40%)
- 2 Subjects (Electives): Level 3 (minimum 40%)
- Remaining Subject (Elective): Level 2 (minimum 30%)
National Senior Certificate Examination Assessment
There are three types of subjects that National Senior Certificate Examination Assess:
- General Subjects
- An end-of-year examination: 75% of the total mark
- Portfolio (Continuous Assessment): 25% of the total mark
- Practical Subjects
- An end-of-year examination: 50% of the total mark
- Portfolio (Continuous Assessment): 25% of the total mark
- Practical component: 25% of the total mark
- Language Subjects
- An end-of-year examination: 50% of the total mark
- Portfolio (Continuous Assessment): 25% of the total mark
- Oral Examination: 25% of the total mark
Continuous Assessment (CASS) includes all the tests, examinations, tasks, activities, orals and projects done throughout the year. Matric results are usually out of 400 marks.
National Senior Certificate Level system
The national senior certificate of South Africa has 7 levels of it educational system
- Level 7: 80 – 100% (Outstanding achievement)
- Level 6: 70 – 79% (Meritorious achievement)
- Level 5: 60 – 69% (Substantial achievement)
- Level 4: 50 – 59% (Moderate achievement)
- Level 3: 40 – 49% (Adequate achievement)
- Level 2: 30 – 39% (Elementary achievement)
- Level 1: 0 – 29% (Not achieved – Fail)
Benefits of Obtaining National Senior Certificate
After obtaining the National senior certificate these are the benefits a students stands to get.
The NSC enables learners to access to a variety of post-school opportunities depending on their performance in Grade 12. The opportunities include entry-level employment, admission to learnerships and internships, and admission to colleges, universities and other higher education institutions.
The National Senior Certificate (NSC), popularly called `matric`, is a significant achievement in that it signals to learners and guardians that the individual has successfully completed his/her required years of schooling
NSC Online Results
Get Your Results Via USSD
Use the USSD service by dialling *120*35658#. After answering multiple questions, enter your ID number. You’ll receive your results per subject after you’ve completed the process. You’ll have the option to opt in or out to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act.
NSC Supplementary Exams
An NSC supplementary exam is an additional exam (or other form of assessment) that may be approved for a student in the following circumstances: A student who has come close to passing a subject and meets the relevant College guidelines for awarding a supplementary exam
NSC Remarking or Rechecking
DBE online Re-mark/Re-check service:
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will, from the 8 January, be providing an online service for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates to request a re-mark or re-check of examination scripts. This service will be available until 22 January.
This online service will support the current manual process in order to enhance DBE service delivery to candidates. This online service is not available in Limpopo.
NSC Access and registration process
In order to request for a re-mark or re-check service, candidates must first register on the e-Gov portal at www.eservices.gov.za to create a personal account. This account will allow the candidate to login using their password and usernames to access the service. Candidates who have already made use of the online e-Registration do not have to create a new personal account, but they should use the same account to access the e-Gov portal.
Information also appears on the reverse side of the Statement of Results. Open period for registration is from 8 January to 22 January.
NSC Matric For Adult Class
The National Senior Certificate for Adults (NASCA) is a qualification at NQF Level 4 on the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-framework of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The NASCA aims to equip students with foundational discipline-based knowledge, skills and values to enhance meaningful social, political and economic participation, to form a basis for further learning, and to enhance the likelihood of employment. In these respects, the NASCA intends to promote the holistic development of students. The NASCA recognises the contexts, needs and interests of students.
Adult Matric is a way for people with a Grade 9 certificate and older than 21 years of age to get a Matric Certificate. It is also called the Amended National Senior Certificate (ANSC).
You can get your Matric – no matter your age. Because you are no longer at school, you do not get a “school” mark, as part of your final mark. (The “school mark”, which you DON’T need, is also known as the School-Based Assessment or SBA.)
Your final results are only based on the exams you will be writing in the May / June exam session.
National Senior Certificate for Adults (NASCA)