The matric exam timetable 2026 for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) starts on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 09:00 and ends on Thursday, 26 November 2026, with 989 141 candidates registered.
According to Umalusi, the council that quality assures national examinations, the candidates are split across the Department of Basic Education (DBE) with 964 201, the Independent Examinations Board with 18 631 and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute with 6 309, and write at 7 403 centres.
What does the matric exam timetable 2026 look like?
Papers are written at 09:00 and 14:00. The first is the Computer Applications Technology paper 1 practical on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, and Mathematics paper 1 follows on Friday, 23 October 2026. Music paper 2 on Wednesday, 25 November 2026 is the last regular paper, with practical rewrites on Thursday, 26 November 2026.
No papers are scheduled from Tuesday, 3 November 2026 to Thursday, 5 November 2026, which covers the local government elections on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Umalusi said the timetable was amended for the elections and flagged political activity near examination centres as a risk.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said candidates were invited to sign a national pledge at a ceremony scheduled for Friday, 9 October 2026, committing to honest conduct in the examinations.
She described its purpose as follows:
“The pledge is a solemn declaration that candidates will not allow dishonesty, cheating, or any form of misconduct to define their journey,” Gwarube said.
Matric exam timetable 2026: how marking works
Marking starts while the examinations are under way. The DBE reported marker shortages in Afrikaans Home Language, English Home Language and History, and plans to mark early and in phases. Each mark is captured by one official and verified by a second.
Umalusi’s Assessment Standards Committee then standardises the marks, a statistical process meant to keep results comparable from year to year. Its executive committee approves the results once satisfied that the examinations were conducted free of irregularities that could jeopardise their integrity.
When do results come out, and what is a supplementary exam?
Umalusi’s executive committee will announce its decision on the release of results on Friday, 8 January 2027, and certificates follow within three months. For the Class of 2025, Gwarube announced the outcome on Monday, 12 January 2026, and results reached candidates on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
The Class of 2025 recorded an 88% pass rate, the highest in the history of the NSC, and more than 656 000 learners passed. Gwarube defended the outcome at the announcement on Monday, 12 January 2026:
“We can have confidence: these results are earned, not gifted,” Gwarube said.
Candidates who want to improve their marks or complete outstanding subjects can enter a supplementary examination, a rewrite held after results. The February and March sitting has been phased out; for the Class of 2025 the papers ran from Monday, 11 May 2026 to Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
The results decision on Friday, 8 January 2027 is the next fixed date after the final paper. This article is updated when the last paper has been written and again when the results are released.
Sources
- Umalusi, Umalusi confirms readiness for the 2026 year-end national examinations (8 October 2026)
- Department of Basic Education, Countdown to the National Senior Certificate examinations commences
- Department of Basic Education, October/November 2026 NSC examinations timetable (PDF)
- Department of Basic Education, Release of NSC exam results
- Western Cape Government, Final countdown: matric exams begin
- SAnews, Class of 2025 sets new national record with historic 88% pass rate
- SAnews, KZN tops 2025 matric results in SA with 90.6% pass rate
- The Witness, Umalusi declares 2026 matric exams ready for 989 000 candidates
- IOL, Umalusi declares 2026 matric exams ready despite marker shortages and election disruption fears
- Daily Maverick, Matric 2025 results: all you need to know about release dates, access and next steps
- Umalusi, Standardisation of External Examination Marks (presentation)
- FundiConnect, 2026 Matric Exam Dates: The Full NSC Timetable
- Swisher Post, 2023 NSC Exams: Timetable, date of results, pass levels explained
- Swisher Post, Matric results 2025: DBE presses ahead with newspaper publication as privacy appeal continues
