The 2026 National Senior Certificate exams officially get underway on Tuesday, and the country is standing behind those taking part.
On Sunday, the Department of Education confirmed that 962,832 candidates would be sitting for this year’s end-of-year exams. This consists of 815,051 full-time candidates and 147,781 part-time and repeat candidates.
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Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, said the department has, to date, the largest cohort of full-time candidates sitting for this year’s exams.
She noted that the department and all the relevant stakeholders are ready to ensure that the exam process runs smoothly.
“All candidates have been provided with all the support they would need to perform, and I am happy to declare that learners are ready for the 2026 NSC Exams,” Gwarube said.
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Locally, in the Western Cape, 71,302 full-time and 13,834 part-time and repeat NSC candidates are writing.
Education MEC Jaco Londt also wished the Class of 2026 well, noting that he’s hopeful this year’s class will outdo the pass rate of the previous year. He said the Class of 2025 achieved a pass rate of 88.2%, an improvement from the 2024 class’s 86.6% pass rate.
He also thanked all the educators and all those who have helped this year’s class get to this point, and urged the province to continue supporting them through this next phase of the schooling journey.
“This is a stressful time for your children, so they need all your love, care, and support right now. If you know of any learners who are struggling, reach out to the WCED for help… I want to ask communities to also work with us to ensure a calm and peaceful environment for our matriculants. They have worked hard to get to this moment and deserve all our support,” said Londt.
He noted that schools can call the Safe Schools Hotline on 0800 45 46 47 toll-free to connect learners with help.
Londt also encouraged matriculants to remain focused, work hard, and make their communities proud.
“It is now the final stretch. For the next couple of weeks, please remain focused. Do not be tempted to take a shortcut, it is simply not worth it. You have all signed a pledge to adhere to the exam rules, so please abide by these. Hard work, discipline, and constructive breaks in between studying are needed right now. Celebrations will come later. Make yourselves, your families and your communities proud!”
