Countdown to matric results: marking process already underway

With the matric exams in the rear-view mirror, the countdown to the national results announcement begins. The official end of the five-week-long matric exam period came this past Wednesday, marking the completion of a crucial phase for the Class of 2024.

This year, over 880,000 candidates from across the country participated in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. In the Western Cape alone, 730 candidates sat for the Agricultural Management Practices exam yesterday, while 120 students wrote the Marine Sciences Paper Two. An additional 905 candidates completed the Design Paper One in the afternoon session.

MATRIC RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT DATE

The much-anticipated release of the national matric results has moved to a different date.

“The national matric results announcement has been moved to Monday, 13 January 2025, in order to accommodate the first day of school. Individual candidate results will be released at schools and on the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) website from 10h00 on Tuesday, 14 January 2025,” said Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier.

The final matric exams for the #ClassOf2024 take place today, and we urge our candidates to celebrate the end of the exams responsibly and safely!
Read more here:https://t.co/CLMuGeEtmU pic.twitter.com/P7xUnRX0PZ
— David Maynier (@DavidMaynier) November 27, 2024

MARKING PROCESS UNDERWAY

As the country waits for the results, the next critical step—the marking of the exams—has already begun.

“The Department has set up 181 marking centres across the country, all of which have been audited and deemed ready. All marking centres will open on 27 November with the entire process involving over 50 000 markers,” said Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

CHALLENGES DURING THE EXAM PERIOD

Despite the successful completion of exams, this year’s matric exam period was not without its challenges. The Department of Basic Education had to navigate several obstacles, including severe weather conditions, violence, and incidents of cheating that threatened to disrupt the exams.

“On a more sombre note, we must acknowledge the violent incidents that overshadowed this exam period. In the Eastern Cape, five learners were gang-raped while they were preparing for their exams at a local home, and just weeks later, another female student was also gang-raped on 13 November, also in the Eastern Cape,” added Gwarube.

This year’s exam period coincided with 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Gwarube emphasized that schools must remain safe havens for students, free from fear, violence, and abuse.