Western Cape Education on 40 days before class of 2025 Matric exams

We are just 40 days away from the start of the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams.

The exams begin on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, and end on Wednesday, 26 November 2025. Our matric teachers, tutors and officials have been hard at work preparing our candidates for the final hurdle of their school careers.

Nearly 22 000 matrics attended our #BackOnTrack Winter School during the mid-year holidays, which took place in all 8 education districts in our province. Revision classes will also take place during the Spring school holidays in October, while matrics have also had weekend revision classes during the 3rd term.

Our annual Matric Support booklet has been delivered to schools, which contains past matric papers, administrative details like the exam timetable and pass requirements, study tips and advice for post-school studies.

We also provide a Tips for Success booklet that offers detailed advice on how to study effectively, the key concepts you need to know for the exam, guidance on maintaining health and wellness during the exam period, an example study timetable, and advice from former matric learners.

We have collected a wide variety of eLearning resources to support our matrics, including past papers and memos, video lessons, content summaries and study guides. These can be accessed on the WCED website and on our ePortal:
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/education/matric-support

The run-up to the matric exams can be a particularly stressful period for our candidates. We encourage all learners who are struggling, or adults who are concerned about a learner’s mental health, to reach out to us for help. School staff can seek guidance from our district support teams, and our Safe Schools Hotline (0800 45 46 47 – toll free) can connect learners with help from our partner government departments and NGOs.

We appeal to the public to prioritise our matric candidates and make them the VIPs of our province in the run-up to and during the exams. They are already under enough pressure and do not need the added stress of protests and disruptions in and around schools. Please put the best interests of our children first, so that they are in the best possible mindset for the exams.

To our matrics:
This is the home stretch and the time for complete focus and commitment. The hours you invest over the next 40 days will be of great benefit to you during the exams. We are here to support you, and we cannot wait to celebrate with you when the results are released in 2026!

Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister David Maynier
E-mail: Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za

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