Everything That Your Need To Know About Matric

Matric is an important year in every student’s school life. It can also be quite stressful, and many students have questions about their Matric year. Here is everything you need to know.

Matric is the final year of the three-year FET phase of education. Your Matric results will determine whether you pass Matric, and whether you can further your studies at a university.

Is Grade 12 A Certificate?

Grade 12 is the final year of high school. The certificate you will receive at the end of Matric is your National Senior Certificate, commonly known as a Matric Certificate. You will use this to apply to study tertiary education courses and to apply for jobs.

How Can I Pass Matric?

Most of the work in Matric is the fact that you have to get through the curriculum for an entire year in the space of three terms. This puts a lot of pressure on the workload and time constraints. However, if you learn to manage your time well, you can pass Matric more easily.

One of the most common tips for Matric is to keep up to date with homework, assignments and projects. Do homework as soon as you can on the day it is given. Start projects as soon as they are given to you, and aim to complete them before the due date.

Study for class tests ahead of time. Try to revise your classwork weekly. This gives you time to see where your weak areas are and see what parts of the work you do not understand. Then you can ask for help before you are writing a test.

How Should I Study For Grade 12?

Always study ahead of time. Make sure you are up-to-date with your classwork so that revising your work is a quicker and easier process. Some of our top tips for studying are:

Create a study schedule at the beginning of the year
Make sure your study schedule is flexible so that you can easily catch up any study time you miss for any reason
Make sure to account for breaks in your study time so that you do not overwork yourself
Make sure to get enough sleep as lack of sleep will heavily affect your studying quality
Revise ahead of time so that you have time to ask questions about things you do not understand or have forgotten
Try to get extra study resources and past papers
Eat healthy snacks as sugary foods will negatively affect your studying
Make sure you drink enough water and stay hydrated

Where Can I Find Past Papers?

Matric Downloads has many Matric past papers and memos available to download and use for free. Matric Downloads has past papers for both NSC and IEB exams.

Can I Get My Matric Certificate With 5 Subjects?

This depends on whether you are doing school Matric or Adult Matric.

For school Matric, no, you cannot get your Matric Certificate if you only passed five subjects. To pass Matric, you must pass six of your seven subjects, including Life Orientation. The pass requirements for Matric are as follows:

40% or above for your Home Language
40% or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
40% or above for one other subject
30% or above for Life Orientation
30% or above for two other subjects
You may fail one subject

These are the minimum requirements for passing school Matric.

For Adult Matric, yes, you can pass with five subjects. You will not take Life Orientation, and so you will only be writing six subjects instead of seven. This means that you can still pass if you fail one subject, which means you must pass a minimum of five subjects to pass Adult Matric.

How Many Subjects Do You Need To Pass Matric?

You must pass six of your seven subjects to pass school Matric. If you fail two subjects or more, you will not pass Matric. Included in the six subjects that you pass must be Life Orientation, your Home Language and Maths or Maths Literacy. If you fail Life Orientation, you will not pass Matric.

For Adult Matric, you must pass five of your six subjects. You will not take Life Orientation for Adult Matric, so you will have six subjects instead of seven.

What Is A Distinction In Grade 12?

A distinction in South Africa is 80% and above. This means that for any subject in any grade, to achieve a distinction, you must have an average of 80% or above.

What Is A Bachelor's Pass In Matric?

A bachelor’s pass is the highest passing level in Matric. This level of pass allows you to apply to study for a Bachelor’s degree at a university.

Be sure to check with the university you are applying to for any extra requirements, as certain courses will require higher than the general requirements for a Bachelor’s pass.

What Is The Highest Pass In Matric?

The highest passing level in Matric is a Bachelor’s pass. The four passing levels are as follows:

Bachelor’s Degree pass
Diploma pass
Higher Certificate pass
NSC pass/Matric pass

Each passing level has its own requirements. Those requirements are as follows.

Bachelor’s Degree Pass

To receive a Bachelor’s Degree pass, you must have the following:

40% or above for English Home Language
50% or above for Mathematics, OR 60% or above for Mathematical Literacy
50% or above for three other subjects, excluding Life Orientation
30% or above for Life Orientation
30% or above for one other subject

Diploma Pass

To receive a Diploma pass, you must have the following:

40 % or above for English Home Language
40 % or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
40% or above for three other subjects, excluding Life Orientation
30% or above for Life Orientation
30% or above for one other subject

Higher Certificate Pass

To receive a Higher Certificate pass, you must have the following:

40% or above for English Home Language
40% or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
40% or above for one other subject
30% or above for Life Orientation
30% or above for two other subjects

NSC Pass

To receive an NSC pass, you must have the following:

40% or above for English Home Language
40% or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
40% or above for one other subject
30% or above for Life Orientation
30% or above for two other subjects
You may fail one subject

How Do They Calculate Matric Final Marks?

Your final Matric marks are a combination of your year’s work, including classwork, class tests, assignments and projects, as well as your Matric final exams.

Your year’s work will count for 25% of your final mark, and your Matric final exam will count for 75% of your final mark.

What NQF Level Is Matric?

Matric is NQF level 4. Any educational qualification with NQF level 4 is a Matric equivalent qualification.

What Are NQF Levels?

NQF stands for National Qualifications Framework. This system has been designed by SAQA (the South African Qualifications Authority). This is so that any educational institutions as well as potential employers can know what the educational level of your qualifications are.

There are 10 NQF levels, and they are as follows:

NQF Level	Qualification
1	Grade 9
2	Grade 10
3	Grade 11
4	Grade 12/Matric
5	Higher Certificate
6	Diploma/Advanced Certificate
7	Bachelor’s Degree/Advanced Diploma
8	Honour’s Degree
9	Master’s Degree
10	Doctoral Degree

Can I Write My Matric Online?

No, you cannot write your Matric exams online. You can study your Matric online through distance learning, and you can apply and register for your Matric final exams online. However, you must write your exams in a government-designated venue.

Can I Do Matric Online In 3 Months?

No, you cannot do your Matric online in three months. No matter where or how you study Matric, Matric will take a minimum of 12 months to complete.

What Happens If You Fail Matric?

If you fail Matric and you are still under the age of 21, you have options. You can rewrite your Matric. This option is for those under the age of 21 who would like to improve their Matric results.

You may rewrite a maximum of two subjects. These must be subjects you wrote for your Matric final exams, you cannot change your subjects.

Note that if you failed Matric, you will not be allowed to rewrite if improving the marks in two subjects will not change your overall result from a fail to a pass.

There is no limit to the number of times you can rewrite Matric. To apply for a Matric Rewrite, you will need:

A copy of your Statement of Results
A certified copy of your ID

What Is Amended Matric?

Amended Matric is a common term used for the certificate awarded after you have completed a Matric Rewrite or a Matric Upgrade.

These are courses available for anyone who would like to improve their Matric marks. Matric Rewrite is for anyone under the age of 21, and Matric Upgrade is for anyone over the age of 21.

There is also the Amended Senior Certificate, which is a common name for the Adult Matric Certificate. Adult Matric is available to those over the age of 21 who did not get to complete their high school education.

You can study these Matric programmes through many distance learning colleges, like:

Can I Do Matric At A TVET College?

Yes, you can complete your Matric through a TVET college. TVET colleges offer National Vocational Certificate (NVC) courses at levels 2, 3, and 4. These are equivalent to grades 10, 11, and 12 respectively.

Can I Study At UNISA Without Matric?

No, you cannot study at UNISA without Matric. UNISA is a university, and you must have Matric to be able to apply to study at any university.

Can You Get A Degree Without Matric?

Yes, you can. You can start with getting a Diploma without Matric. ICB courses go up to the Diploma level. If you study Financial Accounting with ICB, you can use your Diploma to start a CIMA course at:

CIMA courses go up to degree level.

What Can I Study If I Don't Have Matric?

There are many reputable distance learning colleges that offer short courses that do not require Matric to study, as well as accredited ICB courses that you can study without Matric. Accredited ICB courses go up to the Diploma level. The ICB courses you can study are:

Business Management
Financial Accounting

The ICB Business Management course has three levels, each one year long. This course requires Grade 11 to apply.

The ICB Financial Accounting course has four levels, each one year long. This course requires only Grade 10 to apply.

You can study these ICB courses at many reputable distance learning colleges, such as:

There is also an ICB course in Office Administration. However, this course requires you to have your Matric to apply.

The short courses you can study vary depending on which college you choose to attend. Some well-recommended distance learning colleges offer open access short courses.

Open access means the only requirements are that you are 16 years of age or older, and you can understand, read and write in English. The following colleges offer open access short courses:

Matric College
Skills Academy
Ember Academy
Learning Group

Short Courses At Matric College

Short Courses At Skills Academy

Short Courses At Ember Academy

Short Courses At Learning Group

Do You Get Matric Certificate If You Failed?

Yes, you do. Your certificate will have your subject results, and information stating that you have not passed Matric.

Who Qualifies For Matric Second Chance?

The Matric Second Chance programme, run by the Department of Basic Education, is for anyone who did not pass Matric or Adult Matric.

Who Qualifies For Matric Rewrite?

The following are the requirements to qualify for a Matric rewrite:

You must be under the age of 21
If you failed Matric, you must be able to pass by improving the marks in a maximum of two subjects

How Many Times Can You Rewrite Matric?

There is no limit to the number of times you can rewrite your Matric, as long as you are still under the age of 21.

Can I Upgrade My Matric At UNISA?

No, you cannot upgrade your Matric at UNISA. UNISA is a distance learning university, not a TVET college.

You can sometimes apply to study a lower level qualification, such as a Higher Certificate, while you are upgrading your Matric. You may be allowed to transfer into a higher qualification once you have completed your Matric upgrade.

How Can I Upgrade My Grade 12 Marks?

To qualify for a Matric upgrade, you must be over the age of 21. This is because you will write the Adult Matric exams. Many colleges offer Matric upgrade courses, such as:

These three colleges also offer accredited NATED courses, which you can apply to study once you have your Matric.

How Can I Combine My Matric Results?

To combine your Matric results, you will apply at the Department of Education for a replacement certificate. You can apply online through the e-Matric e-Re-Issue service. To apply, you will need:

Your results from all examination sittings (including exams you failed)
A certified copy of your ID
Proof of payment

The last known fee to combine your results was R141,00. However, this fee was valid until 31 March 2022 and may have changed since then.

What Have We Learned?

Matric is an important year. It can be stressful, but with the right time management, you can make it work. There are many tips and pieces of advice available to help you pass Matric. You must pass six of your seven subjects, including Life Orientation, to pass Matric.

A distinction is 80% and above. A Bachelor’s pass is the highest Matric pass. This allows you to apply to study for a Bachelor’s Degree at a university.

Your Matric final marks are calculated using your Matric year’s work including tests, assignments and projects. This count for 25%. Your Matric final exams count for the other 75% of your final marks. You do still get a Matric Certificate if you fail Matric.

Anyone who failed Matric qualifies for the Matric Second Chance Programme. Anyone under the age of 21 who failed Matric and can pass by improving the marks of two subjects qualifies for a Matric Rewrite. Anyone over the age of 21 who failed Matric qualifies for Matric Upgrade.

Those who would like to improve their marks also qualify for Matric Rewrite or Matric Upgrade. Once you have done a Matric Rewrite or Matric Upgrade, you can apply to the Department of Education to combine your results.

Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Razeen Dollie
Date: 22 June 2022