A total of 75,647 candidates will write the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams in the Western Cape this year.
The class of 2024 is set to begin their final exams on Monday, October 21.
Of the candidates writing the exams, 64,375 are full-time candidates, and 11,272 are part-time candidates.
Western Cape MEC of Education, David Maynier said there were 270 more full-time candidates writing this year compared to November last year.
“The exams begin on Monday, with 66,988 candidates writing English Home Language, First Additional Language, or Second Additional Language in the morning sitting. In total, 123 examination papers will be written before the exams end on Wednesday, November 27," Maynier said.
“As is the case every year, the subject with the most candidates writing is Mathematical Literacy, with 51,932 candidates writing Paper 1 on Friday, November 1, and Paper 2 on Monday, November 4.”
He said Zulu Home Language, Sepedi Home Language, Sepedi First Additional Language, Setswana First Additional Language, and Hebrew Second Additional Language only have a single candidate writing.
“The exams will be written at 474 exam centres and overseen by 1,809 invigilators who will keep an eye out for any procedural irregularities. Marking will take place between December 2 and 12, 2024, with 920,000 examination scripts being marked by 4,232 markers and checked by 1,046 mark-checkers,” Maynier said.
The national results will be announced on January 15, 2025, and candidates will be access their individual results at schools or online on January 16, 2025.
“The scale of the matric exams poses a mammoth administrative challenge, and we appreciate the tremendous efforts of the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) officials and school staff in ensuring that the exams run smoothly and fairly,” Maynier said.
"Our matrics, and their teachers, have put so much work into preparing for these exams, so we appeal to everyone in the Western Cape to make our matrics the VIPs of our province in these coming weeks. Let us all play our part by supporting our matrics during what is understandably a stressful period so that they can do the very best they can.”