Did you check your matric results and you feel you need to give the exam a second shot? Don’t despair, you’re not alone.
Who are second-chancers?
Second-chancers are those young people who are working towards a matric certificate or improved matric results outside of the full-time, conventional schooling system. This means that they don’t have to go to school every day; they can but register for a re-write and prepare.
In this blog post, we discuss where and how to register for the Second Chance Matric Programme, the difference between National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Senior Certificate (SC), and our favourite resources. Let’s go!
Read more: What can I do next with my matric pass?
How can second-chancers register for a matric rewrite?
If you’re rewriting the Senior Certificate, you can register for the Second Chance Matric Programme online; if you’re registering for the National Senior Certificate, you have to do so at the district office (check a list of offices here) . Registrations are free and they close on 9 February for the Senior Certificate, and 20 February 2024 for the National Senior Certificate. Learners who wrote the October/November 2023 exams, may register to rewrite the exams at their respective schools. The exams will be written in May/June 2024 and the results will be available in August 2024.
What documents do you need to prepare to register?
To register, you need the following documents:
- A certified copy of your ID/birth certificate or Passport (if you’re a foreign candidate);
- Copy of proof of residence (a bank statement from your bank will do);
- Copy of your results/previous highest qualification
Repeater candidates must attach a copy of their previous highest qualification. If you have you entered and written any other Grade 12 or equivalent examination before, you will need to supply the examination numbers for those exams. If you have not written matric before, you need an ID copy and reports of the latest grade you attended (Grade 9 OR Grade 10 OR Grade 11).
If you wrote matric in the 2024 academic year, you should have registered to re-write the exams at your school.
National Senior Certificate or Senior Certificate?
Second-chancers have the following routes to the qualification available to obtain a matric certificate: a National Senior Certificate (NSC) or a Senior Certificate (SC). Please note that regardless of which route second-chancers take, those who do not manage to pass their exams receive a statement of results. This statement assists in articulation pathways into post-school opportunities.
Let’s take a closer look at the two options.
What is the National Senior Certificate?
To enrol for a full-time NSC you need to be under 21 years old, and must have written the matric exam before. Those who failed their matric exams, passed but want to improve their results, or reached Grade 12 but never wrote their exams can register as part-time candidates to write the NSC. Part-time NSC candidates may write all, or just some, matric subjects.
To register for the NSC, head to the closest district office- registrations close on 20 February 2024.
What is the Senior Certificate?
The SC is for candidates who are 21 years old or older. It caters for those who completed Grade 9 but dropped out of school before reaching the Grade 12 examinations, as well as those who wrote their matric exams more than three years ago, and either failed or passed but want to improve their results. Some may also want to change or add subjects to their matric qualification. Registrations close on 9 February 2023.
Please check the table below for a breakdown of the differences between the two exams.
When do registrations for the Second Chance Matric Programme close in 2023?
According to a statement from DBE, registrations for both NSC and SC close on 8 February 2023.
When do second-chancers write their matric re-write?
The Second Chance Matric Programme has two exam sessions a year. Both NSC and SC candidates can write the May/June session; NSC candidates have a further opportunity to re-write their exam at the end of October (please note that registration is essential to re-write) .
Where do second-chancers find support?
Second-chancers can’t go back to high school, and are responsible for their own preparations. To prepare for examinations, second chance candidates can receive support through three types of institutions:
- A non-government, subsidised community college. Since 2015, over 3,000 Community Learning Centres across the country are organised into nine provincial ‘Community Colleges’, officially called Community Learning and Training Centres.
- A private college, which charges registration and tuition fees.
- A traditional high school (although not all high schools seem to provide for or support this).
What resources can you use to prepare for the matric rewrite?
We have listed some of our favourite applications and website below:
–Siyavula – With Siyavula, you can learn and master high school Maths Grades 8-12) and Physical Sciences (Grades 10-12) by doing questions online, at your own pace. You can also take past papers and test your knowledge! They also provide relevant study tips!
–Foonda Mate – is a WhatsApp-based application that helps you download past papers, search the Internet, define words and solve math equations. To get started, send “Hello” to +2760 070 3213 on WhatsApp
–SAYouth is a data-free platform that has info on many resources and information related to the Second Chance Matric Programme. You can access the Matric Rewrite hub with exam information, and study resources here
Do you have a tip for young people re-writing matric? Share it with us!