In a major step toward safeguarding South Africa’s education standards, Umalusi, the country’s quality assurance council for general and further education and training, has confirmed that both public and private assessment bodies are ready to conduct, manage, and administer the 2025 end-of-year national examinations.
Following a comprehensive national audit between 11 August and 9 October 2025, Umalusi announced that systems are in place to ensure the credibility, fairness, and reliability of the examinations — a process that will involve over one million learners across the country.
A national effort to uphold education standards
The audit assessed the readiness of the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI). Together, these bodies oversee qualifications such as the National Senior Certificate (NSC), National Certificate Vocational (NCV), NATED Report 190/191, and the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC: ABET).
According to Umalusi’s findings, 766 543 full-time candidates are registered under the DBE for the NSC exams, excluding an additional 137 018 part-time candidates rewriting to improve results — bringing the total to more than 903 000 DBE candidates. Across all assessment bodies, more than 9 400 examination centres will host the exams.
Integrity and security at the core
To maintain the integrity of the examination process, Umalusi has categorised all centres according to risk level — low, medium, or high — based on their history of irregularities, location, and management. The Council confirmed that adequate security measures are in place for the printing, packaging, storage, and distribution of exam papers, and that risk mitigation plans have been developed for all high-risk centres.
Umalusi also verified that all question papers and internal assessment tasks were externally moderated and approved, ensuring that every paper meets national quality assurance standards.
Strengthening the human element
Thousands of trained personnel — including invigilators, markers, and administrators — are being deployed to ensure smooth exam operations. While a shortage of markers was noted in subjects such as History and Language Paper 3, the DBE has already launched targeted recruitment drives and will extend marking periods where necessary.
The marking process will begin on 15 November and conclude on 18 December 2025, using a double-entry mark capturing system to eliminate human error.
Oversight and accountability
Umalusi will continue its oversight monitoring during the writing and marking phases to ensure consistency and fairness. The final steps — including standardisation, verification, and certification — will take place before the official release of results on 9 January 2026. Successful candidates can expect to receive their certificates within three months of the official approval.
A milestone for South Africa’s education system
“Umalusi applauds the efforts of the DBE, DHET, IEB, SACAI, and all other role players for upholding the credibility and integrity of the examinations,” the Council said in its statement. While minor concerns remain, they are not systemic and will be addressed before the exams commence.
As the Class of 2025 prepares for their final challenge, Umalusi extended a message of encouragement: “We wish all candidates strength and determination as they enter the final lap of their journey within the education system.”
This year’s readiness report underscores not only Umalusi’s role as a guardian of education quality, but also the country’s ongoing commitment to equity, transparency, and social progress through education — a cornerstone of South Africa’s development and social transformation.
