Matric final exam time table 2021 amended

The 2021 National Senior Certificate exams initially scheduled to start on November 1st has been changed to start on October 27.

This is due to the Municipal elections which are set to take place on November 1.

The Department of Basic Education said the papers, English (Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language), Paper 1 Business Studies and Non-Official Language Paper 1 would be written on October 27 and 28. The exams were supposed to take place on November 1 and 2.

“The changes were necessitated by the local government elections which will take place on November 1. Learners eligible to vote will now be able to cast their ballots,” the DBE said.

The DBE said there are 207 exam question papers to be written over 25 days, five weeks, and there are no vacant sessions in the 25 day time table. Which is why the exams were moved up.

[JUST IN] Matric exam time-table changed due to local government elections. pic.twitter.com/bXrzwtDSJA

— Elijah Mhlanga (@ElijahMhlanga) September 15, 2021

On Monday, the Department of Basic Education posted a reminder to matrics to start preparing for their final exams which are scheduled to start on November 1 and end on December 7.

In response to the DBE’s tweet, social media users questioned the starting date of the exams in light of municipal elections. Municipal elections are expected to take place on November 1.

1st Nov won't be public holiday. Grade12s in public & some independent schools will be writing #NSC2021Exams. So some eligible voters might not be able to vote @IECSouthAfrica

— #humanDignity ???????????? (@angie43639902) September 13, 2021

Much like the previous year’s matrics, the Class of 2021 has had to endure a tumultuous year. Not only were they disadvantaged in their Grade 11 year by school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the academic and learning time lost in 2020 affected them in their final year of school as well.

To make up for the loss of classroom time, while schools closed earlier for the winter school holidays in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s level 4 lockdown order, Grade 12s continued with winter school programmes.

Unlike other grades, at most schools matrics did not follow the rotation attendance system (attending five days in two weeks), they attended daily.