A total of 66 988 candidates will write English Home Language, First Additional Language, or Second Additional Language papers on the first day of matric exams on Monday.
More than 75 600 candidates will write the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams in the province this year.
Of these, 64 375 are full-time candidates, and 11 272 are part-time candidates.
There are 270 more full-time candidates writing this year compared to the November matric exams in 2023, Education MEC David 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 November 1, and Paper 2 on November 4.
In contrast, five subjects have a single candidate writing: Zulu Home Language, Sepedi Home Language, Sepedi First Additional Language, Setswana First Additional Language, and Hebrew Second Additional Language.
“The exams will be written at 474 exam centres, overseen by 1 809 invigilators who will keep an eye out for any procedural irregularities,” Maynier said.
“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.”
Marking will take place between 2 and 12 December with 920 000 examination scripts being marked by 4 232 markers and checked by 1 046 mark-checkers.
The national results announcement will take place on January 15, 2025, with individual candidate’s results available at schools or online the following day.
“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,” Maynier said.
Cape Times