By Levy Masiteng
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has said that a total of 195 899 learners – 179 751 full-time and 16 148 part-time candidates – will sit for their final exams at various examination centres throughout the province.
The number is a 3% increase on the 190 452 candidates who wrote exams in 2024.
According to KZN Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, the province is also “fully prepared” to start the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
“Our provincial vision remains clear: every learner who sits for the final examination must pass. We know that external factors sometimes make a 100% pass rate difficult, but we are determined not to fall below 95%,” he added.
The department said it has prioritised exam integrity and credibility by conducting advocacy and training sessions for chief invigilators and invigilators, and that additional monitors had also been employed to safeguard the exam process.
The province runs the largest examination system in South Africa, supported by 6 450 invigilators overseeing 6 712 examination rooms across 1 705 public centres, and 61 private examination centres.
According to the department, examination materials will be distributed through 13 storage points and 103 distribution and collection centres. KwaZulu-Natal will print 113 question papers, totalling 35 192 785 printouts, to be written across 27 morning and 27 afternoon sessions.
“The department is pleased to confirm that all arrangements are in place to ensure that examination markers and all related personnel are paid on time,” Hlomuka said.
“We began the 2025 academic year buoyed by the outstanding results of the Class of 2024. While we celebrated those achievements, we recognised that our real challenge lay ahead — to surpass our own success.
“We therefore developed a 2025 Academic Improvement Plan, aimed at improving our pass rate from 89.5% to a minimum of 95%, with the ultimate goal of reaching 100%.
“All twelve districts crafted district-specific improvement plans aligned to the provincial strategy. We immediately set these plans into motion to ensure that implementation was felt across all schools,” said the MEC.
The Winter Tuition Programme, which ran from 27 June to 21 July 2025, focused on intensive learner preparation and curriculum completion before the end of August. It provided learners with opportunities to revise past examination papers, introduced effective study techniques, and familiarised pupils with NSC-style questioning.
According to the department, schools were grouped by performance levels to identify and address common challenges more effectively. A hybrid model was adopted, combining overnight learner camps, cluster-based walk-in centres, and school-based sessions to ensure inWflexibility and inclusivity for all participating schools.
More than 4,380 learners took part in the winter camps, which provided a structured and supportive environment for academic enrichment.
The department then launched its Spring Boot Camps from 5 to 12 October across all districts. The week-long camps targeted key and challenging subject areas, offering focused revision and personalised support. Another 4 380 learners benefited from the spring initiative, which sought to consolidate knowledge and boost confidence ahead of the final examinations, said the department.
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