By Charmaine Ndlela and Lebone Rodah Mosima
As the Class of 2026 enters the final stretch of preparations for the National Senior Certificate examinations, Grade 12 learners are balancing exam pressure with hopes and uncertainty about life after matric.
The exams start on Tuesday and will end on 25 November.
The Department of Basic Education has urged learners to make every study session count by practising active recall rather than simply reading their notes.
It has advised learners to put their notes away after studying and test how much they remember by writing down key points or answering questions without looking at their study material.
During a recent post-Cabinet media briefing, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that schools were focusing on structured revision and additional academic support.
She also urged learners who felt overwhelmed to seek professional help.
“If you or a matric learner in your care feels overwhelmed, free professional help is available 24 hours a day from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group at 0800-12-13-14,” she said.
Speaking to Inside Education, learners described different experiences as they prepared for their final exams, with some confident in their readiness while others were anxious and concerned about academic support.
Lwazi Nkosi, a Grade 12 learner at Prudens Secondary School in Soweto, said he felt well prepared, despite occasional challenges that shook his confidence.
“I do believe in myself. I do believe in my capabilities. And I’ve got this, I’ve got this,” he said.
Nkosi said identifying his weaknesses and developing strategies to address them had helped him improve. He relies mainly on past exam papers to test his understanding and identify areas requiring further attention.
He achieved 100% in Geography and 90% in History in his preparatory examinations.
However, he acknowledged that his plans for life after matric might have to change depending on circumstances.
“You see, as a person, you might have plans, but you are not certain what life will be like,” he said.
For Ayanda Magawu of Lethulwazi Secondary School in Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni, the countdown to the exams has brought considerable pressure.
Magawu, who takes science subjects, said she had been using a study timetable and attending online classes to strengthen her understanding.
Despite her preparation, she believes pupils can never feel completely ready for the finals.
“No one is ever well prepared for final exams. You’ll tell yourself you’ll be fooling yourself telling yourself, ‘I’m prepared for finals.’ No one’s ever prepared, but I would say I would try my best,” she said.
Magawu also raised concerns about the support she received at school, saying she had often been left to study by herself.
“It was on your own, it was like your own college, you had to study on your own, no teachers were coming into class,” she said.
She said there had been no extra classes, although some teachers shared links to online lessons.
Magawu hopes to study chemical engineering and has already applied to university. If she does not secure a place, she plans to attend college before looking for work related to her chosen career.
Murendeni Luvhimbi of Dinwiddie High School in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, told Inside Education she was experiencing both fear and hope at the same time.
During school holidays and on Saturdays when she does not attend school, she wakes at 4am to study, taking 30-minute breaks between sessions.
She identified Life Sciences as a subject in which she still needs additional help and has been using YouTube videos to understand difficult topics.
Luvhimbi said her teachers and family had supported her preparations.
She has applied to several universities and hopes to study logistics and supply chain management at the University of Johannesburg.
Her advice to fellow matriculants is simple: “I’d just say study hard and make yourself proud as well.”
For Lebogang Nxobile Hlongwane of Parklands High School in Alberton North in Ekurhuleni, discipline and consistency have been central to her studies.
“My preparations for the final exams are going quite well. I think it’s more about a person having discipline, self-control and continuing focusing and keeping dedication towards the end goal,” she said.
However, Hlongwane said balancing her subjects had become difficult after her Accounting marks dropped while she concentrated on science subjects.
She enrolled in a school camp in Pretoria to improve her performance and hopes to achieve at least five distinctions.
Hlongwane has applied for courses including medicine, medical science, accounting science, electrical engineering and nautical science.
She also expressed concern about life after matric, particularly the possibility of unemployment if she does not secure a place at university.
“I do not imagine the state of staying at home next year. It’s quite terrifying,” she said.
Hlongwane raised concerns that learners who were not among the top achievers sometimes received less attention from teachers.
Education support specialist Scelo Simelane, co-founder of Mathematics Solved, said personalised academic support could help learners identify their individual needs and improve their performance.
She said learners also needed better information about subject choices, university admission requirements and the qualifications necessary for different careers.
“People don’t know what to work towards because they don’t have information,” Simelane said.
She said career guidance should begin before matric, with learners understanding from Grade 9 how their subject choices could affect their Grade 10 studies and future university applications.
Simelane also encouraged pupils to consider careers in Science, technology and related fields, saying better exposure could help them identify opportunities they might otherwise overlook.
The need for career guidance was also highlighted at the Educonnect Media Future Economy and Career Expo 2026, held at the University of Johannesburg Business School.
The expo brought together Grade 11 and 12 learners, parents, educators, universities, TVET colleges and industry representatives to discuss study options, emerging careers and applications.
Ncamisile Zondi of Morris Isaacson High School, Soweto, wants to study International Relations.
She said young people had a role to play in transforming South Africa.
“We as the youth have the power to actually change and bring about change in the country,” Zondi said.
Xolela Lucas Nhlakanipho Mphati of Masithwalisane Secondary School in Vosloorus plans to study law. He is inspired by his mother, who is an attorney.
He said growing up around his mother’s work helped him develop an interest in the profession, although he remains concerned about whether his matric results will meet university requirements.
Mlondi Gwala, a Grade 11 learner at South Hills Combined School in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, hopes to study medicine and become a surgeon.
He said his family wants him to find a job and support them rather than pursue tertiary education, but he remains determined to continue studying.
“I hope to secure a bursary or scholarship,” he said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
