National Education quality assurance body, Umalusi, has approved the release of the 2025 examinations. CEO Dr. Mafu Rakometsi briefed the media recently to pronounce on the 2025 end of year national examination results. These are the results of the examinations that were administered by the public and private assessment bodies, between October and December 2025
COURTESY: X - @UmalusiSARakometsi reminded the public that 2025 was the last year
of the issuance of N3 certificates by Umalusi.
This is because the NATED Report 190/191 N1-N3 programmes entered
a phase out period in 2024, with 31 December 2023 being the last date of candidate
registrations on the programmes. He added that the organization will however
continue to do re-issues or replacements of existing certificates, where
necessary
‘’ We want to reassure the public that the
currency of the already
issued N3 certificates will not be eroded by these
developments. In
other words, those certificates remain valid. With regard
to the internalisation of the National Certificate (Vocational) (NCV) Levels 2
and 3 examinations by the DHET, and the cessation of quality assurance thereof
by Umalusi, as previously directed through Government Gazette 53015, Umalusi is
pleased to report that the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela,
positively considered the recommendations of Umalusi Council by issuing a new
Directive dated 17 December 2025.’’
‘’According to the latest Directive, no certificates will
be issued by Umalusi for learners currently registered for the November 2025
and future examinations for NC(V) Levels 2 and 3. Instead, the DHET will issue
a statement of results to confirm learning achievements. Umalusi will continue
to externally quality assure and certify NC(V) Level 4 examinations,’’ he
added.
Rakometsi says there were little to no disruption for the
exams such as community protests, load reduction, inclement weather, etc.
‘’ Regrettably, Umalusi has learnt that during the
examination process some candidates became victims of societal ills such as rape,
robbery, etc. Umalusi strongly condemns these criminal acts and urges community
members and relevant authorities to support all the victims of such barbaric
acts in whatever way possible.’’
The CEO said the Assessment Standards Committee (ASC) of
Umalusi standardised the 2025 external examination results between 18 December
2025 and 5 January 2026.
Rakometsi expressed concerns of irregularities that are uncovered
on an annual basis. The 2025 quality assurance reports indicate that the
phenomenon of(group) copying affects all the qualifications, albeit in varying.
He urged all Provincial Education Departments and private assessment bodies to
tighten their systems to protect the overall credibility of the examinations
‘’ Concerning the phenomenon of disallowing candidates from
writing the examinations commonly known as gatekeeping or culling to improve
the pass rate at school level, Umalusi commends the intervention of the DBE in
dealing with this. We continue to urge learners and parents and guardians to report
this unlawful incident to the relevant authorities.
‘’Regarding candidates who cheated in the examinations, I
want to remind them that cheating does not pay by quoting from a court judgment
in the matter brought by Rodgers Mkhonto and 62 learners from a number of
schools in the Mpumalanga Province who sat for their NSC examinations during
October/December 2022,’’ he added.
On 11 December 2025, the Minister of Basic Education,
Siviwe Gwarube, informed the nation of a breach involving mathematics Papers 1
and 2, physical sciences Papers 1 and 2, and English home language Papers 1 to
A National Investigation Task Team (NITT) of nine members,
with Umalusi as observer, was appointed to investigate. The NITT’s report was presented to Umalusi’s
Executive Committee on 6 January 2026.
‘’The leak was limited to the 3 subjects or 7 papers
mentioned already, and that the leak was contained to around 40 candidates in examination
centres in the Pretoria area.Considering that the report singles out about 40
candidates out of a total population of approximately 600 000 who wrote the examination
in the three subjects (Physical Sciences: 204 957, Mathematics: 254 413 and
English HL: 135 090) across the country, Umalusi wants to assure the public that
the breach was localised and therefore cannot dent the overall credibility of
the 2025 NSC results. The approval statement will explain how the results of
the implicated candidates will be dealt with.
‘’While the number of implicated learners currently stands
at around 40 now, there will be consequences for anyone who is not included in
the number now should they be discovered later on. This is because the work of
the NITT is ongoing. Umalusi is empowered by section 21 sub-sections 2, 3 and 4
of the amended GENFETQA Act to cancel a certificate after it has been issued
upon discovery of irregularities.
South Africa’s quality council have issued a nationwide
warning to learners and parents to verify institutions and qualifications
before registering for post-school education and training in 2026, as
fraudulent and unaccredited providers continue to target the public.
Done by: Mitchum George
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