Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube released the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results, following the Independent Examinations Board’s (IEB) announcement of a 98.3% overall pass rate.
The minister revealed that this was the largest class to sit for exams in the history of matric exams.
A record 345 000 learners achieved Bachelor passes.
The pass rate for the class of 2025 was 88% – with KZN topping the nine provinces with a 90% pass rate.
Gwarube is presenting the results at Mosaïek Church in Fairlands, Johannesburg, alongside Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule.
The 2025 NSC results will be published in accredited newspapers.
In line with privacy rulings, only candidates’ examination numbers, and not their names, will be listed.
Gwarube is expected to announce the top-performing learners and provinces on Monday, January 12.
Individual results for candidates will be released on Tuesday.
More than 920,000 candidates sat for the 2025 NSC examinations nationwide, making it one of the largest national assessment processes ever undertaken.
The previous cohort, the class of 2024, achieved an 87.3% pass rate, an improvement on the 82.9% recorded in 2023.
All provinces improved their performance, with each achieving a pass rate above 84%.
Earlier on Monday, the IEB announced an overall pass rate of 98.3% for the 2025 NSC examinations, a slight decrease from 2024.
Despite the decline, 89.12% of IEB candidates achieved bachelor’s degree entry, although this figure was also marginally lower than the previous year.
Nearly 8% of candidates qualified for diploma study, about 1.3% achieved entry to higher certificate programmes, and a very small number obtained an endorsed National Senior Certificate.
More than 17,400 candidates sat for the IEB examinations across South Africa.
Gauteng recorded the highest participation, with candidates from 114 schools, while KwaZulu-Natal contributed nearly 3,000 candidates.
The Northern Cape had the lowest participation, with only three schools involved.
The IEB recognised 161 pupils for outstanding academic performance, placing them in the top 5% across six subjects. Reports indicate these learners achieved distinctions in all their subjects.
The closing date for applications to remark IEB results is January 30.
Remark outcomes are expected to be released on March 4, subject to approval by Umalusi.
While the IEB results have been made public, the national public school results will be formally announced later on Monday evening by Gwarube in Gauteng. Individual results for public school candidates will be published on Tuesday.
Gwarube has previously confirmed that the results of 40 candidates from eight Tshwane schools have been temporarily withheld due to an ongoing investigation into examination irregularities.
Each affected learner will undergo an independent disciplinary hearing.
She said officials suspected of involvement have been placed on precautionary suspension and that the matter has been reported to the South African Police Service.
National Investigative Task Team chairperson Professor Chika Sehoole previously revealed that a Department of Basic Education human resources official, whose son is a Grade 12 learner, has been identified as the source of the 2025 NSC examination paper leak.
Investigators believe the breach was limited to about 40 learners from eight schools in the Tshwane area.
The department previously interviewed 26 learners whose scripts were flagged during analysis, confirming they had gained prior access to examination question papers and marking guidelines.
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