Understanding Your Examination Results

01

The achievement level scale

Results for the National Senior Certificate are reported using a seven-point achievement scale rather than a raw percentage alone, although the percentage mark is also shown. Each level corresponds to a percentage band and a descriptive label, broadly moving from Level 7, the highest band, down to Level 1, the lowest passing or non-achieved band depending on the subject. The exact labels and bands are set out in the official assessment guidelines published by the Department of Basic Education, and the same structure is used for both the public school National Senior Certificate and the Independent Examinations Board equivalent.

This levelled approach is used partly because it allows universities and colleges to set admission requirements in terms of levels in specific subjects, for example requiring a minimum level in a Home Language or in Mathematics, rather than relying only on an overall percentage average.

02

Qualification outcomes

Beyond the individual subject levels, the combination of results across all subjects determines the overall qualification a candidate receives. The main outcomes are generally described as a Bachelor's Pass, which allows for consideration for degree study, a Diploma Pass, aimed at diploma-level study, a Higher Certificate Pass, and a basic National Senior Certificate pass that does not necessarily meet the entry requirements for these further study routes. Each outcome has its own set of minimum requirements across specific subjects, published by the Department of Basic Education, and universities may apply additional, stricter requirements of their own for particular degree programmes.

03

If results are not what was expected

Candidates who are not satisfied with a result in a particular subject generally have the option to apply for a re-mark or a re-check of that subject's examination script, within a defined window after results are released. A re-check typically confirms that all marks have been correctly added and transferred, while a re-mark involves a senior marker reviewing the script against the memorandum again. It is worth noting that a re-mark can, in principle, result in a mark going down as well as up, since it is a genuine re-assessment rather than an automatic review in the candidate's favour.

Candidates who fail to meet the requirements in a small number of subjects may, depending on current departmental policy, be eligible to write a supplementary examination in those subjects rather than repeating the entire academic year. This is intended for candidates who are close to meeting the pass requirements rather than those who need to substantially improve across most of their subjects.

04

Getting the certificate itself

The results slip issued immediately after marking is not the same document as the final National Senior Certificate itself. The certificate is produced and issued separately once all quality assurance processes, including any outstanding re-marks, have been finalised. Replacement certificates can generally be requested later in life if the original is lost, through the relevant provincial education department or the Department of Basic Education, since the qualification remains on official record permanently.

05

Using results for further study

Tertiary institutions use the achievement levels and the overall qualification outcome to assess applications, but they frequently apply their own additional point systems or subject-specific minimums on top of the basic National Senior Certificate requirements. Prospective students are generally advised to check the specific admission requirements of the institution and programme they are interested in directly, since these can differ considerably even where the underlying matric result is the same.