matric rewrite exams failed

There are a number of options available to those students who failed their matric exams. Photo by Gallo Images/The Times/Moeletsi Mabe)

Don’t panic: If you fail matric, you still have plenty of options

Matric results will be released on Friday, and those who get bad news will face great uncertainty. Don’t despair – you have options.

matric rewrite exams failed

There are a number of options available to those students who failed their matric exams. Photo by Gallo Images/The Times/Moeletsi Mabe)

Students around the country will soon learn whether or not their efforts to pass the year were successful, and while many will breath an immense sigh of relief when their matric results are released on 21 January 2022, others will find theses facing a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty. 

Failing matric might seem catastrophic, but it certainly doesn’t mark the end of your prospects of success. A number of options are available in the event that you haven’t quite made the grade, as well as some measures you can take if you aren’t satisfied with your marks.

Failed matric? Here are your options  

The Department of Basic Education, as well as a host of other educational support platforms, agree that the first thing to do is engage in a bit of self-reflection. Did you try your best? What more could you have done to give yourself the best chance of achieving a pass, and can you honestly say that you gave it your all? 

There’s also every likelihood that personal obstacles and challenges rendered your efforts to study and pass the year futile – identify these obstacles and seek out the support available to you.

The following options are recommended by the Department of Basic Education: 

  • You could apply to have your papers re-marked. Re-marking may cost money so it’s only recommended if you honestly feel you did better than the mark you got. Students who attend no-fee schools may not have to pay application fees.
  • If you have failed less than 3 subjects, you may apply to write free supplementary exams. For more info on your eligibility in this regard, visit https://www.education.gov.za/.
  • There are also opportunities available for students to join the DBE’s “Second Chance Program”  – which is FREE.

If you have failed more than two subjects, you have two options:

  • You could apply at a school or private institution to re-do your matric year.
  • You could also apply to a TVET College to obtain a National Certificate Vocational – where you can receive a grade 12 equivalent trade based qualification.

The National Certificate Vocational qualification gives students access to career fields such as Engineering, Tourism and Hospitality, Management and Early Childhood Development.

When are the deadlines to re-apply? 

The closing date for those seeking remarks is 4 February 2022. The following candidates can apply: 

  • Candidates may apply for the remarking or rechecking of their scripts if they feel that the marks allocated on the written papers are not a true reflection of their performance.
  • A remark means that the original answer script is marked for a second time by a marker.
  • A recheck of your script is a further check to ensure that all questions are duly marked and that all marks are correctly calculated.

Those who want to apply for the June 2022 NSC exams must submit their applications to the DBE by 18 February 2022.

The DBE is available for consultation on any concerns students who failed matric may have. Don’t despair, and after you’ve taken a deep breath and explored the many options available to you, seek some guidance and take the next steps towards achieving your goals.