The 2025 matric exams kicked off smoothly across Gauteng on Monday, with no major disruptions reported, according to education MEC Matome Chiloane.
Chiloane said all districts began the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations as planned, with 16,968 candidates sitting for the computer applications technology (CAT) paper 1 practical exam at 9am.
“We are encouraged by the level of preparedness and commitment displayed across our examination centres on the first day of the NSC exams. Our teams acted swiftly where challenges arose, ensuring that every learner was able to write under fair and conducive conditions,” said Chiloane.
Only four exam centres reported minor incidents, all of which were resolved before the start of the session.
Letsibogo Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation in Meadowlands, Soweto, experienced a power outage on Monday afternoon. The school used a generator to keep the exams running smoothly. PJ Simelane Secondary School in Soweto also relied on a generator due to similar power issues.
At Liberty Community School in Bramley, a short power delay caused a slightly late start, but the centre switched to solar backup and all candidates completed their practicals successfully.
In Dawn Park, 21 candidates from Falcon Educational Centre were transported to a nearby exam centre after a technical server issue was detected before the session began.
The department reported some minor absenteeism among both full-time and part-time candidates, but the numbers were small and did not affect the overall success of the first day.
“We are satisfied that these minor incidents did not compromise the integrity of the examination. The department will continue to monitor all centres across Gauteng closely to ensure the smooth administration of this crucial assessment,” said Chiloane.
TimesLIVE
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