From paper leaks to an arrest and 30% passes: Five things you should know about matric exams and results

Council for quality assurance Umalusi on Wednesday gave the basic education department the green light to release the 2021 National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric results.

Umalusi chairperson Prof John Volmink said the class of 2021 was the first cohort to experience the challenges of learning during the pandemic for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021.

He said the authority was satisfied the integrity of the examination was not compromised and there were no systematic irregularities, saying Umalusi approved the release of the matric results “based on the available evidence”.

Here’s everything you need to know about the matric examinations and results:

Paper leaks 

Volmink said results for pupils implicated in exam paper leaks will be withheld for the duration of the investigation by the authorities. He said implicated pupils had early access to life sciences and agricultural sciences papers. The pupils are in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Impossible to pass with 30%

Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi responded to the public outcry over the “30% pass mark syndrome”, saying it was impossible to obtain the NSC with this mark. 

“Pass rates at this level are as old as the matric certificate itself, which is more than 100 years old. If pupils were to obtain 30% in all subjects, they would fail. We have to remind what is the purpose of the NSC. The NSC gives pupils access to post-school opportunities.”

Leaked answers were wrong

Volmink said exam answers circulated via WhatsApp groups for life sciences and agricultural sciences papers 1 and 2 were wrong.

He said this did not have an impact on the integrity of the exam as paper 2 was withdrawn.

He said some answers were wrong, though this does not make criminality less punishable. 

Arrests

Rakometsi said the council was aware of a single arrest made in 2020.

“We are aware of one arrest of a person who was working at a private printing company. We have not had more from the law enforcement agencies. The matter of physical sciences of 2020 is with the law enforcement agencies and they have not updated us on the latest,” he said. 

What makes an exam ‘compromised’?

Examination scripts are supposed to be opened in the classrooms in the presence of the pupils to ensure the quality of the examination. Ramoketsi said in some schools, scripts were opened before the commencement of exams and were circulated on WhatsApp groups moments before they were due to be written.