It’s the final countdown! For the class of 2026- the Grade 12 learners who will take their final matric exams in October through December 2026- the deadline is approaching fast. While this is a very exciting time in your life, and you may be keen to put school behind you forever and start living your adult life, remember that the results you achieve will shape your future academic and vocational path. It is important to push through your impatience or temptation to have fun and party and put in the last bit of work needed to do as well for your future as possible. Here’s what you need to know about the last few days before your matric examinations start.
How Many Days Are Left Before Matric Final Exams For 2026?
How many days are left before the matric final exams for 2026 will depend a little on your choice of subject. For example, the practicals in the performing arts have already started! They run between 14 August and 13 October 2026. Of course, you won’t be attending every one of those days. You will receive the days you are allocated by your school.
Visual arts and design students will similarly run their practicals between 10 October and 23 October. CAT Paper 1, again a practical, is scheduled for 24 October, and Life Orientation practical will happen on 4 September.
However, the bulk of classic matric exams will begin on 30 October 2026- that’s just 11 weeks (77 days) away. You should be in the final phases of studying and refining right now. Don’t forget to try some past papers for extra practice! Most students will finish by November 30, although some more practicals may run into the first week of December.
What is the period for the Matric Exams from May to June 2026?
The May-June 2026 matric exams have just wrapped up. They helped those in the class of 2026 who needed to rewrite their subjects and those using the Second Chance Matric program. They ran for seven weeks, from 3 May 2026 to 14 June 2026.
There will be a similar supplementary exam period for those in the class of 2026 needing a matric rewrite, too. Typically, they start and end on very similar dates. If you need to register for this period, you will be informed accordingly when you register.
How Long Are Matric Finals?
On average, matric final sessions run 3 hours. However, some papers will only give you two and a half, or even 2, hours to complete, so pay attention to your schedule when you receive it. This will also be stated on the exam paper itself.
Matric exams run as two daily sessions- one in the morning commencing at 9 am and one in the afternoon commencing at 2 pm. You are not guaranteed to write in both sessions on a given day. They are structured so that all students writing a specific paper within each subject write on the same day.
Because there are so many subject combinations that can be taken, you may find that you have days in between each paper, that some subjects are directly consecutive, or even that you write 2 papers in one day in each session. Each subject has more than one paper to write, and many subjects will also have practical sessions. For artistic subjects, these practicals are often individually assigned, whereas Life Orientation, CAT, and science subjects will typically run en masse.
For this reason, part of your final studies should be carefully studying your examination timetable, which you already have. Don’t be lazy about this! Make sure you are aware of every session you need to write in, that you have accounted for each paper and practical in the subject, and that you understand how long each session is and where you will write it.
Most written papers will take place in the hall of your school or a similar large, adjudicated space. For practicals, make sure you understand where to report on the exam day. Science subjects will typically take place in the lab, IT and CAT subjects in the computer lab, and Art subjects in a studio or classroom- but you must make sure to check this with your school.
Remember, unless your peers and friends have taken the exact subject combination you have, your exam timetables will not be the same. Don’t be lazy and rely on someone else to check these things for you! You will not be allowed to participate in an exam session if you are late, and absences will be marked on your results. You will soon be a grown adult, and now is the time to take charge of your future and show you can do it.
How Do They Calculate Matric Final?
For Grade 12 learners, matric final examination results count for 75% of your mark. The remaining 25% comes from your performance throughout the year. If you are an adult matric learner, there is no school component. 100% of your mark will come from your matric exams.
We hope you are feeling excited about this major life milestone and have your studies in hand. Good luck!
