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Gauteng matriculants caught cheating in their final examinations risk being barred from writing for up to three consecutive examination cycles, the province’s education department has warned, as more than 203,000 candidates prepare to write the 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
The department has introduced stricter security measures, including scanners to detect concealed electronic devices, and checks, before question papers are handed out, to protect the integrity of the examinations.
Candidates who are caught with undeclared devices during an examination could face serious consequences, including having their results cancelled and being barred from future examinations.
“And that barring can be one, two or three successive examination barrings, which puts your matric journey then on hold, depending on the severity of your act of dishonesty,” the chief director for examinations, Nadine Pote, said during a media briefing on Monday.
The examinations begin on Tuesday and run until November 26.
A total of 203,794 candidates have registered to write in Gauteng, the first time the province’s matric examination cohort has exceeded 200,000. This is an increase of 11,049 candidates from the 192,745 who registered in 2025.
Of this year’s candidates, 152,527 are full-time pupils, while 51,267 are part-time candidates and repeaters.
The examinations will cover 77 subjects, comprising 155 question papers. The department has also processed and awarded 2,381 examination accommodations and 19 language or mathematics concessions to qualifying candidates to ensure they can participate fully and fairly in the examination process.
The department said security measures were in place across the province to prevent cheating, including secure storage and distribution of examination papers, armed escorts and restricted access to examination facilities.
It will also use security scanners to detect sophisticated devices that could be used to cheat, including smart glasses, spy pens with hidden video screens and micro-earplugs.
Pupils to check pockets before exams
The department has introduced a self-check system in which candidates will be asked to check their pockets for cellphones, smartwatches and crib notes after they have been seated and their attendance has been recorded.
Pote said the measure would help pupils who might have accidentally forgotten that they had a device on them.
“If the candidate in that period declares, then we take the device away and it’s returned after the exam,” she said.
However, pupils who fail to declare a device and are caught with it during the examination will face sanctions. An investigation will determine the extent to which the device was used.
The department said recorded acts of examination dishonesty had declined from 242 in 2021 to 82 in 2025.
Pote said most cases involved pupils sneaking crib notes into exam rooms or concealing cellphones.
The department also addressed concerns about paper leaks reported in 2025, saying the leak originated within the national department rather than the provincial department.
Gauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile said several security measures were in place to protect examination papers, including armed escorts and restricted access to storage facilities.
“We are confident that no paper will leak in the province,” said Maile.
The MEC also warned pupils against arriving at examination centres just minutes before a paper begins.
Schools have advised candidates to arrive at least an hour early to allow enough time for administrative procedures, including checking attendance, confirming that candidates have the correct question paper and reading the examination rules.
Candidates who arrive late will still be allowed to write once they have been briefed, provided they do not disrupt other pupils. However, the time lost will be deducted from their examination time.
The department said it had introduced several programmes throughout the year to help pupils prepare for their final examinations.
These include the Secondary School Improvement Programme, which offers Saturday classes, holiday lessons, revision camps, tutoring and learning materials, particularly in subjects such as mathematics, mathematical literacy, physical sciences, life sciences, accounting and English first additional language.
The High Flyer Programme provides additional support to top-performing grade 12 pupils, while the Just-in-Time Programme offers targeted training for educators and daily revision opportunities for pupils before the examination papers.
TimesLIVE
Gugulethu Mashinini
www.timeslive.co.za
