How to find your matric examination number

The matric exam number is a unique number assigned to every candidate writing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) or Senior Certificate. It's purely an administrative identifier — it has no birthday or province logic baked in.

Three exam bodies issue it depending on where you wrote:

• DBE (Department of Basic Education) — public schools, the vast majority of candidates
• IEB (Independent Examinations Board) — most private schools
• SACAI (South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute) — homeschoolers, distance/online learners, adult learners

All three are quality-assured by Umalusi, which issues the actual certificate.

• Checking results on the DBE website, official DBE app, MatricsMate app, SMS to 35658, or USSD *120*35658#
• University, TVET, and CAO applications
• NSFAS funding applications
• Applying for a re-mark or re-check at eservices.gov.za
• Replacing a lost or damaged matric certificate (R170 fee, valid to 31 March 2026)
• Employer background checks via SAQA or Umalusi verification agencies

Before you start phoning departments, check these documents — your number is almost certainly on one of them:

• Matric (NSC) certificate — printed top-right corner
• Statement of Results issued by your school or exam centre — clearly labelled "Examination Number"
• Exam timetable / statement of entry / admission card issued before exams
• Notification email from your school (subject usually "Examination Number Notification")
• School records — most schools store these in their LURITS / SA-SAMS database
• SMS confirmations from DBE if you registered for the SMS results service
• Umalusi verification letter if one was previously issued

Follow these steps in order — each is faster than the next.

Whether you're calling your school or a PED, have all of this ready before you pick up the phone:

• Full names and surname (exactly as registered for matric)
• 13-digit South African ID number (or passport number)
• Date of birth
• Year you wrote matric
• Name and town of the school / exam centre
• Province where you wrote
• Certified copy of ID (if requested)
• An affidavit (usually only needed for certificate re-issues)
• Your contact email and phone for the response

I wrote in 2024 and need it for university

Your school is the fastest route — phone the admin office, they'll reprint your Statement of Results that day.

I wrote years ago and lost everything

Contact the PED in the province where you wrote. Older archives can take 2–6 weeks. For pre-1992 results, route through DBE Certification Services.

My school has closed

Skip the school and go to the PED. They take custody of closed-school records via the district office. Reference the school name and EMIS number if known.

I wrote in a different province from where I live now

Contact the PED of the writing province — exam records are stored regionally.

Adult learner / Second Chance Matric

Same DBE process; you may also need to contact your AET or PALC centre.

If you've found your number but it returns no results on the DBE checker, the cause is usually one of these:

• Typo — re-check; the number is 13 digits, no spaces
• Results withheld — for irregularities, outstanding fees, or pending investigation. Enquire at the school first, then the district office.
• Incomplete results / absent — appears as "Outstanding" rather than a mark
• Re-mark or re-check pending — applications open 13 Jan 2026 and close 27 Jan 2026 via eservices.gov.za
• You wrote with IEB or SACAI — these results don't appear on the DBE checker. Use the relevant body's portal.
• System overload on release day — try the DBE app, SMS to 35658, or USSD *120*35658#
• Pre-2008 results — not in the public checker; request a Statement of Results from the PED