Matric timetable 2026: the full NSC exam schedule

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) published the final October/November 2026 NSC timetable in February 2026. Written papers run for seven weeks:

• First paper: Tuesday 13 October 2026 - Computer Applications Technology P1 (Practical) at 09:00, and a group of Home, First Additional and Second Additional Language papers (Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, German and Hebrew) at 14:00.
• Last paper: Thursday 26 November 2026 - the CAT P1 and IT P1 rewrite practicals at 09:00.
• Pledge signing: Friday 9 October 2026.

Before the written exams, the Life Orientation Common Assessment Task (LO CAT) is written on Tuesday 1 September 2026, with a rewrite on Monday 12 October 2026. Practical examinations for the Performing Arts run from 3 August to 9 October, and Visual Arts and Design practicals from 14 September to 13 October.

The same national timetable applies to every public school and every province. If you write with the IEB (most private schools), your timetable is different - see the IEB section below.

• Two sessions a day. Morning papers start at 09:00, afternoon papers at 14:00. The time in brackets is how long the paper lasts, so a 3-hour paper at 09:00 ends at 12:00.
• HL, FAL, SAL stand for Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language. You write only the level you are registered for.
• P1, P2, P3 are Paper 1, 2 and 3. Language P3 (the essay paper) is written in October; P1 (language and comprehension) and P2 (literature) come later.
• You only write your own subjects. Most candidates write seven subjects and around 12 to 14 papers. Ignore the rest of the grid.
• Non-examination days are scheduled gaps with no papers at all, not public holidays.

Durations are shown in brackets. Papers listed on the same line at the same time are alternatives (for example, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics), not papers you write back to back.

Timetable enquiries go to the DBE's Chief Directorate: National Assessment and Public Examinations on 012 357 3900.

The NSC exams are run under the DBE's regulations on the conduct, administration and management of the examination. These are the rules that matter most for you as a candidate:

• Bring your admission letter and your ID. Invigilators must check both before letting you in. Your admission letter carries your examination number, which you write on every answer book and loose sheet.
• Be seated at least 30 minutes before the paper starts. For a 09:00 paper that means seated by 08:30. Provincial departments often tell candidates to arrive even earlier; the Western Cape asks for an hour and a half.
• Ten minutes' reading time. You get ten minutes to read the question paper before the official start. No writing of any kind is allowed during reading time.
• Late arrival. You may only be admitted after the start in exceptional circumstances, and never once an hour has passed.
• No leaving in the first hour. You cannot leave the room during the first hour of the session, and once you hand in your script you must leave.
• No cellphones or electronic devices. Being found with a phone, even switched off and unused, is an irregularity. Leave it at home or hand it in as your school instructs.
• No notes, books, maps, photos or unused paper other than what the invigilator gives you.
• Only approved calculators, and none at all in papers where the question paper says they are prohibited.
• No food or drink in the exam room, except where needed for diabetic candidates.
• Hand in everything. All answer books, answer sheets and aids must be handed in before you leave. Removing any part of an answer book means no credit for that paper.

Marking starts once the last papers are written and runs through December, followed by Umalusi's standardisation and approval of the results. The DBE had not published the specific 2026 marking dates on its website at the time of writing.

Results: the DBE has not yet announced the release date for the 2026 results. By way of pattern, the 2025 NSC results were announced by the Minister of Basic Education on 12 January 2026 and released to candidates from 06:00 on 13 January 2026, so expect a similar mid-January 2027 timeline. You will need your examination number and ID number to check them - if you've lost your number, read how to find your matric exam number.

Re-marks and re-checks: the Western Cape Education Department confirms that applications to have a November 2026 script re-marked or re-checked open on 12 January 2027 and close on 25 January 2027, with no late applications accepted. Full-time learners at no-fee schools can apply at no cost.

If you attend a school that writes the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) NSC, the DBE timetable above does not apply to you. The IEB publishes its own October/November 2026 timetable, in English and Afrikaans, on its NSC examination timetables page. We were unable to retrieve the IEB PDF directly, so we have not reproduced its dates here - download it from the IEB or ask your school for your personal timetable.

With the timetable fixed, the next few weeks are about organisation as much as studying. Work through these in order.