How to Check Your Matric Results Online in South Africa 2026/2027

While waiting for your matric results, which is exciting as you plan to apply to universities, colleges, or similar, it is also very stressful thinking about how your results will impact your future plans and opportunities.

Checking your matric results in South Africa is very easy. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) allows students to check their results via an online platform.

This guide will show you how to check your matric results online. This guide will also show you how to access the results via the Gauteng matric results portal. Additionally, this guide will show you how to collect your Statement of Results from your school. This guide will help you with what to do if your results are not what you expect or if your results are missing.

This guide will help you if you are a first-time matriculant or if you are a candidate who previously wrote certain subjects. This guide will show you available options.

Where to Check Your Grade 12 Results in South Africa?

You can get your Grade 12 examination results in various ways in South Africa, depending on where you wrote your examinations and which authority is responsible for your results.

There are three main ways to check your matric results. These include:

1. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) Website

The DBE website allows candidates who wrote the NSC examinations to access their results. You will be required to have your examination number to be able to check your results.

2. Provincial Matric Results Portals

Some provincial governments have websites that allow learners to access their matric results. One example is the Gauteng Provincial Matric Results Portal where learners can access their matric results when they are available.

3. Your School or Examination Centre

If you have no means to access the Internet or prefer to physically collect your results, you can also collect your Statement of Results from the school you wrote your exams from, or the examination centre you registered to write your exams at.

When are the results of Grade 12 published in South Africa?

In South Africa, students who sit for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams will receive their results once they are publicly announced by the Department of Basic Education.

The NSC exams in November happen every year, and the results are announced in January of the following year.

On January 12, 2026, the Department of Basic Education published the results of the National Senior Certificate examinations of 2025, which candidates will be able to access from the next day onwards.

Meanwhile, the results for the November 2026 examinations will be made available in January 2027, although the exact date has to be communicated by the Department of Basic Education.

Please note that the dates may change and people should always check this information on the official website of the Department of Basic Education.

Keep in mind that results for the November exam conducted in 2026 will be announced by this Department in January 2027.

As it has already been stated above, the Department of Basic Education will release the results on its official website and students will be able to access it.

How to Check Your Grade 12 Results Online in South Africa

The easiest way to check your results is via the Department of Basic Education’s official website.

There is no need to rush off to your school to get your results if you have access to the Internet and your examination number.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Official Department of Basic Education site

Launch your browser and navigate to the official site of the Department of Education, found at https://www.education.gov.za/.

It is important to remember to look for the website of the Ministry of Education and not any other websites that claim to show matriculation results.

Step 2: Find the Matric Results Section

The Matric Results or Examination Results section will be available on the Department of Education’s website during the results release period.

This is the information that the Department of Basic Education will provide during the results release period.

You can also visit the official examination results page:

https://www.education.gov.za/MatricResults/ExamResults.aspx

Ensure that the page displays the appropriate exam session.

Step 3: Type in Your Examination Number

You will be requested to furnish your exam number on the results platform.

The same number was issued to you while you were signing up for the grade 12 examination.

Make sure to enter the number accurately.

Even a minor error of the typing kind can prevent the system from retrieving your results.

Step 4: Provide Necessary Information

Type in the number and follow all on-screen instructions to get access to your results.

The system will then look for relevant records related to your test.

Step 5: View Your Matric Results

The system will display your results on the screen if they are available on the platform.

Take time to review your subject marks and overall achievement.

Save the information or print it if you can.

The results shown on the online platform do not necessarily replace your official Statement of Results.

Your school or the examination centre can provide more information on how to collect your official document.

How to Check Your Grade 12 Results in Gauteng

If you are a learner from Gauteng province, you can check your results on the Gauteng Provincial Government’s online matric results platform.

The Gauteng Provincial Government has introduced an online system to enable learners to access their results.

You can visit:

Gauteng Matric Results Portal:

https://results.gauteng.gov.za/

The process is straightforward:

• Open the Gauteng matric results website.
• Enter your examination number.
• Select the search option.
• Follow the instructions to view your available results.

The Gauteng government announced the use of the above website for the 2025 matric results, which were made available on 13 January 2026.

This information is subject to the particular examination session and the information on the results portal. It is recommended that you check the results portal to see if results for the examination you wrote are available.

Should your results not appear on the website, please contact your school or the provincial education office.

How to Get Your Matric Results From Your School

However, if you do not have Internet access or are having problems with the online results, you can collect your results from the school where you wrote the examinations.

Statements of Results are made available from January at the relevant school or examination centre.

Here is what needs to be followed:

• Make sure to contact your school to find out when the results will be published.
• Go to the school or examination hall as per the date specified.
• Request the appropriate examination administrator for your Statement of Results.
• Confirm that the personal information and the marks of the subjects are accurate.
• Store your Statement of Results in a secure location.

For part-time candidates, it is necessary to contact the examination centre that you registered at to take the examinations.

Part-time NSC candidates can obtain their results from the examination center of registration.

What information should be used to check the matric results?

The information necessary for checking matric results can vary from one province to another. Most of the time, the most crucial piece of information will be the examination number.

There are also instances where school administrators or other official examination support services may require personal identification information.

Here is what you should prepare:

Maintain your exam information confidential.

You should not disclose your identification number, examination number, or other personal information to unknown people or in any web pages other than the official Department of Basic Education pages.

How to Interpret Your Grade 12 Matric Results

Once you have your results, you must now make sense of the results you obtained in the different subjects that you wrote.

Your Statement of Results will list all the subjects you wrote and the results you obtained for each of them.

South Africa uses a seven-level achievement rating system for the National Senior Certificate.

The general achievement scale is as follows:

Your overall matric pass category is determined by the relevant NSC requirements and the results you obtained for the subjects you wrote.

It must also be remembered that having a matric certificate does not necessarily mean that you can pursue any university program.

Different universities and courses have different admission requirements.

This can be different for different courses and universities. An example would be that a person aiming for a degree in engineering will need to have certain grades in Mathematics and Physics, while students planning to take degrees in Arts will require a different combination of subjects and different results from those they achieved in their matric.

It is, therefore, best to check the requirements of the university and the course that you want to pursue.

What Are the Different Matric Pass Levels in South Africa?

When you receive your matric results you will need to find out what matric pass level you got. This will indicate what types of further studies you can apply for at universities, colleges and other higher education institutions.

In South Africa there are four main matric pass categories.

1. Bachelor’s Degree Pass

The Bachelor’s Degree Pass is the highest of the NSC main admission categories. It will allow you to apply for admission to Bachelor’s Degree programs offered by universities provided you also meet the university’s admission requirements for that specific program.

To qualify for a Bachelor’s Degree pass, you generally need to:

• Achieve at least 40% in your Home Language.
• Achieve at least 50% in four recognised 20-credit subjects.
• Achieve at least 30% in another subject.
• Meet the applicable NSC certification requirements.

However, having a Bachelor’s Degree Pass does not guarantee you admission to university. Each university and every course will have their own set of requirements. For example, some engineering courses may require specific results for Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

2. Diploma Pass

A Diploma Pass is required to apply for admission to diploma programs at universities of technology and other qualifying higher education institutions.

The general minimum requirements include:

• At least 40% in your Home Language.
• At least 40% in four recognised 20-credit subjects.
• The language of learning and teaching of the institution must be achieved at least at 30%.
• Meeting the applicable NSC certification requirements.

Some diploma programs may require additional subjects for admission to that particular program.

3. Higher Certificate Pass

A Higher Certificate Pass can be used to apply for Higher Certificate programs at qualifying higher education institutions.

The general minimum requirements include:

• At least 40% in your Home Language.
• At least 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the institution.
• Meeting the applicable NSC certification requirements.

Depending on the qualification, institutions may require other subjects, even higher marks.

4. National Senior Certificate (NSC) Pass

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) Pass is the minimum requirement to be awarded the National Senior Certificate.

Generally, candidates must:

• Gain a minimum of 40% in 3 subjects including an official language at home language level.
• Get a minimum of 30% in 3 different subjects.
• Present the required proof of school-based assessment (SBA).
• One also has to meet the other requirements for the subject and for certification.

An NSC pass does not necessarily guarantee entry into Higher Certificate, Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree programs. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the program for which they are applying.

Official reference: DBE – FAQs on National Senior Certificate examinations .

What Should You Do If Your Matric Results Are Not Available Online?

There are some student who have entered their exam roll numbers but do not have information about their results, which can be quite irritating when other students have already accessed their own.

However, not receiving a result does not mean that a person has failed.

There may be technical reasons why some candidates’ results are excluded from online publication.

If this happens, follow these steps:

1. Check Your Examination Number

Return to the results platform and verify whether you have input your exam number in the right way.

Look for any missing or wrong numbers.

2. Verify that You Are on the Right Results Platform

Check that you are using the correct results platform for the examination authority and examination session you wrote.

Candidates who wrote under the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) must follow the IEB’s results arrangements and not expect to find their results on the DBE platform.

3. Contact Your School

If your results are still not available, contact the school where you wrote the examinations.

Ask the examination administrator to investigate the situation.

4. Contact Your District or Provincial Education Office

In the unlikely event that your results are not available, contact your district or provincial education office for assistance.

You can also contact the Department of Basic Education directly.

DBE contact information:

• Call centre: 0800 202 933
• Telephone: 012 357 3000
• Email: callcentre@dbe.gov.za
• Website: https://www.education.gov.za/

When reaching out to the department, make sure you have your exam information on hand since this may help staff members assist you conveniently.

What Happens If You Are Dissatisfied With Your Matric Results?

Working hard on all of your subjects does not always mean that you will get the scores that you desired. Papers that were marked incorrectly could be the reason for you being given lower grades.

There is no reason to panic.

In South Africa, the options are available even for people who are qualified and want to ask for clarification of their marks, request revaluation and even ask for remarking of the results received.

To Apply for a Recheck

Rechecking is done to ascertain whether your marks have been added up correctly and the results entered correctly.

If you think your marks were not added properly, then this approach may be useful.

To Apply for a Remark

Remarking basically means that your answer sheet will be looked at again.

This approach can work if you think that the way you were graded did not correspond to your answer.

The application for a remark or recheck can be made through your school or district office or on the Department of Basic Education’s official online services platform.

Check the current application procedures, fees, and closing dates for the Department of Basic Education’s NSC results on their website.

For the 2025 NSC results released in January 2026, the Department of Basic Education provided an application period for the remark and recheck of candidates’ results.

These deadlines are not necessarily the same every year.

For additional information, check out the official page for National Senior Certificate results from the Department of Basic Education.

What Happens If You Do Not Pass Matric?

Failing matric can be a great disappointment for someone who planned to go to a university or college or get a job. However, it does not mean that everything is over.

The options available to candidates will depend on individual circumstances and on the criteria that the candidate meets.

1. Consider the Second Chance Matric Programme

The Second Chance Matric Programme is offered by the Department of Basic Education to enable candidates who have failed to achieve the National Senior Certificate, or who wish to improve their results, to do so.

This program will provide you with all the necessary study material and lessons to achieve your matric results.

You can find more information through the official government website:

https://www.gov.za/faq/education/where-can-i-find-out-more-about-improving-my-matric-results

2. Consider Rewriting Your Subjects

This option is available to candidates who are eligible to register for future NSC examinations in order to complete or improve certain subjects.

The May/June examination is also offered to candidates who need to complete certain subjects or improve their results in other subjects.

Check the latest registration requirements and closing dates before applying.

3. Explore TVET Colleges

TVET colleges offer programs of learning that are focused on practical and on-the-job skills.

Depending on the qualifications that you hold and the requirements of the course of study that you are interested in, a TVET college could be the alternative route to further education and employment.

4. Consider Other Career and Training Opportunities

There are many other options, such as learnerships, skills development programs, occupational training programs, and many other educational programs.

Identify the various options available to you and make an informed decision as to which would be best to help you achieve your goals.

Important Tips for Matric Results Day

A day of examination results can be a moving day, especially after months of preparation and hard work that have made up your life for the last few months.

Here are some tips that will help you on the day of the results:

• Always keep your exam registration number in a safe place.
• You should always check the official government and exam board websites.
• Make sure you avoid other websites that require you to provide too much personal data.
• Before making any important decisions, check your results thoroughly.
• You need to pick up your official statement of results at your examination authority.
• You should consult your teachers, career advisors, and other people.
• Make sure you do some research to learn about the applications at various colleges and universities.

Finally, give yourself some time to accept the news properly.

There are different pathways to building a successful future.

Frequently Asked Questions About Checking Grade 12 Results in South Africa

1. How can I check my Grade 12 results online in South Africa?

One can access the Department of Basic Education website by way of the link https://www.education.gov.za/ and locate the matric examination results link. Fill in your examination number and observe the instructions provided.

2. Which website can I check for my matric results?

You can check for your matric results on the DBE official website https://www.education.gov.za/. If you are in Gauteng, you can check your results on the other provincial results site, which is https://results.gauteng.gov.za/, and this is where the results will be.

3. Can I use my ID number to see my results?

The DBE official results publication requires the examination number. Other official verification processes may require other personal information.

4 . Can I collect my matric results without using the Internet?

You can obtain your results from the examination organization school or center.

5. When are the results of the matric examinations in South Africa released?

The results are usually released in the month of January for examination done in the previous November. The DBE officially communicates the release date.

6 . Can I rewrite matric if I fail?

Yes, interested candidates can re-sit for the exams done under the second chance matric programme to complete/improve results offered by the DBE.

Final Thoughts: Your Matric Results Are the Beginning of Your Next Chapter

The Matric results are but the beginning of the next chapter of your life. Start looking at universities, colleges and bursaries should you have met the requirements for further studies.

Even if you didn’t achieve the results you were hoping for, there are options for you to explore. You may be able to get your exam remarked, or you can write matric again for some subjects. There is also the Department of Basic Education’s Second Chance Matric Programme.

Your future is not defined by one exam. You can take many different routes to further education, skills development and employment and reach your goals.