Concerns mount over readiness and script security as exams wrap up

AS THE 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams enter its final days, attention is shifting from the difficulty and stress of exams to the more complex issue that follows: the marking of nearly a million scripts nationwide.

- YASMINE JACOBS [e-mail]

Marking is expected to begin across all provinces this week. Still, questions arise about whether centres are fully staffed, how prepared markers are, and how securely the remaining exam papers are being stored.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has repeatedly said it is “on track” for the national marking period. The marking period typically runs for three weeks and involves more than 40 000 markers.

Provinces including Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, which handle the bulk of the exam load, have confirmed that their major centres are ready, with venues secured and moderation teams in place.

Before scripts are marked, all markers go through a standardisation process where they are trained on the national memoranda.

This is meant to ensure fairness and consistency countrywide.