The 2023 school year is drawing closer to its final term and for the country’s Grade 12 learners this means the final matric exams are around the corner.
With this in mind, the Department of Basic Education has released the timetable confirming when the 2023 October/ November exams will begin. This timetable indicates when this cohort will sit for their National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams or their Senior Certificate (SC) exams.
According to the department’s timetable this year’s final matric exams will commence on Monday 30 October 2023 and will conclude during the first week of December.
DOWNLOAD THE 2023 FINAL MATRIC TIMETABLE HERE
Considering that only a little over two months remains before the exam period, participating candidates are encouraged to prioritise their preparation.
The department has a range of online resources available for this, which include past exam scripts on all Grade 12 subjects which can be found on the Careers Portal website. Here are a few tips on how you can use these available resources effectively.
These few tips will help you use your resources effectively:
- Prepare to write the past papers like you are writing your actual exam papers to get an outstanding achievement rating
- Work through past papers with the help of your notes if necessary
- Set the time to work through past papers
- If the exam is 1 hour 30 minutes, then you should also work through it using that time frame
- Check your answers to the questions
What To Do On Exam Day
- Make sure you have all the necessary stationery for your exam, i.e. pens, pencils, eraser and calculator (with new batteries). Make sure you bring your ID document and examination admission letter.
- Arrive on time, at least one hour before the start of the exam.
- Go to the toilet before entering the exam room. You don't want to waste valuable time going to the toilet during the exam.
- Use the 10 minutes reading time to read the instructions carefully. This helps to ‘open' the information in your brain. All questions are compulsory, unless indicated otherwise, but you do not have to answer them in order. Start with the question you think is the easiest to get the flow going.
- Break the questions down to make sure you understand what is being asked. If you don't answer the question properly you won't get any marks for it. Look for the key words in the question to know how to answer it.
- Try all the questions. Each question has some easy marks in it so make sure that you do all the questions in the exam.
- Never panic, even if the question seems difficult at first. It will be linked to something you have covered. Find the connection.
- Manage your time properly. Don't waste time on questions you are unsure of. Move on and come back if time allows.
- Check weighting – how many marks have been allocated for your answer? Do not give more or less information than is required.
- Write big and bold and clearly. You will get more marks if the marker can read your answer clearly.
Learners can also access a wealth of resources to prepare for their final examination on the DBE's website. These resources include study guides, audio lessons, video tutorials and past exam question papers and memorandums.
