Matric exams 2026: Here’s what will be written this week

The 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) final examinations enter their second week, with matric learners across South Africa preparing for another busy schedule.

The examinations began on Tuesday, 13 October, and are scheduled to conclude on Thursday, 26 November.

Week 2, running from Monday, 19 October, to Friday, 23 October, includes several major Home Language papers, Accounting Paper 1 and Mathematics Paper 1.

Learners are encouraged to check the official timetable carefully and ensure they arrive at their examination venues well before their papers begin.

READ | Matric exams 2026: What you can and can’t take into the exam room

What time do matric exams start?

The Department of Basic Education’s 2026 NSC timetable has two standard examination sessions.

• Morning session: 09:00
• Afternoon session: 14:00

Learners should plan their journeys in advance and allow enough time to reach their examination venues. Arriving late can add unnecessary pressure during an already demanding examination period.

Paper durations and any subject-specific arrangements should be checked against the official examination timetable.

Friday is a key day for mathematics learners

Friday, 23 October, is particularly important for learners taking Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics, with all three Paper 1 examinations scheduled for the morning session.

Accounting learners also face an important paper earlier in the week, with Accounting Paper 1 scheduled for Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, language learners will write several Home Language and additional-language Paper 3 examinations throughout the week.

Tips for the second week of matric exams

As the examination period continues, learners should make time to revise upcoming topics, prepare the stationery and other materials permitted for each paper, and check their examination timetables daily.

Getting enough sleep, eating properly and allowing sufficient travel time can also help learners manage examination stress.

Week 2: 19 to 23 October

Date	Time	Subject
Monday, 19 October	09:00	isiZulu / isiXhosa / siSwati / isiNdebele HL P3 (3 hrs), FAL P3 (2½ hrs), SAL P3 (2½ hrs)
Monday, 19 October	14:00	Agricultural Sciences P1 (2½ hrs)
Tuesday, 20 October	09:00	Afrikaans HL P3 (3 hrs); Afrikaans FAL P3 (2½ hrs); Afrikaans SAL P3 (2½ hrs)
Tuesday, 20 October	14:00	History P1 (3 hrs); Maritime Economics (3 hrs)
Wednesday, 21 October	09:00	Sepedi / Sesotho / Setswana / Xitsonga / Tshivenda HL P3 (3 hrs), FAL P3 (2½ hrs), SAL P3 (2½ hrs); South African Sign Language HL P3 (3 hrs)
Wednesday, 21 October	14:00	Information Technology P2 Theory (3 hrs)
Thursday, 22 October	09:00	Accounting P1 (2 hrs)
Thursday, 22 October	14:00	Engineering Graphics and Design P1 (3 hrs); Marine Sciences P1 (2½ hrs)
Friday, 23 October	09:00	Mathematics P1 (3 hrs); Mathematical Literacy P1 (3 hrs); Technical Mathematics P1 (3 hrs)
Friday, 23 October	14:00	Hindi / Gujarati / Tamil / Telugu / Urdu HL P3 (2½ hrs), FAL P3 (2½ hrs); Portuguese / German HL P3 (2½ hrs); Portuguese / German FAL P3 (2½ hrs)