- 02 Sep, 2026
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Matric Rewrite 2027 Registration
Matric and rewrites
Matric Rewrite 2027 Registration
If your matric results did not reflect what you are capable of, you can rewrite. This is who qualifies, what to prepare, where registration actually happens, and the one deadline that decides whether you sit the paper at all.
For parents and matriculantsWhen does Matric Rewrite 2027 registration close?
To write the final National Senior Certificate examination in 2027, you must register before 15 March 2027. That is the Department of Basic Education’s own rule. You register with the DBE, not with a tutoring provider, at a district or circuit office, a provincial education office, or online at eservices.gov.za. Registration is your responsibility and late applications are not accepted.
The DBE puts it plainly. Asked “Must a learner register to write the final National Senior Certificate examination?”, its answer is: “Yes, before 15 March of the year that a learner will sit for the final examination.” (Department of Basic Education, checked 2 September 2026.)
The date registration opens for 2027 has not been published yet. When it is, it will appear on the DBE site and through your provincial education department. Do not wait for an announcement to get your documents together, because the closing date does not move.
Who qualifies to rewrite matric?
Anyone who wants to improve on their previous NSC results and who is still an NSC candidate, meaning their certificate has not been changed to a Senior Certificate, may register as a part-time candidate. That is the Department of Basic Education’s own wording. You do not have to have failed; you may rewrite one or two subjects to lift a mark blocking a university, bursary or career requirement.
The Department of Basic Education states: “Anyone who wants to improve on their previous NSC results and who is still a NSC candidate (i.e. has not had their certificate changed to SC) may register as a part-time candidate for the NSC examinations.”
Two things follow from that sentence, and the second one catches people out.
You do not have to have failed
A rewrite is not only for candidates who did not pass. You may rewrite to improve a mark that is blocking a university programme, a bursary or a career path. Many candidates rewrite one or two subjects rather than a full matric.
Check whether your certificate was converted
If your certificate has been changed to a Senior Certificate (SC), you are no longer an NSC candidate and cannot register as a part-time NSC candidate. That conversion matters, so confirm your status with your provincial education department before you plan around a rewrite.
Candidates who wrote the NSC from 2008 onwards and want to rewrite subjects are covered by the Department’s Second Chance Matric Programme, which is free.
Which sitting should you write?
One of two. The May and June examination is a mid-year sitting that allows candidates to improve results; the 2026 closing date was 6 February 2026 and the 2027 date is not yet published. The October and November examination is the final NSC, with registration closing before 15 March. The February and March supplementary no longer exists, whatever older articles say.
| Sitting | Status |
|---|---|
| February/March supplementary | No longer exists. The DBE states it “has been phased out and is therefore no longer available” |
| May/June | A mid-year examination that allows candidates to improve results. The 2026 application closing date was 6 February 2026. The 2027 date is not yet published |
| October/November | The final NSC examination. Registration closes before 15 March of that year |
If you have read elsewhere that you can write a supplementary paper in February or March, that information is out of date. Planning around an examination that no longer exists costs a year.
What documents do you need?
Your identity document or passport with a certified copy, your statement of results or matric certificate from your previous sitting, and proof of address. Requirements are set provincially, so confirm the list with your own provincial education department before you travel to an office. Get them together before registration opens, because the closing date is fixed and offices get busy near it.
Get these together before registration opens, because the closing date is fixed and offices get busy near the deadline.
- Your identity document, or passport, with a certified copy.
- Your statement of results or matric certificate from your previous sitting.
- Proof of address.
The Western Cape Education Department, for example, asks candidates registering for its Second Chance classes to bring copies of an ID document, examination confirmation slip, last results and proof of address. Requirements are set provincially, so confirm the list with your own province before you travel to an office.
Where do you actually register?
With the Department of Basic Education, not with a tutoring provider. There are three routes: a DBE district or circuit office, a provincial education office including the provincial head office, or online at eservices.gov.za. The DBE Second Chance helpline is 0800 20 29 33. Registering for free Second Chance tutoring classes is not the same as registering for the examination; do both, separately.
You register with the Department of Basic Education. There are three routes:
- A DBE district or circuit office.
- A provincial education office, including the provincial head office.
- Online at eservices.gov.za.
The DBE Second Chance helpline is 0800 20 29 33.
The mistake that costs people their year. Registering for free Second Chance tutoring classes is not the same as registering for the examination. The Western Cape Education Department states it directly: “Registering and attending the Second Chance Matric Programme tutoring classes does not mean that the candidate is automatically registered for the examination.” Do both, separately.
Should you request a re-mark first?
Often, yes, and the window is short. After the 2025 results were released on 13 January 2026, re-mark and re-check applications opened the same day and closed on 27 January 2026, at R120 for a re-mark and R30 per subject for a re-check. Result queries must be submitted within 30 days. If you are a few marks short, a re-mark is faster and cheaper than a rewrite.
After the 2025 results were released on 13 January 2026, applications for a re-mark or re-check opened on 13 January 2026 and closed on 27 January 2026. The fees were R120 for a re-mark and R30 per subject for a re-check. Result queries must be submitted within 30 days of the release of results.
Those are the 2026 figures and dates, published by the DBE. The equivalent 2027 dates will follow the release of the 2026 results. If you are a few marks short of a pass or an entry requirement, a re-mark is faster and cheaper than a rewrite, so start there.
Where does Apex Academic Centre fit in?
Apex Academic Centre is not an examination centre and cannot register you for the examination; that happens with the Department of Basic Education through the routes above. What Apex does is prepare you to pass the paper once you are registered: online group classes in eight NSC subjects from R700 per subject per month, in-person group classes in Midrand, and one-on-one tutoring through the MyAPEX app.
Apex Academic Centre is not an examination centre. Apex cannot register you for the examination, and no tutoring provider can. Registration happens with the Department of Basic Education, through the routes above. What Apex does is prepare you to pass the paper once you are registered.
Online group classes
Eight NSC subjects, taught online from anywhere in South Africa, aligned to CAPS and IEB requirements. Classes are led by experienced South African teachers, run live and are recorded so you can revise, and work through past examination papers and answering technique. From R700 per subject per month.See the online rewrite classes.
In-person group classes in Midrand
A structured classroom programme at Apex Academic Centre in Midrand, running Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 14:00, with 4 hours per subject per week in a small group setting. See the in-person classes in Midrand.
One-on-one tutoring in any subject
If you need a subject that is not in the group classes, or you want individual attention, one-on-one tutoring is available online or in person through the MyAPEX app. Book a tutor.
Ready to join a class? Register for the Apex matric rewrite programme. That registration is for Apex classes only, and is separate from your DBE examination registration.
What should you do this month?
Get your identity document, statement of results and proof of address together now, and confirm with your provincial education department whether your certificate is still an NSC or has been converted. Decide which subjects to rewrite; two done properly beats six done badly. Start preparing before you register, because the closing date is before 15 March but the examination is months later. Watch the DBE site for the opening date.
A short, dated sequence beats waiting for an announcement.
- Now. Get your identity document, statement of results and proof of address together, and confirm with your provincial education department whether your certificate is still an NSC or has been converted to a Senior Certificate.
- Decide which subjects. Rewriting two subjects properly beats rewriting six badly. Look at what is actually blocking your university, bursary or career requirement.
- Start preparing before you register. Registration closes before 15 March, but the examination is months later. The candidates who do best start early rather than starting when the deadline passes.
- Watch for the opening date on the DBE examinations page and from your provincial department.
Always confirm your exact paper dates, session times and venue on your official examination permit, issued by your examination centre. The official timetable is published by the Department of Basic Education at education.gov.za.
Frequently asked questions
When does Matric Rewrite 2027 registration close?
To sit the final National Senior Certificate examination in 2027, you must register before 15 March 2027. The Department of Basic Education states that a learner must register “before 15 March of the year that a learner will sit for the final examination”. The date registration opens has not been published yet.
Can Apex Academic Centre register me for the exam?
No. Apex Academic Centre is a tutoring provider, not an examination centre. You register with the Department of Basic Education at a district or circuit office, a provincial education office, or online at eservices.gov.za. Apex prepares you for the paper once you are registered.
Is there still a February or March supplementary exam?
No. The Department of Basic Education states that the supplementary examination in February and March “has been phased out and is therefore no longer available”. A mid-year May/June examination replaced it, and the final examination remains in October and November.
Do I have to rewrite every subject?
No. You may rewrite one subject or several. Anyone who wants to improve on previous NSC results, and whose certificate has not been changed to a Senior Certificate, may register as a part-time candidate. Many candidates rewrite only the subjects blocking a university or bursary requirement.
What does a matric rewrite cost at Apex?
Apex online group classes cover eight NSC subjects and start from R700 per subject per month. In-person group classes run in Midrand from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 14:00, with four hours per subject each week. One-on-one tutoring in any subject is available online or in person through the MyAPEX app. Prices were correct on 2 September 2026, so confirm the current figure on the page.
Your second chance
Register with the DBE. Prepare with Apex.
Apex is not an examination centre, so register for the examination with the Department of Basic Education. Then let experienced South African teachers get you ready for the paper.