Umalusi clears 2025 Matric Exams despite limited paper leak Involving about 40 candidates
Umalusi has given the green light for the release of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results, confirming that the overall integrity of the exams was not compromised despite a limited paper leak incident.
Speaking on behalf of the quality assurance council, Umalusi CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi said investigations revealed that the breach was confined to a small number of candidates and examination centres.
The matter came to light on 11 December 2025, when Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube announced a breach involving Mathematics Papers 1 and 2, Physical Sciences Papers 1 and 2, and English Home Language Papers 1 to 3. In response, a nine-member National Investigation Task Team (NITT), with Umalusi serving as an observer, was established to probe the incident.
The task team presented its findings to Umalusi’s Executive Committee on 6 January 2026.
“The overall conclusion of the investigation is that the leak was limited to three subjects or seven papers, and that it affected around 40 candidates across seven examination centres in the Pretoria area,” said Dr Rakometsi.
He cautioned that while approximately 40 learners have been identified so far, further consequences will follow should additional candidates be implicated at a later stage.
Dr Rakometsi commended the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for acting swiftly to contain the breach, but raised concern over recurring examination irregularities such as group copying, which continue to surface in certain provinces.
He urged provincial education departments and private assessment bodies to strengthen their examination systems to safeguard credibility, warning that Umalusi is empowered by law to revoke certificates if irregularities are uncovered after results are released.
“If you cheated in this examination and you are found later, you will be required to return the certificate. Failure to do so may result in imprisonment,” Rakometsi warned.
Umalusi also condemned practices such as gatekeeping, where learners are prevented from sitting for certain subjects to artificially boost school pass rates, while praising DBE interventions aimed at eliminating the practice.
The council further expressed concern for candidates who were victims of crimes, including robbery and sexual assault, during the examination period, calling on communities and authorities to provide support to those affected.
Meanwhile, Umalusi chairperson Professor Yunus Ballim confirmed that there were no systemic irregularities that compromised the credibility of the 2025 examinations. More than one million candidates wrote exams in over 300 subjects at approximately 9 400 examination centres nationwide, with the NSC accounting for about 927 000 candidates.
Professor Ballim noted a high acceptance rate of raw marks, describing it as a sign of a stable and well-functioning examination system.
“When we accept a larger proportion of raw results, it points to a system that is settled and performing reasonably well,” he said.
In a message to the Class of 2025, Ballim acknowledged the scale and complexity of the examination system and encouraged learners who did not achieve the desired outcomes to persevere.
“Work harder, and you will do better in this year’s examinations,” he said.
