Adding Subjects
Yes, you can add subjects to your Matric Certificate, but there are conditions. Before you add subjects to your Matric Certificate, make sure that you are adding subjects that you will need to be eligible to study at an institution or course. Also make sure that these are subjects you are interested in, as this makes it more likely that you will be able to pass. Also be sure to check whether or not the institution you are applying to will accept subjects added at a later date.
Examples of adding subjects are as follows:
- You are already preparing for the final exam in Grade 12 and cannot change your subjects
- The tertiary institution you wish to apply to requires certain subjects which you do not have
- You want to keep your options open by adding new subjects, but you also want to keep the subjects you already have
How Many Subjects Can I Add To My Matric Certificate?
At Matric College you can add as many subjects to your Matric Certificate as you would like.
How Can I Add Subjects To My Matric Certificate?
By applying for the Matric Upgrade course at Matric College.
Is It Possible To Change Subjects After Matric?
Yes, you can change your subjects after Matric. Here are your options to improve your marks:
Supplementary Exam
Students do the Supplementary Exams when they want to improve their marks for various reasons:
- Gain entry to university
- Change their status from a Fail to a Pass
You can apply for the Supplementary Exams through your school, through the Department of Basic Education, district offices, and online.
Entry Requirements
These are the entry requirements for the Supplementary Exams:
- You must fail no more than two subjects
- A death in your family (You must provide the death certificate)
- You were ill and could not write the exams (You must provide a sick note)
- Be younger than 21 years old
The CEO of Matric College, Jan Badenhorst, discusses what a Supplementary Exam is.
Matric Upgrade
Students who do the Matric Upgrade want to improve their marks.
Can I Do The Matric Upgrade 3 Times?
Yes, you can do the Matric Upgrade programme 3 times. At Matric College you can do the Matric Upgrade programme as many times as you want.
Entry Requirements
These are the entry requirements for the Matric Upgrade programme:
- Incomplete Matric results
- Final Matric results from Umalusi
- Be 21 years old or older
Can I Upgrade My Matric Results Online?
Yes, you can register online for the Supplementary Exam OR you can apply for the Matric Upgrade programme at Matric College, this college is a distance learning institution.
Matric Upgrade Colleges In Cape Town
Here are a list of Colleges in Cape Town you can do your Matric Upgrade:
- Matric College
- Spectrum College
- College Of Cape Town
The CEO of Matric College, Jan Badenhorst discusses everything you need to know about a Matric Upgrade
The Difference Between A Matric Upgrade And A Supplementary Exam
Matric Upgrade and the Supplementary Exam are both done to improve matric marks but they are different. Here are their differences:
Matric Upgrade
- You are 21 or older (You can apply when you are 19)
- You must be 21 years old to write the Adult exams
- You can rewrite as many subjects as you want.
- You can change your subjects and even choose a new set of subjects
Supplementary Exam
- You are younger than 21 years old
- This exam is for students who recently completed matric
- You can only rewrite up to two subjects
- These subjects should be the subjects you wrote in the November exam
The Difference Between Changing Subjects And Adding Subjects
Students need to know when they should change their subjects and when they need to add subjects.
Changing Subjects
- Go from a fail to a pass by changing your subjects to subjects that are easier for you. For example Physical Sciences to Business Studies. Always make sure you change your subjects to subjects you are interested in.
- To meet entry requirements for a tertiary institution that requires a subject you did not have in Matric. Make sure that you get the correct subject from the tertiary institution. Also make sure that it is a subject you are interested in and can pass.
- Go from a Diploma Pass to a Bachelors Pass
Adding Subjects
- Keep your options open, in case you decide to go into many fields of study and require different subjects, adding subjects is a way to achieve this. Always make sure you change your subjects to subjects you are interested in.
Can I Combine My Matric Certificate Online?
Yes, you can combine your Matric Certificate Online. The Department of Basic Education does not do this automatically, unless you took the supplementary exams.
While you are waiting for your combined certificate you can apply for your statement of results.
How To Combine Matric Results After Upgrading
You can combine your Matric results after upgrading by following these steps:
- Step 1: Get the results from all your exam sittings
- Step 2: Take your original ID and certified copy of your ID
- Step 3: Proof of payment
- Step 4: Go to the nearest Department of Basic Education offices
OR
Apply online
You can download the form, fill it in and add your documents
Can I Pass Matric With 5 Subjects?
Yes, you can pass the Adult Matric with 5 subjects. With a traditional Matric Certificate you must pass at least 6 subjects. Adult Matric is commonly referred to as Senior Certificate (Amended).
Can You Fail One Matric Subject?
Yes, you can fail one Matric subject but only under these conditions:
- Get 40% for your Home Language
- Get 40% for two other subjects
- You may fail one subject (It can be your First Additional Language, but it cannot be Life Orientation) but you must get 30% for the other 6 subjects
- Your average must be 33.3% to pass
How Are Matric Points Calculated?
When you are calculating your Matric points, or your APS, you must look at the following things:
- What are your percentages for each subject
- The percentages equivalent to the codes/points
These two things will determine whether you have passed and how well you have passed.
What Are The Percentages Equivalent To
Mark received in Matric Exam | APS (Admission Point Score) |
80% – 100% | 7 |
70% – 79% | 6 |
60% – 69% | 5 |
50% – 59% | 4 |
40% – 49% | 3 |
30% – 39% | 2 |
0% – 29% | 1 |
When you add up your APS scores you will get the score that determines whether you pass or fail. Remember that Life Orientation will only count for one point, no matter what your actual mark is.
What Is The Minimum APS Score For A Bachelor Degree?
The minimum APS Score for a Bachelors’ Degree is usually 23. However this may vary depending on the university and the course you are applying to. Here is how your report would look like:
- 40% or above for English Home Language
- 50% or above for Mathematics, OR 60% or above for Mathematical Literacy
- 50% or above for three other subjects, excluding Life Orientation
- 30% or above for Life Orientation
- 30% or above for one other subject
What Subjects Count For APS?
All subjects count toward your APS except Life Orientation. Life Orientation will only be given one point if you passed, no matter what your marks were.
What Is A Good APS Score?
A good APS Score is determined by what you want to do after Matric. If you require a certain APS Score to gain entry into a certain institution then that would be your personal goal.
It is important to remember that even if you do have a good APS Score you still might not gain entrance into university, as each university has their own requirements such as:
- They require a certain subject (For example: Mathematics instead of Mathematical Literacy)
- They require a certain percentage for a certain subject (For example: 70% for Mathematics)
- Your APS Score might be 25 which is a Bachelor’s Pass BUT the university still requires the above-mentioned things. This is why it is important to research the course and institution you choose to go to before applying.
- The university may already have accepted many students with a higher APS than you, and reached maximum capacity for the course for that year.
What Percentage Is A Distinction In Matric?
A distinction in Matric in South Africa is 80%.
I want to change mathematics to maths literary… I obtained my matric with Diploma.. So I don’t know tht it’s possible
hey did you get a response on this?
I passed my matric in 2011 with a bachelor’s I would like to do nursing but I did commercial subjects in matric I would like to add life science how do I go about it?
I tried to upgrade in 2017. So I passed life science and maths and den I failed Physical Science while in the first place I passed physical science and failed life science,. So I want to knw if I can still use my matric be4 I upgrade or is no longer working
hey, i need help, im kind of in the same boat as you. i just want to know if u got help yet ?
hey there. i also didnt have life science and want to become a nurse. did u get any help yet ? so i can catch help from you
did u get help
Hi Sibusisiwe , im kinda in a same boat as you have you been helped i aslo wanna do life sciences.
Same Amanda I want to do Life science too
2020 I rewrote 3 subject I passed 2 and 2021 I rewrite again pass 1 out of 3 subject can I be able to combine those subjects from fail and pass with high certificate
Hi i would like to know if its possible to change the two subjects that i failed in matric and upgrade with two new subjects?
It’s 100% possible to do just that.
Greetings, I am 23 years of age
Passed my matric in 2019 with a Batchelor
My subjects included : mathematics literacy, Tourism, History, Business studies
I now wish to add: Mathematics , life sciences and physical science to my matric certificate if it is possible. Please assist
Thank you
i wanna add subject to do a certain course. will i be taken ?
Hi, I did matric in 2010 then failed and tried again in 2012 and 2014 but still failed. I want to change the two subjects I keep failing. Can you please help with information on how and where can I do that?
Thank you.
Hi There
I did Matric in 2010, commerce subject and passed all my subject but would like to add science for university entry as i would like to study.
Hello i did my matric in 2023 and i would like to add life science to my NSC so i can apply for nursing in 2024 is that possible
HELLO
I did my matric in 2021 and i passed with a diploma, and i wrote my matric again in 2023 and i failed but only improved my Home language results.
1. Can i combine my improved Home language results to my 2021 matric certificate?
2. if not, can i use my 2021 matric results instead to apply at Tertiary? by cancelling the 2023 matric results because i failed.
Thank u.