A National Senior Certificate (NSC) is a South African qualification awarded to learners who pass Grade 12 in High School, which is also known as Matric. It takes 3 to 5 years to complete a National Senior Certificate. High School consists of Grade 8, 9, 10,11 and 12 and you have to pass these grades to be awarded a National Senior Certificate.

1. National Senior Certificate
A National Senior Certificate (NSC) is a South African
qualification awarded to learners who pass Grade 12 in
High School, which is also known as Matric. It takes 3 to 5
years to complete a National Senior Certificate. High
School consists of Grade 8, 9, 10,11 and 12 and you have
to pass these grades to be awarded a National Senior
Certificate.

2. Who Qualifies To Write The
National Senior Certificate
Exam?
The following groups qualify to
write the National Senior
Certificate exam:
Learners currently in Grade 12
Learners who have a
complete School-Based
Assessment (SBA)

3. How Are National Senior Certificate
Final Marks Calculated?
National Senior Certificate results consist of 25%
internal school-based assessments (SBA) and 75%
from examinations. The 25% SBA includes class
activities such as:
Tests
Oral presentations
Assignments
Trail examinations (Preliminary / Preparatory exams)
June examinations

4. National Senior
Certificate Pass Levels?
Here are the different pass
levels you can achieve after
you have completed your
matric:
Bachelor’s Degree Pass
Diploma Pass
Higher Certificate Pass
National Senior Certificate
Pass

5. Who Can Rewrite The
National Senior Certificate?
You may qualify to write the Second
Chance Programme if:
You are 21 and younger
You wrote the exam last November
Could not write with valid reasons such as illness,
death in the family, or other special reasons
You failed a subject
Have proof of university admission and need to
improve a subject to gain entry
Want to improve NSC exam results

6. Can I Combine NSC With Other
Certificates?
Yes, you can combine the National Senior Certificate
with other certificates.

7. Can I Get My National Senior
Certificate Online?
Yes, you can get a National
Senior Certificate online, but this
does not mean that you can do
the course online. This only
applies to people who have
already completed their
National Senior Certificate

8. What Is The Difference Between National
Certificate Vocational (NCV) And National
Senior Certificate (NSC)?
A National Senior Certificate is a qualification you get
when you finish high school. This is after you have
passed Grade 8 - 12. A National Certificate Vocational is
a qualification you get when you complete your NCV
Level 2 to 4 in Technical Vocational Education and
Training (TVET) college. Level 2 is equivalent to Grade 10,
Level 3 to Grade 11, and Level 3 to Grade 12.

9. What Is The Difference Between The
National Senior Certificate (NSC) And
Senior Certificate Amended (SC)?
A National Senior Certificate (NSC) is awarded to
learners who have passed their exams and
finished Grade 12. A Senior Certificate (Amended)
is awarded to adults who have finished their adult
matric course. The certificates are the same, the
only difference is when and how you get them.