Matric is the everyday name for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) — the qualification at the end of Grade 12. Learners write seven subjects, each marked on a seven-level scale, and the combination of levels determines both whether they pass and at what level — which in turn decides what they can study next. Here's the system, without the jargon.
The seven subjects
Every NSC candidate takes:
- Home Language
- First Additional Language
- Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
- Life Orientation (school-assessed, not a final written exam)
plus three elective subjects chosen at the end of Grade 9.
Final marks combine school-based assessment (tests, tasks and internal exams through the year) with the final written exams — which is why the matric year counts from term one, not just from the October exam session.
Achievement levels: how each subject is marked
| Level | Percentage | Official description |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 80–100% | Outstanding achievement |
| 6 | 70–79% | Meritorious achievement |
| 5 | 60–69% | Substantial achievement |
| 4 | 50–59% | Adequate achievement |
| 3 | 40–49% | Moderate achievement |
| 2 | 30–39% | Elementary achievement |
| 1 | 0–29% | Not achieved |
These levels are the currency of everything that follows — pass levels and APS points are both built from them.
The three pass levels
Passing matric isn't one bar — it's three, and the level reached determines the next step:
- Higher Certificate pass — the entry-level pass: at least 40% for Home Language, 40% in two other subjects and 30% in three more. Qualifies for higher certificate programmes.
- Diploma pass — at least 40% for Home Language, 40% in four other subjects and 30% in the remaining two. Qualifies for diploma study at universities of technology and colleges.
- Bachelor's pass — at least 40% for Home Language, 50% in four other subjects and 30% in the remaining two. Required for degree study at university.
Two details worth noticing: a 40% Home Language mark anchors every pass level, and the Higher Certificate combination covers only six subjects — which is how a candidate can fail one subject outright and still pass matric.
Check the latest: the precise subject-combination rules for each pass level are set by the Department of Basic Education and are more detailed than this summary. The school's Grade 12 information pack, or the DBE's NSC pages, carry the current requirements.
APS: how universities read your results
Universities convert matric results into an Admission Point Score — typically by adding the achievement levels of six subjects, excluding Life Orientation. Six subjects averaging level 5 gives APS 30; a strong candidate with levels of 6s and 7s lands in the high 30s to low 40s.
Every programme sets its own APS minimum plus subject requirements — a BSc might demand APS 34 and Mathematics at level 5 and Physical Sciences at level 4. Two learners with identical APS totals can therefore qualify for different programmes, which is why subject choice in Grade 9 casts such a long shadow.
Two practical notes for families:
- APS methods vary by university. Some weight subjects differently or score from percentages. Always calculate using the target university's own published method.
- Provisional offers run on earlier marks. Universities issue conditional acceptances on Grade 11 finals and matric trial results — the final NSC marks confirm or adjust them. The application race is largely run before the final papers are written.
If the marks fall short
South Africa's system has real second chances: rewriting individual subjects, the DBE's Second Chance programme, upgrading at accredited colleges, or starting with a higher certificate and articulating upward. The after-matric guide maps these routes in detail.
Improving the levels while there's time
The difference between a level 4 and level 5 in two subjects can be the difference between a Diploma and Bachelor's pass — and it's usually won on specific topics, not general effort. Past papers show exactly which topics leak marks; targeted practice closes them. That's the workflow StudyBru's tutors are built for: paste or photograph the problem, get the step-by-step method, and drill the topic until the level moves — see our study techniques guide for the full approach.