Subjects to Pass Matric in South Africa
To get your NSC certificate, you must pass the matric exams in South Africa. But what are the passing criteria, and how many subjects do you have to clear to get your National Senior Certificate? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, don’t worry, because you landed at the right website.
Here, we will tell you the passing criteria, and how many subjects you must pass to get your Matric certificate in this country. Let’s get started
How Many Subjects Are Needed For Matric In South Africa?
Matric students in South Africa have to elect at least 7 subjects if they want to take their exams for NSC. Among these subjects, there are compulsory and elective subjects. However, out of these 7 subjects, they have to clear at least 6 subjects if they want to get their NSC certificate.
This way, students can have some relaxation. They don’t have to clear all of the subjects. However, that doesn’t mean that you must fail in that one subject. Your top priority should be passing all the subjects with good grades so that you can start your academic career with a good push.
Now, let’s talk about the types of subjects.
Types of Subjects in Matric
The young South African students have to select at least 7 subjects, and these subjects are a mixture of compulsory and elective subjects. This way, the students have some leeway with the way they want to take in their careers.
The compulsory subjects give you a solid foundation. They are necessary. However, the elective subjects are left to the student’s interests.
Let’s discuss both of these subjects in detail.
Compulsory Subjects
These subjects, as discussed below, will give you the foundation for your future studies and life in South Africa. You have to select at least 4 compulsory subjects.
These are the subjects that you have to choose no matter what.
- Life Orientation: This subject focuses on life skills, career guidance, and physical education.
- Mathematics or mathematical literacy
- Home Language: e.g., Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, etc.
- 1st Traditional language: e.g., Afrikaans, English, isiZulu, Sepedi, etc
The students have to take these subjects.
Elective Subjects
Students have to take at least 3 elective subjects in their matric exams. They have to choose these from the following subjects:
- Business Studies
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Physical Science
- Life Sciences
- Accounting
- Computer Applications Technology (CAT)
- Information Technology
- Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD)
- Visual Arts
- Music
- Drama
Students can choose any of these subjects depending on what they like. If you are an IT nerd, you can go for CAT and IT. Or, if you are an artist, you can go for visual arts, music, and Drama. It all depends on what career path you are more interested in.
Passing Criteria for Matric in South Africa
However, what are the passing criteria for matric in South Africa overall? You need to pass 6 subjects, that much is clear. However, if we dig deeper, you still need to fulfil some more conditions to get the NSC. Let’s have a look at those conditions.
- A minimum of 40% in your home language
- A minimum of 30% in two other subjects
- A minimum of 30% in the remaining subjects
You can still fail one subject, but that is not an option, you have to study hard.
Tips to prepare your mindset to clear matric exams in South Africa
These are some tips and tricks that you need to prepare your mind to win each subject to get your NSC.
- Believe in yourself. This is the first step you need to take. If you don’t even believe in yourself, how can you achieve anything in life?
- Have a solid goal for your career. You need to be clear about the subjects you are electing
- Schedule your day. Have a schedule for sleep, studying, and your entertainment and relaxation time. Without these, you will burn yourself
- To focus while you are studying, use the Pomodoro technique. This is a scientifically proven technique to help you focus more on any task.
Conclusion
Achieving your National Senior Certificate is more than just meeting minimum pass marks; it’s about setting yourself up for future opportunities. While it’s good to know the passing criteria, what truly makes a difference is developing a mindset focused on consistent effort and effective study habits. Remember, your matric results can shape your next steps, so approach each subject to learn, not just pass. This effort now will build a strong foundation for whatever path you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need to pass 6 subjects in Matric to get your certificate
These are the requirements to pass your matric in South Africa
At least 40% in your home language
At least 30% in two other subjects
At least 30% of the remaining subjects
These are the compulsory subjects
– Life Orientation
– Maths or Mathematical Literacy
– Official language
– First traditional Language
The passing marks are 30%
Yes, it is.
Yes, it is one of the compulsory subjects depending on what you choose as an official or the first traditional language.