How to Register for Adult Matric
Registration for the Adult Matric (formally known as the Amended Senior Certificate – ASC) is handled by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in South Africa. This qualification is specifically designed for adults who had wish to complete their Grade 12 qualification or upgrade their previous matric results.
Adult Matric Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for admission to the Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) examination, you must meet the following criteria:
- Age: Be 21 years or older when you write the examination (which is typically held in May/June). However, you can start studying before you turn 21.
- Previous Qualification: Possess one of the following:
- A General Education and Training Certificate (GETC).
- A Grade 9 school report (or old Standard 7) stating that you passed Grade 9.
- A recognised equivalent qualification obtained at NQF Level, requiring two official languages.
- Incomplete Matric: Be an adult learner (21 years or older) with an incomplete Senior Certificate (SC) or National Senior Certificate (NSC).
Registration Dates
Registration for the ASC examinations (which are written annually in May/June) is typically open for a fixed period each year.
- Registration Opening: Generally opens around October/November of the preceding year.
- Registration Closing: Typically closes in early February of the examination year.
Crucial Note: These dates are generally non-negotiable. If you miss the deadline, you must wait until the following registration cycle. You should confirm the exact dates on the official DBE website for the specific year you plan to write.
How do I register
You have two primary options for registering for the examination:
Option 1: Online Registration (Recommended for ASC)
- Portal: Go to the South African Government’s e-Services portal:
www.eservices.gov.za - Register/Login: If you are a first-time user, you must register a profile. If you have registered previously, simply log in.
- Application: Follow the steps for e-Registration for the Senior Certificate (ASC).
- Verification: You will need a valid RSA ID number, a valid email address, and a working cellphone number (for a One-Time-Pin/OTP).
- Upload Documents: You must upload electronic copies of your supporting documents (certified ID, previous qualifications/results). Ensure files are small (e.g., under 512Kb) and in the correct format (PDF, JPG, PNG).
Option 2: Manual Registration
- Location: You can register in person at any Provincial Education Office (including the provincial head office, the district office, or a circuit office).
- Submission: You must submit a completed registration form along with all the required certified paper documents.
Registration Form: The completed registration form (obtained online or at the education office).
Required Documents
You will need certified copies of the following documents for your application:
- Completed registration form
- A certified copy of your ID document or birth certificate or passport (foreign candidates)
- Repeater candidates must attach a copy of their previous highest qualification
- If you have you entered and wrote any other Grade 12 or equivalent examination before you will need to supply the examination numbers for those exams.
Subject and Examination Structure
- Number of Subjects: ASC candidates must offer six subjects to qualify for the certificate.
- Examination: The ASC examination is typically written in May/June of each year.
- Assessment: ASC candidates are exempt from School Based Assessment (SBA), meaning the final examination constitutes 100% of the final mark for each subject.
- Support: The DBE offers the “Second Chance Matric Programme” which provides free tutoring support, study guides, and online resources for registered candidates.
Admission to the Senior Certificate
- Adult learners who are 21 years and older who have:
- Adult learners who are 21 years and older with an incomplete Senior Certificate qualification.
- Adult learners who are 21 years and older with an incomplete National Senior Certificate
- Only in exceptional cases, out of school youth, who are 18-21 years old and who could not complete their school education due to circumstances beyond their control, as verified by the Head of Department in the Provincial Education Department.
- Adult candidates who are 21 years and older with an incomplete NSC may choose to complete the NSC, or convert to the Senior Certificate. Should the candidate choose to convert to the Senior Certificate, they may not revert to the NSC and attempt to complete the NSC qualification.
- Adult candidates who have already obtained a qualification but wish to improve their results/status
Subjects to be offered
The subjects listed below which are part of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement of the National Senior Certificate, will be offered as part of the amended Senior Certificate. The subjects will in essence be the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements of the National Senior Certificate, excluding the School-Based Assessment (SBA) component.
Each candidate must offer six subjects in order to qualify for the Senior Certificate (as amended). Adults who have approved Senior Certificate subject credits, but do not comply with the required six-subject package, must select the remaining required subjects from the following list of 34 adapted National Senior Certificate subjects:
Table A: Official languages at Home and First Additional level
| SUBJECT | NUMBER |
| Afrikaans Home language | 13300019 |
| Afrikaans First Additional Language | 13310029 |
| English Home Language | 13300039 |
| English First Additional Language | 13310049 |
| IsiNdebele Home Language | 13300059 |
| IsiNdebele First Additional Language | 13310069 |
| IsiXhosa Home Language | 13300079 |
| IsiXhosa First Additional Language | 13310090 |
| IsiZulu Home Language | 13300099 |
| IsiZulu First Additional Language | 13310109 |
| Sepedi Home Language | 13300119 |
| Sepedi First Additional Language | 13310129 |
| Sesotho Home Language | 13300139 |
| Sesotho First Additional Language | 13310149 |
| Setswana Home Language | 13300159 |
| Setswana First Additional Language | 13310169 |
| SiSwati Home Language | 13300179 |
| SiSwati First Additional Language | 13310189 |
| Tshivenda Home Language | 13300199 |
| Tshivenda First Additional Language | 13310209 |
| Xitsonga Home Language | 13300219 |
| Xitsonga First Additional Language | 13310229 |
Table B1: Agriculture
| SUBJECT | NUMBER |
| Agricultural Sciences | 10320239 |
Table B2: Business, Commerce and Management Studies
| SUBJECT | NUMBER |
| Accounting | 12320249 |
| Business Studies | 12320259 |
| Economics | 12320269 |
Table B3: Human and Social Studies
| SUBJECT | NUMBER |
| Geography | 16320279 |
| History | 16320289 |
| Religion Studies | 16320299 |
Table B4: Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences
| SUBJECT | NUMBER |
| Computer Applications Technology | 19320309 |
| Information Technology | 19320319 |
| Life Sciences | 19320329 |
| Mathematical Literacy | 19320339 |
| Mathematics | 19320349 |
| Physical Sciences | 19320359 |
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements for the above-listed Senior Certificate subjects are available here.
Examinations
The Senior Certificate examination is written in May/June of each year. Candidates writing the Senior Certificate will be exempt from School Based Assessment(SBA), and this implies that the examination in the subject will constitute 100% of the final mark.
Examinations will be administered at designated examination centres determined by the Provincial Education Department. The examination may also be offered by the independent assessment bodies accredited by Umalusi.
Promotion requirements
A Senior Certificate will be achieved by an adult candidate who satisfies the following requirements in these examinations:
- Pass three subjects at 40%, one of which must be an official language at Home Language level.
- Pass two subjects at 30%, one of which must be an official language at First Additional or Home Language level.
- Obtain a subminimum of 20% in the sixth subject.
How do I prepare for the exam
The list of 35 subjects, learners can choose from appears on the DBE website. The department suggests that learners start preparation on time and remind learners that it is actually a year programme if done full time. Learners can also study part time and write the exam over a longer period.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has made available an Examination Guideline, which provides a framework on the structure and format of the examination. You will need to use CAPS textbooks to prepare for the exam. Exemplar question papers based on CAPS are also available on the DBE website.
Textbooks can be purchased online or at bookstores or borrowed from a local high school to save costs.