Come 26 November, more than 900 000 Grade 12 candidates will be celebrating the conclusion of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

The exams commenced on 21 October with the computer applications technology (CAT) practical paper, one of the 112 examination papers that have been set across the country. This follows months of preparation supported by provincial education departments and the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

In this critical period for learners, Dr Judicial Sebatana, a North-West University (NWU) academic in the Faculty of Education, has some words of encouragement and practical advice to help them perform at their best in the exams.

“During this time of the year, it is important for learners to remember that their term one, two and three reports do not define them. Throughout the year learners were only working for a small fraction of the total weight, generally about 25%, while the final examinations carry around 75%. Therefore, they can still make it,” he says.

Effective preparation at this stage goes beyond regular study routines, according to Dr Sebatana.

“The time for studying with textbooks is over. What is more important now is the latest examination guidelines and past examination papers. These help learners to prepare according to the expectations of examiners. Learners must also study the definition of terms from these documents and use at least three past papers during their preparation.”

He advises learners to identify which concepts frequently appear in question papers and to prioritise understanding simpler content before moving to more challenging topics.

“It is important to first master the content you understand before focusing on the difficult sections that might still be confusing. Start with what you know.”

He has also shared key strategies for tackling exam papers effectively.

“Answer all the questions and begin with the ones you find easier. For multiple-choice sections, take your time and double-check your answers. For subjects that include practical laboratory experiments, ensure you revise past experiment questions thoroughly. It becomes problematic when learners score high marks in classroom assessments but struggle with the same questions during final exams,” Dr Sebatana says.