Overview
- The Department of Basic Education has declared itself ready for the 2026 National Senior Certificate exams with a record 962,832 candidates registered and the largest-ever full-time cohort.
- Umalusi confirmed receipt of the National Investigative Task Team's final report, which found the 2025 breach involved 40 Pretoria-based candidates and prompted ongoing DBE disciplinary action.
- The DBE says it has strengthened controls across exam production and distribution by vetting officials, working with national and provincial law enforcement, and activating a 24-hour hotline for tip-offs.
- To protect grading consistency the department completed quality assurance of 2026 papers, set up 189 marking centres and recruited 51,104 markers to apply standardised national marking and tightened moderation of school-based assessments.
- The department has contingency plans for weather and community disruption and is urging public cooperation to protect candidates and the value of the NSC, a response shaped by earlier leaks, court challenges and delayed certificates.