Gauteng: The first day of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in Gauteng proceeded smoothly, said Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane. “We are encouraged by the level of preparedness and commitment displayed across our examination centres on the first day of the NSC exams. Our teams acted swiftly where challenges arose, ensuring that every learner was able to write under fair and conducive conditions. We are satisfied that these minor incidents did not compromise the integrity of the examination. The Department will continue to monitor all centres across Gauteng closely to ensure the smooth administration of this crucial assessment,” said MEC Chiloane.

According to South African Government News Agency, the provincial government announced that all districts commenced their examinations as scheduled, without any disruptions or irregularities. A total of 16,968 candidates sat for the 3-hour Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1 practical examination at 09:00 in the morning session. Only four centres recorded minor incidents, all of which were reported before any examination was in session and were promptly managed to ensure that no candidate was disadvantaged.

The department noted that the Letsibogo Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation in Meadowlands, Soweto, reported a power outage in the area since Monday afternoon. The school swiftly implemented contingency measures by using a generator, allowing examinations to proceed without interruption. Similarly, PJ Simelane Secondary School, also in Soweto, utilised a generator to mitigate similar power supply challenges in the area, ensuring that examinations proceeded smoothly at the centre.

At Liberty Community School in Bramley, a brief power delay caused examinations to start slightly later than scheduled. However, the centre swiftly switched to solar backup, and all candidates completed their practicals successfully. At the Falcon Educational Centre in Dawn Park, 21 candidates were safely transported to a neighbouring examination centre to complete their practicals. This precautionary measure was implemented after a technical server challenge was detected before the start of the session.

The department further recorded minor absenteeism from both full-time and part-time candidates; however, the figures are not significant and do not detract from the overall successful start of the examination period in Gauteng.