2026 NSC Exam Timetable: Full Matric Exam Dates (13 October to 26 November 2026)

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This is the official Department of Basic Education (DBE) timetable for the October/November 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, set out week by week so Grade 12 learners, parents and teachers can plan revision. The exams start on Tuesday 13 October 2026 and the last paper is written on Thursday 26 November 2026.

Your school will give you your own admission letter and timetable. If anything on this page differs from that letter or from the official DBE timetable (PDF), follow the official version. This is not an official DBE page.

Key dates at a glance

  • 3 August to 9 October 2026: Performing Arts practical
  • Tuesday 1 September 2026: Life Orientation Common Assessment Task (LO CAT, 2½ hrs)
  • 14 September to 13 October 2026: Visual Arts and Design practical
  • Friday 9 October 2026: National Pledge Signing at schools
  • Monday 12 October 2026: LO CAT rewrite
  • Tuesday 13 October 2026: first written exam (CAT P1 Practical)
  • Friday 23 and Monday 26 October 2026: Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy and Technical Mathematics P1 and P2
  • 3 to 5 November and 9 November 2026: non-examination days (the local government elections fall on 4 November)
  • Thursday 26 November 2026: final day (CAT and IT practical rewrites)

Morning papers start at 09:00 and afternoon papers at 14:00. Paper lengths are shown in brackets. HL means Home Language, FAL First Additional Language and SAL Second Additional Language.

Full 2026 NSC timetable

Week 1

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Tue 13 Oct Computer Applications Technology P1 Practical (3 hrs) Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu HL P1 (2 hrs), FAL P1 (2 hrs), SAL P1 (2 hrs); Hebrew SAL P1 (2 hrs); German HL, FAL, SAL P1 (2 hrs)
Wed 14 Oct Information Technology P1 Practical (3 hrs) Arabic, French, Italian, Mandarin, Modern Greek, Serbian, Spanish SAL P1 (2 hrs); Latin SAL P1 (3 hrs); Portuguese HL, FAL, SAL P1 (2 hrs)
Thu 15 Oct English HL P3 (3 hrs); English FAL P3 (2½ hrs); English SAL P3 (2½ hrs) Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu HL P2 (2½ hrs), FAL P2 (2 hrs), SAL P2 (2 hrs); Hebrew SAL P2 (2 hrs); German HL P2 (2½ hrs), FAL P2 (2 hrs), SAL P2 (2 hrs)
Fri 16 Oct Economics P1 (2 hrs); Mechanical Technology (3 hrs) Design P1 (3 hrs)

Week 2

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Mon 19 Oct isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele HL P3 (3 hrs), FAL P3 (2½ hrs), SAL P3 (2½ hrs) Agricultural Sciences P1 (2½ hrs)
Tue 20 Oct Afrikaans HL P3 (3 hrs); Afrikaans FAL P3 (2½ hrs); Afrikaans SAL P3 (2½ hrs) History P1 (3 hrs); Maritime Economics (3 hrs)
Wed 21 Oct Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda HL P3 (3 hrs), FAL P3 (2½ hrs), SAL P3 (2½ hrs); South African Sign Language HL P3 (3 hrs) Information Technology P2 Theory (3 hrs)
Thu 22 Oct Accounting P1 (2 hrs) Engineering Graphics and Design P1 (3 hrs); Marine Sciences P1 (2½ hrs)
Fri 23 Oct Mathematics P1 (3 hrs); Mathematical Literacy P1 (3 hrs); Technical Mathematics P1 (3 hrs) Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu HL P3 (2½ hrs), FAL P3 (2½ hrs); Portuguese, German HL P3 (2½ hrs); Portuguese, German FAL P3 (2½ hrs)

Week 3

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Mon 26 Oct Mathematics P2 (3 hrs); Mathematical Literacy P2 (3 hrs); Technical Mathematics P2 (3 hrs) Sport and Exercise Science (3 hrs)
Tue 27 Oct Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda HL P1 (2 hrs), FAL P1 (2 hrs), SAL P1 (2 hrs); South African Sign Language HL P1 (2 hrs) Engineering Graphics and Design P2 (3 hrs)
Wed 28 Oct English HL P1 (2 hrs); English FAL P1 (2 hrs); English SAL P1 (2 hrs) Accounting P2 (2 hrs)
Thu 29 Oct Geography P1: Climate and Weather, Geomorphology and Map Work (3 hrs) Computer Applications Technology P2 Theory (3 hrs)
Fri 30 Oct Physical Sciences P1: Physics (3 hrs); Technical Sciences P1 (3 hrs) Tourism (3 hrs)

Week 4

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Mon 2 Nov Physical Sciences P2: Chemistry (3 hrs); Technical Sciences P2 (1½ hrs) Religion Studies P1 (2 hrs)
Tue 3 Nov Non-examination day –
Wed 4 Nov Non-examination day (local government elections) –
Thu 5 Nov Non-examination day –
Fri 6 Nov isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele HL P1 (2 hrs), FAL P1 (2 hrs), SAL P1 (2 hrs) Consumer Studies (3 hrs); Hospitality Studies (3 hrs)

Week 5

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Mon 9 Nov Non-examination day –
Tue 10 Nov isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele HL P2 (2½ hrs), FAL P2 (2½ hrs), SAL P2 (1½ hrs) Electrical Technology (3 hrs); Nautical Science P1 (3 hrs)
Wed 11 Nov Afrikaans HL P1 (2 hrs); Afrikaans FAL P1 (2 hrs); Afrikaans SAL P1 (2 hrs) Business Studies P1 (2 hrs)
Thu 12 Nov Geography P2: Rural and Urban Settlements, Economic Geography of SA and Map Work (3 hrs) Religion Studies P2 (2 hrs)
Fri 13 Nov Life Sciences P1 (2½ hrs) Arabic, French, Italian, Mandarin, Modern Greek, Serbian, Spanish SAL P2 (2 hrs); Latin SAL P2 (2 hrs); Portuguese HL P2 (2½ hrs), FAL, SAL P2 (2 hrs); Equine Studies (3 hrs)

Week 6

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Mon 16 Nov Life Sciences P2 (2½ hrs) Dramatic Arts (3 hrs); Civil Technology (3 hrs)
Tue 17 Nov Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda HL P2 (2½ hrs), FAL P2 (2½ hrs), SAL P2 (1½ hrs); South African Sign Language HL P2 (2½ hrs) Agricultural Sciences P2 (2½ hrs); Nautical Science P2 (3 hrs)
Wed 18 Nov Business Studies P2 (2 hrs) Visual Arts P1 (3 hrs)
Thu 19 Nov English HL P2 (2½ hrs); English FAL P2 (2½ hrs); English SAL P2 (1½ hrs) History P2 (3 hrs)
Fri 20 Nov Afrikaans HL P2 (2½ hrs); Afrikaans FAL P2 (2½ hrs); Afrikaans SAL P2 (1½ hrs) Economics P2 (2 hrs)

Week 7

Date 09:00 session 14:00 session
Mon 23 Nov Agricultural Technology (3 hrs) Music P1 Theory (3 hrs)
Tue 24 Nov Agricultural Management Practices (3 hrs); Marine Sciences P2 (2½ hrs) Dance Studies (3 hrs)
Wed 25 Nov Music P2 Comprehension (1½ hrs) –
Thu 26 Nov CAT P1 Rewrite Practical (3 hrs); IT P1 Rewrite Practical (3 hrs) –

Big subjects: when to write

  • English FAL: P3 on 15 Oct, P1 on 28 Oct, P2 on 19 Nov
  • Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy: P1 on 23 Oct, P2 on 26 Oct
  • Physical Sciences: Physics P1 on 30 Oct, Chemistry P2 on 2 Nov
  • Life Sciences: P1 on 13 Nov, P2 on 16 Nov
  • Geography: P1 on 29 Oct, P2 on 12 Nov
  • History: P1 on 20 Oct, P2 on 19 Nov
  • Accounting: P1 on 22 Oct, P2 on 28 Oct
  • Business Studies: P1 on 11 Nov, P2 on 18 Nov
  • Economics: P1 on 16 Oct, P2 on 20 Nov

How to use this timetable for revision

  1. Highlight every paper you write and count the days between them. Gaps like 3 to 9 November are good for catching up on a weaker subject.
  2. Plan backwards from each paper. Put past papers for that subject in the week before it, and lighter recap the day before.
  3. Practise under time. Each paper length is shown above, so time yourself on a full past paper at least once per subject.
  4. Check the session. A 14:00 paper on the same day as a 09:00 paper needs a proper lunch and a short rest, not more cramming.
  5. Arrive early. Be at your exam centre at least 30 minutes before the start with your admission letter and ID.

The DBE past papers and memoranda for each subject are on the DBE NSC past papers page. For results timing, see our matric results guide.

Official sources

Enquiries about the timetable go to the DBE Chief Directorate: National Assessment and Public Examinations on 012 357 3900.