The Independent Examination Board has recorded a small drop in its overall matric pass rate for the class of 2025, with results slipping to 98.31%, down from 98.47% the previous year.
According to figures reported by News24, the marginal decline mirrors a similar movement in bachelor-level passes, with 89.12% of candidates achieving bachelor’s passes in 2025 compared to 89.37% in 2024. The proportion of pupils qualifying for diploma studies also shifted, moving from 7.56% to 7.83%.
IEB chief executive Confidence Dikgole downplayed concerns around the lower figures, stressing that such changes are normal within established examination systems. Confidence said that as the IEB continues to expand, minor variations in overall pass rates are statistically expected and commonly seen internationally in stable assessment environments.
While the IEB cohort is relatively small, it stands in stark contrast to the scale of the government-run NSC examinations, where more than one million pupils sat for their final exams across over 9,400 centres nationwide.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube is expected to formally announce the 2025 NSC results later on 12 January 2026, with learners gaining individual access to their results from 13 January. There is optimism that the national pass rate may improve on 2024’s 87.3%, despite the challenges that marked the examination period.
The credibility of the 2025 NSC exams came under scrutiny following an examination leak involving 40 pupils, affecting English, Mathematics and Physical Science papers. Two DBE officials were identified as the source of the breach and have since been suspended pending investigation, with one of them reportedly having a child writing matric at the time.
South Africa has three recognised examination bodies: the DBE, the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute and the IEB. VF Plus MP Dr Wynand Boshoff said the latter two have consistently overseen their examinations without fraud or controversy, warning that repeated scandals could push parents towards independent education.
Wynand said, “When cheating in exams comes to light, the department’s usual defence is the enormous scale of the examinations it oversees.” He added, “However, what makes this year’s breach different is that it reportedly took place at headquarters, not at some remote examination centre where ensuring control is difficult.”
The DBE has pushed back, arguing that the discovery of the leak shows the strength of its monitoring systems, as markers were able to identify the irregularities. The department also emphasised that the affected candidates represent only a tiny fraction of the roughly one million matrics who wrote in 2025, noting that many independent schools still choose to write the DBE-administered NSC exams despite the availability of alternatives.
First published by Cape {Town} etc
Compiled by Aiden Daries
Also see: Matric results go public on January 13 despite legal fight
