CAPE TOWN - The final countdown is officially on for the 2026 National Senior Certificate exams, with close to a million candidates across the country prepping for next week's launch.
The exams kick off on Tuesday with Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and end on 25 November, packing 123 papers into the schedule.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube is expected to deliver a readiness briefing on Sunday.
She is already on the ground checking logistics and visited Fezeka Secondary School in Gugulethu, Cape Town, to hand down a zero-tolerance warning against cheating.
The minister challenged pupils to bring their A-game while ensuring a strong support network is in place to help them over their last schooling hurdle, but she also warned about the consequences of cheating during the matric exams, adding that there are no shortcuts to success.
Gwarube said tighter security measures are in place to safeguard the integrity of the 2026 NSC exams.
eNCA's Ayesha Ismail reports in the video above.