Right now
The matric finals start on Tuesday 13 October 2026.
Life Orientation is written earlier, on 1 September, and the Performing Arts practicals start on 3 August.
Before the written papers
If you take Life Orientation, Performing Arts, or Visual Arts and Design, your matric exams start well before the main timetable does.
Pledge Signing
Friday 9 October 2026
Life Orientation (LO CAT) (2½hrs)
Tuesday 1 September 2026
Life Orientation (LO CAT) (2½hrs) Rewrite
Monday 12 October 2026
Performing Arts Practical
3 August to 9 October 2026
Visual Arts and Design Practical
14 September to 13 October 2026
Full matric timetable 2026
October/November 2026, the Grade 12 NSC finals. Morning papers start at 09:00 and afternoon papers at 14:00. Times are the official start times, so be at your desk before then.
13 October
Tuesday
09:00
- Computer Applications Tech P1 Practical (3hrs)
14:00
- Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu HL P1 (2hrs),
- FAL P1 (2hrs), SAL P1 (2hrs) Hebrew SAL P1 (2hrs)
- German HL, FAL, SAL P1 (2hrs)
14 October
Wednesday
09:00
- Information Technology P1 Practical (3hrs)
14:00
- Arabic, French, Italian, Mandarin, Modern Greek,
- Serbian, Spanish SAL P1 (2hrs), Latin SAL P1 (3hrs)
- Portuguese HL, FAL, SAL P1 (2hrs)
15 October
Thursday
09:00
- English HL P3 (3hrs)
- English FAL P3 (2½hrs)
- English SAL P3 (2½hrs)
14:00
- Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu HL P2 (2½hrs),
- FAL P2 (2hrs), SAL P2 (2hrs) Hebrew SAL P2 (2hrs)
- German HL P2 (2½hrs), FAL P2 (2hrs), SAL P2 (2hrs)
16 October
Friday
09:00
- Economics P1 (2hrs)
- Mechanical Technology (3hrs)
14:00
- Design P1 (3hrs)
19 October
Monday
09:00
- isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele HL P3 (3hrs),
- FAL P3 (2½hrs), SAL P3 (2½hrs)
14:00
- Agricultural Sciences P1 (2½hrs)
20 October
Tuesday
09:00
- Afrikaans HL P3 (3hrs)
- Afrikaans FAL P3 (2½hrs)
- Afrikaans SAL P3 (2½hrs)
14:00
- History P1 (3hrs)
- Maritime Economics (3hrs)
21 October
Wednesday
09:00
- Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda
- HL P3 (3hrs), FAL P3 (2½hrs), SAL P3 (2½hrs)
- South African Sign Language HL P3 (3hrs)
14:00
- Information Technology P2 Theory (3hrs)
22 October
Thursday
09:00
- Accounting P1 (2hrs)
14:00
- Engineering Graphics and Design P1 (3hrs)
- Marine Sciences P1 (2½hrs)
23 October
Friday
09:00
- Mathematics P1 (3hrs)
- Mathematical Literacy P1 (3hrs)
- Technical Mathematics P1 (3hrs)
14:00
- Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu HL P3 (2½hrs),
- FAL P3 (2½hrs) Portuguese, German HL P3 (2½hrs)
- Portuguese, German FAL P3 (2½hrs)
26 October
Monday
09:00
- Mathematics P2 (3hrs)
- Mathematical Literacy P2 (3hrs)
- Technical Mathematics P2 (3hrs)
14:00
- Sport and Exercise Science (3hrs)
27 October
Tuesday
09:00
- Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda
- HL P1 (2hrs), FAL P1 (2hrs), SAL P1 (2hrs)
- South African Sign Language HL P1 (2hrs)
14:00
- Engineering Graphics and Design P2 (3hrs)
28 October
Wednesday
09:00
- English HL P1 (2hrs)
- English FAL P1 (2hrs)
- English SAL P1 (2hrs)
14:00
- Accounting P2 (2hrs)
29 October
Thursday
09:00
- Geography (Climate and Weather, Geomorphology
- and Map Work) P1 (3hrs)
14:00
- Computer Applications Tech P2 Theory (3hrs)
30 October
Friday
09:00
- Physical Sciences (Physics) P1 (3hrs)
- Technical Sciences P1 (3hrs)
14:00
- Tourism (3hrs)
2 November
Monday
09:00
- Physical Sciences (Chemistry) P2 (3hrs)
- Technical Sciences P2 (1½hrs)
14:00
- Religion Studies P1 (2hrs)
3 November
Tuesday
No exams written on this day.
4 November
Wednesday
No exams written on this day.
5 November
Thursday
No exams written on this day.
6 November
Friday
09:00
- isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele HL P1 (2hrs),
- FAL P1 (2hrs), SAL P1 (2hrs)
14:00
- Consumer Studies (3hrs)
- Hospitality Studies (3hrs)
9 November
Monday
No exams written on this day.
10 November
Tuesday
09:00
- isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati, isiNdebele HL P2 (2½hrs),
- FAL P2 (2½hrs), SAL P2 (1½hrs)
14:00
- Electrical Technology (3hrs)
- Nautical Science P1 (3hrs)
11 November
Wednesday
09:00
- Afrikaans HL P1 (2hrs)
- Afrikaans FAL P1 (2hrs)
- Afrikaans SAL P1 (2hrs)
14:00
- Business Studies P1 (2hrs)
12 November
Thursday
09:00
- Geography (Rural and Urban Settlements, Economic
- Geography of SA and Map Work) P2 (3hrs)
14:00
- Religion Studies P2 (2hrs)
13 November
Friday
09:00
- Life Sciences P1 (2½hrs)
14:00
- Arabic, French, Italian, Mandarin, Modern Greek,
- Serbian, Spanish SAL P2 (2hrs), Latin SAL P2 (2hrs)
- Portuguese HL P2 (2½hrs), FAL, SAL P2 (2hrs)
- Equine Studies (3hrs)
16 November
Monday
09:00
- Life Sciences P2 (2½hrs)
14:00
- Dramatic Arts (3hrs)
- Civil Technology (3hrs)
17 November
Tuesday
09:00
- Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda
- HL P2 (2½hrs), FAL P2 (2½hrs), SAL P2 (1½hrs)
- South African Sign Language HL P2 (2½hrs)
14:00
- Agricultural Sciences P2 (2½hrs)
- Nautical Science P2 (3hrs)
18 November
Wednesday
09:00
- Business Studies P2 (2hrs)
14:00
- Visual Arts P1 (3hrs)
19 November
Thursday
09:00
- English HL P2 (2½hrs)
- English FAL P2 (2½hrs)
- English SAL P2 (1½hrs)
14:00
- History P2 (3hrs)
20 November
Friday
09:00
- Afrikaans HL P2 (2½hrs)
- Afrikaans FAL P2 (2½hrs)
- Afrikaans SAL P2 (1½hrs)
14:00
- Economics P2 (2hrs)
23 November
Monday
09:00
- Agricultural Technology (3hrs)
14:00
- Music P1 Theory (3hrs)
24 November
Tuesday
09:00
- Agricultural Management Practices (3hrs)
- Marine Sciences P2 (2½hrs)
14:00
- Dance Studies (3hrs)
25 November
Wednesday
09:00
- Music P2 Comprehension (1½hrs)
26 November
Thursday
09:00
- CAT P1 Rewrite Practical (3hrs)
- IT P1 Rewrite Practical (3hrs)
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Which timetable this is
This is the DBE (NSC) timetable for the October/November 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations, taken from the official dbe nsc timetable, february 2026. Every entry is reproduced exactly as it appears there, and the PDF is linked above so you can check it.
Three things it does not cover. Prelims are set by each province and sometimes by individual schools, so there is no single national prelim timetable. IEB and SACAI candidates write to their own timetables. And the rewrite and supplementary papers are a separate May/June sitting with its own document.
Your school can move a session in an emergency, and the department can issue an amended timetable. Always confirm against the copy your school gives you before you plan around a date.
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