Umalusi Confirms Integrity of 2025 NSC Results After Localised Exam Leak

“We want to assure the public that the breach was localised and therefore cannot dent the overall credibility of the 2025 NSC results,” Rakometsi said during a media briefing on Friday.

Umalusi has formally reassured the public that the integrity of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results remains intact, following the confirmation of a highly localised examination paper leak affecting approximately 40 learners across three subjects.

Umalusi CEO, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, said that after extensive quality assurance processes and an independent investigation, the quality council is confident that the 2025 results accurately reflect learners’ genuine performance.

“We want to assure the public that the breach was localised and therefore cannot dent the overall credibility of the 2025 NSC results,” Rakometsi said during a media briefing on Friday.

Robust Oversight Across a National System

Rakometsi addressed the integrity of examinations administered by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

He outlined Umalusi’s comprehensive quality assurance framework, which includes:

• Moderation of question papers and school-based assessments

• Audits of examination readiness

• Monitoring of writing at selected centres

• Participation in marking discussions

• Verification of marking quality in key subjects

• Statistical standardisation of results across more than 300 subjects

The Assessment Standards Committee (ASC), comprising 15 members, standardised the 2025 external examination results between 18 December 2025 and 5 January 2026.

“The committee carefully analysed numerical data and narrative reports and reached consensus-based standardisation decisions for each subject,” Rakometsi said.

The process was further scrutinised by observers from 11 national and international organisations, all of whom affirmed that Umalusi’s systems align with global best practice for ensuring credibility and integrity in large-scale assessments.

Findings of the Exam Leak Investigation

The investigation followed the announcement on 11 December 2025 by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube of a breach involving mathematics, physical sciences and English home language papers.

A nine-member National Investigation Task Team (NITT), with Umalusi serving as observer, concluded that the leak was confined to seven examination centres in the Pretoria area and affected only around 40 candidates.

“The overall conclusion is that the leak was limited, contained, and did not compromise the national examination system,” Rakometsi said.

He warned, however, that consequences would apply to any additional candidates identified at a later stage, emphasising that Umalusi is legally empowered to cancel certificates retroactively.

“If you cheated and are found later, you will have to return the certificate, failing which you will be imprisoned,” he cautioned.

Strengthening the System Against Irregularities

While commending the DBE for its swift response, Rakometsi raised concern about persistent irregularities such as group copying, noting that certain provinces appear repeatedly in reports.

He urged provincial departments and private assessment bodies to tighten controls to safeguard the credibility of the system, and condemned practices such as gatekeeping, where learners are prevented from writing certain subjects to inflate pass rates.

Umalusi welcomed DBE interventions aimed at curbing these practices.

Scale, Stability and Social Responsibility

Umalusi Chairperson Professor Yunus Ballim approved the release of the 2025 NSC results, confirming that there were “no systemic irregularities” affecting exam integrity.

More than one million candidates wrote examinations in over 300 subjects at approximately 9 400 centres nationwide, with NSC candidates accounting for 90.3% — about 927 000 learners.

Ballim noted a high acceptance rate of raw marks, signalling system stability.

“When we accept a larger proportion of raw results, it points to a system that is settled and functioning well,” he said.

Umalusi also expressed concern for candidates affected by social ills such as robbery and sexual violence during the examination period, urging communities and authorities to support victims.

Message to the Class of 2025

In a closing message, Professor Ballim acknowledged the complexity of a national assessment system that processes over a million scripts annually, and commended all role-players involved.

He also encouraged learners who did not pass to persevere.

“Do not give up. Work harder, and you will do better in this year’s examinations.”

Call to Action: Trust, Transparency and Continuous Improvement

As education systems globally face growing pressure from scale, digital risks and societal challenges, Umalusi’s response demonstrates the importance of transparent governance, independent oversight and continuous system improvement.

Education authorities, assessment bodies, ed-tech developers and policy stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate in strengthening examination security, data analytics, and learner support mechanisms to protect public trust in national qualifications.