As stress-inducing and unpredictable as a complete matric year can be, there are unfortunately not many short-term ways in which one can complete matric at the same academic level as an entire year would provide. As far as South African education goes, there are, regrettably, no three-month matric programmes.
However, this is not to say that there are not any second-chance options available for matric students that may not have performed well in their final year. For students who passed their matric, but whose marks do not meet the requirements for the tertiary courses that they would like to pursue, there are bridging courses available.
Bridging courses take typically between six months and a year to complete, and offer students the chance to improve their marks on subjects that they had taken during their final matric year. More information on bridging courses can be found here.
For matriculants that might have failed their year as a result of their performance during exams, there is the option to rewrite exams to improve their marks and be granted another opportunity to pass. These examination rewrites normally take place during the year after the student’s matric year. More information regarding rewrites can be found here.
Finally, adults who may not have completed their matric during their schooling, but would like to make another attempt at attaining their matric certificate, fortunately also have the option to return to school and attain an Amended Senior Certificate.
This opportunity requires that the applicant be at least 21 years of age at the time of their adult matric exams, have attained at least a grade 9 education level, and can read and write in English or Afrikaans. For more information on the process of attaining an adult matric, click here.
