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Motshekga announces 72.5% matric pass rate‚ up nearly 2.5% over previous year

The matric class of 2016 have achieved a pass rate of 72.5%‚ up from 70‚7% in the previous year.

The pass rate reflects the achievement of the 442 672 matriculants who passed their National Senior Certificate exams‚ Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Wednesday evening.

Motshekga was speaking in Midrand‚ Johannesburg‚ where she announced the national results.

The top achieving province is the Free State with a pass rate of 88.2%‚ up from 81.6% in 2015.

Click here to get your Matric 2016 results

Historically‚ the Western cape has held the top spot which this year came in second place with with 85.9%‚ improving from 84.7% in 2015.

Gauteng claimed third place with 85.1%‚ improving from 84.2% in 2015.

Among the remaining provinces:

• The North West achieved 82.5%‚ up from 81.5%;

• The Northern Cape achieved 78.7%‚ up from 69.4%;

• Mpumalanga achieved 77.1%‚ down from 78.6%;

• KwaZulu-Natal achieved 66.4%‚ up from 60.7%;

• Limpopo achieved 62.5%‚ down from 65.9%‚ and;

• Eastern Cape achieved 59.3%‚ up from 56.8% in 2015.

The department also provided figures for what the matric pass rate would have been if “progressed” pupils had been excluded from the count.

This is what the provinces achieved with the exclusion of progressed learners:

Free State - 93.2%

Western Cape - 87.7%

Gauteng - 87%

North West - 86.2%

Northern Cape - 82.2%

Mpumalanga - 81.3%

Kwazulu - Natal - 69.5%

Limpopo - 68.2%

Eastern Cape: 63.3%

Progressed pupils are those who were allowed to move on to Grade 12 but had not passed Grade 11.

The number of progressed learners jumped significantly in 2016 with 108 742 registered‚ compared with 65 673 in 2015 — a 65% increase.

If the progressed pupils had been excluded from the count‚ the pass rate would have been 76‚2%‚ Motshekga said.

Just over half of those who wrote matric in 2016 achieved either a diploma pass allowing them to study at college or bachelors pass allowing them to study at university.

The number of pupils who qualify for admission to Bachelor studies in 2017 is 162 374‚ the number who achieved a Diploma is 179 619‚ 100 486 obtained Higher Certificates and 68 achieved their NSC.

The minimum requirements to obtain the National Senior Certificate are to achieve 40% in three subjects‚ one of which should be a home language‚ to achieve 30% in three other subjects and fail one.

However‚ this does not allow pupils to enter a diploma or college and “can just be a piece of paper‚” says Basil Manuel‚ executive director of Naptosa.

To check your results‚ visit http://matric.sowetanlive.co.za/ now to register to receive them as soon as they are made available on Thursday morning.