Thousands of matrics throughout the country will know their individual results on Wednesday.
All results, except those for Western Cape, would go live on the department's website.
Schools in all provinces, except the Western Cape, would open at 08:00 for pupils to fetch results and collect their National Senior Certificate, otherwise known as a matric.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced the national pass rate on Tuesday.
The 2015 national pass rate fell to 70.7%, compared to 75.8% in 2014.
The Department of Social Development has opened counselling centres for matric pupils as well as their parents. The 24-hour toll-free line offers counselling support from professional social workers.