Your Matric year at High School is of utmost importance if you would like to enroll at a university for a degree programme or apply for any entry-level job or learnership in South Africa.
We admire your determination to improve your Matric by registering for the Second Chance Matric Exam.
In this article, we will advise you on how to prepare for the Second Chance Matric exam so that you can make the best of the Second Chance Matric Programme.
What Is The Second Chance Matric Exam?
Is Rewriting Matric A Good Idea?
Yes, rewriting Matric gives you the chance to improve your results or get a pass mark if you failed your Matric exam and would still like to further your studies.
If your university application was unsuccessful because you did not get a Bachelor’s Degree pass or if you did not meet a certain subject’s minimum requirements (e.g. 70% for Mathematics), a Matric Rewrite can help you get a better result.
After rewriting, you can reapply and have a higher chance of meeting the minimum admission requirements and have a higher chance of getting accepted into a university course of your choice.
Having a good result on your Matric Certificate will open doors for you to other post High School opportunities like an entry-level job or apprenticeship.
Who Qualifies For The Second Chance Matric Exam?
You qualify for the second chance Matric exam if:
- You completed your Matric recently but failed
- You completed your Matric recently but would like to improve your results
- You have an incomplete Matric result because you were absent for one or more exams
- You are younger than 21
How Do I Register For The Second Chance Programme?
- Identity Document
- Statement of Matric results
- Matric Certificate
- The High School you attended
- The Department of Basic Education
- Your Provincial Department of Education
Is The Second Chance Matric Programme Free?
Yes, the Second Chance Matric Programme is free. The Matric Rewrite, Matric Upgrade, and Adult Matric exams are also free.
You do, however, have to pay a fee if you are doing a Matric Rewrite, Matric Upgrade or an Adult Matric course through an institution, like Matric College. This fee covers study material, study guides, study calendars and study note pads.
How Do I Prepare For The Supplementary Exam?
Preparing for your exam goes well beyond just studying. There are mental, emotional, and physical aspects that also need attention whilst preparing for your supplementary exam. Here is what you can do to prepare for the supplementary exam:
- Mental Preparation
- Develop A Study Plan
- Find The Right Study Environment
- Time Management
- Study Efficiently
- Find Your Learning Style
- Get Enough Rest
- Take Care Of Your Physical Health
Mental Preparation
Preparing for an exam can be very stressful. Emotions associated with an exam are usually doubt, fear and anxiety because of the uncertainty of what the results may be.
It is important to manage your emotions and stay level-headed before and during your study period by preparing your mind.
Here are some of the things you can do to prepare your mind before studying:
- Meditate. Meditation can help you relax and calm your mind.
- Have a positive mindset. You are more likely to succeed if you believe in yourself and practice positive self-talk.
- Have confidence. Visualise yourself receiving a pass mark on your Matric exam report.
Develop A Study Plan
Planning is important when setting out to do anything. Planning your studies allows you to set study goals, and it keeps you focused and on track.
Drawing up a study timetable will help you manage your time better. You can draw up your own study timetable or download a timetable template online.
Find The Right Study Environment
The environment you find yourself in directly affects your ability to study. You may feel overwhelmed if you try to study in a noisy and overcrowded space. A positive study environment will reduce anxiety and stress.
Clean, clutter-free study environments will also increase your ability to focus while you are studying.
Time Management
Managing your time when studying is of utmost importance. Effective time management allows you to get more studying done to achieve better results for the subjects you registered to rewrite. You will also have to appoint more study time to the subjects you are the least confident in.
Getting rid of distractions is a good first step in managing your time. Distractions may lead to procrastinating, which, in turn, may result in you putting off studying altogether.
Study Efficiently
As the saying goes, “work smarter, not harder.”
Here are some tips to help you study smarter:
- Do not memorise your work. Study to understand.
- Practice your work. Practicing your work increases your understanding of it.
- Revisit the work you have already covered so that it would be easier for you to recall the information you have studied while you are busy writing your exam.
- Make notes. You are guaranteed to remember better if you hand-write your study notes.
- Create diagrams, draw tables and use mnemonics and flashcards
- Get past Matric exam papers to complete while studying so that you can have an idea of how your exam will be structured.
- Download Matric subject study guides
- Join a study group. Sharing thoughts and ideas with your peers are always a good idea. You may get a new, fresh outlook and clarity on the information you have already studied.
Find Your Learning Style
Sitting down in front of a desk may not be an effective way of studying for you. There are different learning styles that work better for different students.
Here are the different learning styles and how you can use them to your advantage
| Learning Style | What It Means | What You can Do |
| Visual | You learn best by seeing things |
|
| Kinaesthetic | You learn by doing and engaging in physical activities |
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| Aural | Hearing information helps you remember it |
|
| Solitary | Working alone helps you study better |
|
| Verbal | You retain information that you say or hear |
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| Logical | You learn by working with strategy, numbers, and statistics |
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| Social | You learn best by participating in study groups |
|
Identifying and working according to your learning style will reduce stress and frustration, and it will help you get the most out of your studying.
Get Enough Rest
You cannot study when you are tired. If you start to fall asleep, it is your body’s way of telling you that it needs a break. If you do feel like you want to continue studying, we recommend that you take a power nap first.
This is what sleep can do for you:
- Improve your brain function and ability to remember information
- Uplift your mood
- Reduce stress
Take Care Of Your Physical Health
Your health is proven to affect your academic success. Being in good health has many benefits. One of them is that it will give you the energy you need to study.
Exercising before studying and snacking on healthy food while studying is always a good idea.
What To Avoid When Studying
Here are some things to avoid when preparing for the Second Chance Matric Exam:
- Cramming the night before your exam. You need to study well in advance to get the best possible result.
- Staying awake all night. Your body and mind need to rest.
- Not taking breaks. Studying for long periods of time will bore and tire you out. Taking breaks will restore your energy, and it will help improve your concentration.
- Drinking a lot of caffeine or eating sugar to help you stay awake. While small amounts of caffeine can give you a boost of energy, too much caffeine and sugar are bad for your health.
- Eating a lot of junk food for stress relief. You can binge-eat healthy, low-calorie fruits and vegetables instead.
What Happens If You Fail the Second Chance Matric Exam?
If you are unsuccessful and fail your Second Chance Matric exam, you can write it again, or apply for a course that you can study without Matric.
How Many Times Can You Rewrite Matric?
You can rewrite Matric as many times as you want to. There is no limit on the amount of times you can rewrite your Matric exam.
Can I Do My Matric If I Am Over The Age Of 21?
Yes, you can do your Matric if you are older than 21.
At Matric College, we have the following courses available for Adult Matric:
- Adult Matric – Senior Certificate (Amended)
- Rewrite Matric – Amended Senior Certificate
- Matric Upgrade
We also have courses you can study without Matric and scarce or critical skills courses you can study to increase your chances of getting a job.
Contact us to find out more about what courses we have at Matric College.
The Principal of Matric College, Jan Badenhorst, Discusses How To Prepare For Your Second Chance Exams
Author: Tammy Fredericks
Editor: Sive Ncanywa
Date: August 19, 2022