How Can I Upgrade My Matric?
Watch the College Principle explain everything you need to know about a Matric Upgrade.
If you have written your final matric exams and received your marks, you can apply for a Matric Upgrade if you want to improve the results for some of your subjects.
You then select the subjects that you want to improve. These marks, along with the other subjects that you did not choose to improve, can be compiled into one single set of results.
This is known as a consolidation of matric certificates and can be done through The Department of Education.
Entry Requirements
To apply for the Matric Upgrade course, you need to meet the following requirements:
- You must have completed your matric year and have your marks.
- You must be 21 years of age when writing the exams but can apply at 19 years of age.
- Can read and write in English or Afrikaans.
Matric Upgrade Course
Matric College offers a Matric Upgrade course that you can choose when you are looking to further your marks.
How Long Does a Matric Upgrade Take?
Your Matric Upgrade course can take up to 3 years, depending on how long you decide to complete it, and how many subjects you are rewriting.
Can I Get My Matric In 6 Months?
No, you cannot get your matric in 6 months. With an Adult Matric course, you will have to successfully complete 6 subjects. Matric is technically a 3 year programme. This amount of work can therefore not be completed in 6 months.
Understanding How Our Programme Works
Here a sneak-peak into how our Matric Upgrade course works:
- Step 1: Complete your course registration and pay your course fees.
- Step 2: All your course material will be couriered to you within the first 5-7 working days of your registration.
- Step 3: We will help set you up with all of our tutors and relevant Whatsapp groups.
- Step 4: You will take the time to study at a pace that suits you.
- Step 5: Once you are ready to write your Matric Upgrade exams, we will assist in your registration.
- Step 6: When you pass your exams, you will get your new matric marks from Umalusi. You can then consolidate the two certificates at your leisure.
- Step 7: Start your new future.
Subjects We Offer
We offer the following subjects in our Matric Upgrade programme:
- English Home Language
- English First Additional Language
- Afrikaans Home Language
- Afrikaans First Additional Language
- Other First Additional Languages
- Mathematics
- Mathematics Literacy
- Life Science
- Physical Science
- Business, Commerce and Management Studies
- Accounting
- Business Studies
- Economics
- Human and Social Studies
- Geography
- History
Our Accreditation
Matric College is accredited by both the Quality Centre for Trade and Occupations (QCTO) and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB).
Why You Should Choose a Matric Upgrade
There are many reasons why you should consider completing a Matric Upgrade course. These include:
- Improving your marks to achieve a different pass level.
- Have the opportunity to go to university.
- Change your matric subjects to suit the requirements of a course of your choosing.
Improve Your Marks
Improving your marks will help open many doors for your future. By being able to reach a Bachelor’s Degree pass or a higher APS score, you will have more tertiary education opportunities.
With a matric certificate, you are also more likely to find employment. This is because most employers will only select candidates that have a matric certificate.
Go To University
With a new pass level and Admission Point Score, you might be able to go to university. Taking a glimpse at the education statistics in South Africa, it is clear that university graduates have the lowest unemployment rate.
That means that by improving your marks, increasing your Admission Point Score and achieving a Bachelor’s Degree Pass gives you the chance to go to university. Which, in turn, gives you many more employment and success opportunities after graduation.
Change Your Subjects
Some courses will only accept you if you write matric exams for specific subjects. A Matric Upgrade course is a great option if you need to change your matric subjects to meet specific course requirements.
Matric College
To apply for the Matric Upgrade course at Matric College, you can choose any of these methods:
- Fill in the application form at the bottom of the Matric College page.
- Download a brochure to help you with your decision.
- Request a call back from our course experts to help you with your application.
- Call us on 012 762 7100 and speak to our course experts.
Adult Matric Dates 2021
The Senior Certificate (SC) examination period for 2021 ended in March. The next available examinations will be in 2022. Applications usually run from November.
Merging Matric Results
Once you have completed your matric upgrade and improved selected marks, you can merge the new marks with the marks you did not choose to improve. This means that all your chosen marks will be on one certificate.
The Department of Education is the only body that can consolidate two matric certificates. The Department of Education has a specific application form that you will need to fill in in order to get a single matric certificate.
The new matric certificate that you will receive will be accredited by Umalusi and it will look exactly the same as the matric certificate that you would have received at the end of your matric year.
Alternative Options
If a Matric Upgrade course is not for you, there are alternative options that you can consider. These include:
- Adult Matric.
- Second Chance Matric.
- Studying Without a Matric Certificate.
Adult Matric
Adult Matric is the best choice if you were unable to reach or complete your matric year. With the Adult Matric course, you have the option of getting your matric certificate, no matter how long you have been out of school for.
As long as you meet the following course requirements, you can apply:
- You have not completed your matric year.
- You have a grade 9 certificate.
- You can read and write in EITHER English or Afrikaans, depending on your preference.
Second Chance Matric
Second Chance Matric is a programme that was created by the Department of Basic Education to give matric students a second chance to write their matric exams.
If you failed, you can redo your exams with the Second Chance Matric programme. Make sure to apply as soon as you have received your final matric results.
Study Without Matric
Matric College, in partnership with Skills Academy, offers courses that you can study without a matric certificate. This is a great option to choose if you do not want to improve your matric results and would rather continue your studies.
There is a wide variety of courses that you can have a look through:
ICB Courses
The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers offers three study streams that are each on the South African scarce skills list. Two of these study streams can be studied without a matric certificate, namely:
Beauty Courses
Beauty Courses are a great idea to explore for more creative individuals looking to move into the beauty industry. From Make-up to Nail Care, here is what Matric College has to offer:
- Short Course in Nail Care
- Comprehensive Certificate in Nail Car
- Proficiency Certificate in Nail Care e
- Short Course in Make-Up Application
- Comprehensive Certificate in Make-Up Application
- Proficiency Certificate in Make-Up Application
Educare and Childcare
Educare and Childcare are great courses to either help you further your studies or to improve your knowledge in the following areas:
- Short Course in Crèche Management
- Comprehensive Certificate in Crèche Management
- Certificate in Crèche Management
Tourism and Guesthouse
The experiences individuals have while touring or staying at a guesthouse is all down to how dedicated and experienced the management are. These courses in Tourism and Guesthouse Management will help you build a successful career in these industries.
Event and Wedding Planning
Storybook weddings and revolutionary events come down to how well you create them. By taking a course in Event or Wedding Planning, you will be creating moments that your clients will never forget.
Deciding Not To Improve Your Matric
There are many reasons that you could choose not to improve your matric marks. If so, it is important to remember that there are ways to be successful without a matric certificate.
Without having completed grade 12, you can still further your studies and build a well-paying career.
Can I Still Be Successful?
You can still build a successful career without ever completing your matric certificate. You can decide to further your education in a scarce skill field such as:
With a scarce skill qualification, you will be in high-demand as nearly all companies need an employee with this skill set and very few people have them. You can also expect to get paid quite well.
Matric Equivalent Certificates
Another option if you were unable to finish matric is to opt for a matric equivalent certificate. Matric equivalent certificates have the same NQF level as matric certificates.
However, they specialise in a specific skill set whilst traditional matric certificates give you a broader less specialised education.
Matric equivalent certificates allow you to move in a certain career field once you have completed them. There are also courses that you can apply for that accept matric equivalent certificates.
Some of these courses include National Qualification (NATED) courses in the following fields:
- N4 National Certificate in Business Management
- N5 National Certificate in Business Management
- N6 National Certificate in Business Management
- N4 National Certificate in Financial Management
- N5 National Certificate in Financial Management
- N6 National Certificate in Financial Management
- N4 National Certificate in Human Resource Management
- N5 National Certificate in Human Resource Management
- N6 National Certificate in Human Resource Management
- N4 National Certificate in Management Assistant
- N5 National Certificate in Management Assistant
- N6 National Certificate in Management Assistant
- N4 National Certificate in Marketing Management
- N5 National Certificate in Marketing Management
- N6 National Certificate in Marketing Management
With a matric equivalent certificate, you can apply for the N4 course and work your way to a National Diploma.
National Diploma
Once you have completed the N6 National Certificate course, you are required to do 18 months of work experience. When this experience has been approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training, you will receive a National Diploma.
An N6 National Certificate is an NQF level 5. Once you do the work experience and obtain the National Diploma, it is an NQF level 6.
Jan Badenhorst, CEO of Matric College, discusses everything you need to know about a Matric Upgrade
Author: Andrea Frisby
Last Updated: Jesme Africa