Photo: A National Senior Certificate. Image source: Careers Portal
The recent leak of 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric examination materials has raised serious concerns about internal security, staff vetting, and access control within the Department of Basic Education (DBE). While authorities have moved quickly to contain the incident, education stakeholders warn that weaknesses exposed by the breach must be urgently addressed to protect the integrity of national examinations.
According to reports, the leak involved the English Home Language, Mathematics and Physical Sciences papers and was traced to a DBE ( Department of Basic Education) employee who unlawfully accessed exam guidelines and shared them with their child. The material was reportedly distributed further using a USB device and reportedly shared further among a small group of learners in the Pretoria area. The irregularity was detected during the marking process after examiners noticed unusually identical answers across multiple scripts.
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) has acknowledged that, while the incident appears to be isolated, it highlights significant shortcomings in staff vetting and access controls within examination systems. NAPTOSA stressed that only properly vetted personnel should have access to sensitive exam material and called for tighter monitoring and accountability measures. Two DBE employees have since been suspended, and criminal cases have been opened as investigations continue.
Education authorities have reiterated that the breach does not point to a nationwide failure of the matric examination system, but rather an internal breakdown that must be corrected. As the DBE and law enforcement pursue accountability, education bodies have emphasised the need to restore public confidence and ensure that honest learners are not disadvantaged by breaches beyond their control.