Adult Matric – What Can I Study

Adult Matric is a programme designed to enable adults over the age of 21 to complete their high school education if they did not get to. Once you have completed your Adult Matric, you will receive your Senior Certificate (Amended), commonly known as Adult Matric.

You can do an Adult Matric if you:

Are over the age of 21
Have completed up to Grade 9 or further
Have not written Matric

Is Adult Matric The Same As Matric?

It is not the same qualification, but it is at the same educational level. These two qualifications function the same way. You can use either of them to apply for work or to further your studies.

What Is The Equivalent Of Matric?

A Matric Equivalent qualification is any qualification at NQF level 4 that is not a Matric Certificate. NQF stands for National Qualifications Framework, and is a system designed to determine the educational level of qualifications. There are 10 NQF levels:

NQF Level	Educational Level
1	Grade 9
2	Grade 10
3	Grade 11
4	Matric
5	Higher Certificate
6	Diploma
7	Bachelor’s Degree
8	Honour’s Degree
9	Master’s Degree
10	Doctoral Degree

What Are The Types Of Matric?

There are different types of Matric Certificates, and they are:

Certificate Name	Known As	Other Names
National Senior Certificate (NSC)	School Matric	NSC, Matric
Senior Certificate (Amended)	Adult Matric	Senior Certificate (SC), (ASC)Amended Senior Certificate
Upgraded Matric	Amended Matric	National Senior Certificate (NSC) or Senior Certificate (SC)

When you have completed a Matric Upgrade, the name of your certificate will stay the same. So if you wrote school Matric and upgraded it later, you will still have an NSC. If you wrote an Adult Matric and then upgraded it, you will still have an SC.

How Long Does It Take To Get Your Adult Matric?

It will take a minimum of 12 months to get your Adult Matric, and can take up to three years. To complete your Adult Matric, you must write six subjects. To ensure the best results, many students choose to separate their subjects instead of doing all six in one year.

Some students choose to take three subjects each year, which allows them to complete their Adult Matric in two years. Others choose to take two subjects at a time, meaning it takes three years to complete their Adult Matric.

Can I Do My Matric In 6 Months?

No, you cannot complete your Matric in six months. Any Matric qualification will take a minimum of one year to complete. However, if you are doing a Matric Rewrite, you can complete your Matric in under six months.

For a Matric Rewrite, you will register for the exams in January/February, and you will write the exams in May/June.

Can Adult Matric Be Online?

Yes, you can study for your Adult Matric online through distance learning. However, you cannot write your exams remotely.

All Matric exams must be written in a government-designated venue. You will be informed what venue you will write in when you register for your Matric exams.

Where Can I Write Adult Matric For Free?

It is free to register with the Department of Basic Education to write your Matric exams. However, it is not free to study for your Adult Matric.

You will pay fees for the institution where you choose to study. These fees cover things such as study materials, academic support, and tuition.

What Are The 4 Compulsory Subjects?

There are four subjects that you must have on your school Matric Certificate. There are still options for each, but these four things must be on your Matric Certificate:

One official South African language at the Home Language level
One official South African language at the First Additional Language level
Maths OR Maths Literacy
Life Orientation

Note that for Adult Matric, there are only three compulsory subjects. This is because you will not take Life Orientation for Adult Matric.

Can You Pass Matric If You Fail One Subject?

Yes, you can still pass your Adult Matric, even if you fail one subject. You may fail one subject as long as you achieve a minimum of 20% in the final exam. This excludes your Home Language subject, which you cannot fail. You must pass five of your six subjects to pass. If you fail more than one subject, you will not pass.

What Are The 4 Matric Pass Types?

There are four Matric pass levels, each with their own requirements. Each passing level determines what you can apply to study after Matric. The four passing levels and the requirements are:

Pass Level	Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree pass	40% or above for your Home Language subject 50% or above for four subjects 30% or above for two other subjects
Diploma pass	40% or above for your Home Language subject 40% or above for four other subjects 30% or above for two other subjects
Higher Certificate pass	40% or above for your Home Language subject 40% or above for two other subjects 30% or above for four other subjects
NSC pass/Matric pass	40% or above for your Home Language subject 40% or above for two other subjects 30% or above for three other subjects You may fail one subject

Note that these are only the minimum requirements, and that achieving any of these passing levels does not guarantee your admission into any universities.

Also, many Bachelor’s Degree courses have further requirements than the minimum requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree pass. Some courses have specific subject requirements, and some universities have their own requirements.

Remember to check with the university you are applying to about any additional subject or percentage requirements for the course you want to study.

What Can I Study Without Matric?

There are many courses available for you to study without Matric include:

ICB courses
Short courses

ICB Courses

There are three ICB courses that you can choose to study without Matric:

Business Management
Financial Accounting
Office Administration

Business Management

National Certificate: Small Business Financial Management
Qualification	National Certificate
NQF Level	4
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	48736
Credits	120
Entry Requirements	Grade 11 or Equivalent Certificate (Bookkeeping: ICB FET Certificate)
Subjects	Business Management 1 (BMT1) Bookkeeping to Trial Balance (BKTB) Business Literacy (BUSL)
Career Options	Junior Researcher Junior Analyst Sales Assistant

Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Qualification	Higher Certificate
NQF Level	5
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	23619
Credits	240
Entry Requirements	National Certificate: Small Business Financial Management
Subjects	Office and Legal Practice (OLPR) Business Management 2 (BMT2) Marketing Management and Public Relations (MMPR) Financial Statements (FNST) Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRLR)
Career Options	Senior Office Administrator General Office Manager Customer Service Manager

National Diploma: Financial Accounting
Qualification	National Diploma
NQF Level	6
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	20366
Credits	280
Entry Requirements	ICB Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Subjects	Business Management 3 (BMT3) Financial Management and Control (FMCL) Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks (FRRF) Research Theory and Practice (by short dissertation, topic: Business Management) (RTAP)
Career Options	Accounting Officer Business Manager Business Advisor

Financial Accounting

National Certificate: Bookkeeping
Qualification	National Certificate
NQF Level	3
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	58375
Credits	120
Entry Requirements	Grade 10 or Equivalent Certificate
Subjects	Bookkeeping to Trial Balance (BKTB) Payroll and Monthly SARS Returns (PMSR) Computerised Bookkeeping (CPBK) Business Literacy (BUSL)
Career Options	Junior Bookkeeper Accounts Clerk Payroll Clerk

Further Education And Training Certificate: Bookkeeping
Qualification	FET Certificate
NQF Level	4
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	58376
Credits	130
Entry Requirements	ICB National Certificate: Bookkeeping
Subjects	Financial Statements (FNST) Cost and Management Accounting (CMGT)
Career Options	Senior Bookkeeper Junior Accountant Assistant Accountant

National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting
Qualification	National Diploma
NQF Level	5
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	36213
Credits	251
Entry Requirements	ICB Further Education And Training Certificate: Bookkeeping
Subjects	Income Tax Returns (ITRT) Business Law and Accounting Control (BLAC)
Career Options	Technical Financial Accountant Accounting Technician Tax Technician

National Diploma: Financial Accounting
Qualification	National Diploma
NQF Level	6
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	20366
Credits	280
Entry Requirements	ICB National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting
Subjects	Corporate Strategy (CRPS) Management Accounting Control Systems (MACS) Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks (FRRF) Research Theory and Practice (by short dissertation; topic: Financial Accounting) (RTAP)
Career Options	Financial Accountant Tax Practitioner Tax Consultant

Office Administration

National Certificate: Office Administration
Qualification	National Certificate
NQF Level	5
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	23618
Credits	120
Entry Requirements	Matric or Matric Equivalent (Small Business Financial Management: ICB National Certificate or Bookkeeping: ICB National Certificate)
Subjects	Business and Office Administration 1 (BOA1) Bookkeeping to Trial Balance (BKTB) Business Literacy (BUSL) Marketing Management and Public Relations (MMPR) Business Law and Administrative Practice (BLAP) Cost and Management Accounting (CMGT)
Career Options	Junior Office Administrator Receptionist Office Assistant

Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Qualification	Higher Certificate
NQF Level	5
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	23619
Credits	240
Entry Requirements	ICB National Certificate: Office Administration
Subjects	Business and Office Administration 2 (BOA2) Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRLR) Economics (ECON)
Career Options	Senior Office Administrator General Office Manager Labour Relations Administrator

National Diploma: Office Administration
Qualification	National Diploma
NQF Level	6
Accredited by	ICB & QCTO
SAQA ID Number	35958
Credits	360
Entry Requirements	ICB Higher Certificate: Office Administration
Subjects	Business and Office Administration 3 (BOA3) Financial Statements (FNST) Management (MGMT)
Career Options	Office Manager Public Relations Manager Administrative Manager

Where Can I Study ICB Courses?

There are many places where you can study ICB courses. Some reputable distance learning colleges that offer these ICB courses are:

Short Courses

There are also many short courses offered at four of the above colleges. These short courses are designed to upskill you efficiently so you can begin your career journey as soon as possible.

These short courses are open-access, meaning the only requirements are that you are over the age of 16, and that you can understand, read and write in English.

Short Courses At Matric College

Short Courses At Skills Academy

Short Courses At Ember Academy

Short Courses At Learning Group

What Have We Learned?

Adult Matric is a way for those over 21 to complete their high school education if they have not done so
Adult Matric is an NQF level 4 qualification
An Adult Matric qualification functions the same way as a school Matric qualification
It will take a minimum of one year to complete your Adult Matric, and can take up to three years
You can study for your Adult Matric online, but you must write your exams in a government-designated venue
It is free to register with the Department of Basic Education to write your Adult Matric exams, but it is not free to study for your Adult Matric
You can still pass Matric even if you fail one subject, as long as it is not your Home Language subject
There are four Matric pass levels
There are still many study opportunities available even if you do not pass Matric

Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Razeen Dollie
Date: July 6, 2022