Matric pass rate inches up to 76.4%

The matric class of 2021 achieved a 76.4% pass rate, up from 76.2% the year before. Basic education minister Angie Motshekga released the results on Thursday, showing the Free State was the best-performing province, at 85.7% (up 0.6 percentage points from 2020). Limpopo was the worst performer at 66.7% (a decline of 1.5 percentage points). Motshekga said the number of candidates qualifying for admission to bachelor studies at universities was 256,031 — up four percentage points from 2020. “This represents 36.4% of the total number of candidates who wrote the 2021 senior certificate exams,” said Motshekga.