The IEB said 89.12% of candidates achieved entry to bachelor degree study, slightly down from 89.37% in 2024. A further 7.83% qualified for diploma study, up from 7.56% in 2024, while 1.34% achieved entry to higher certificate study, compared with 1.53% the previous year. An additional 0.02% achieved an endorsed NSC.
All learners are expected to find out the results of their high schooling ending examinations on Monday evening. Basic Education MinisterSiviwe Gwarubesaid results would be published despite reports of leaked exam papers involving 40 learners. A total of 16 063 full-time learners and 1 350 part-time learners wrote the IEB examinations in October and November 2025 at 277 examination venues across 263 examination centres nationwide.
“This represents a continued and significant expansion of the IEB cohort, up from 14 990 full-time candidates in 2024 and 13 967 in 2023,” the IEB said in a statement. The growth in candidate numbers made minor shifts in pass rates inevitable, IEB chief executive Confidence Dikgole said. “As the IEB continues to grow — welcoming new schools, expanding geographically, and examining a larger and more diverse cohort — small fluctuations in aggregate pass rates are both statistically expected and internationally observed in stable assessment systems,” she said.
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“What is important is that performance levels remain consistently high, standards are maintained, and access to degree study remains strong.” The consistency of results is reassuring in the context of a sustained increase in the number of learners and changing learning environments, Dikgole added. “Digital technologies, including generative AI, form part of the educational landscape in which today’s learners are developing,” she said. “The IEB remains proactive in adapting its assessment practices to ensure that examinations continue to test genuine understanding, critical thinking, and applied competence, rather than rote reproduction or inappropriate reliance on technology.” According to the IEB, 161 pupils achieved outstanding results defined as the top 5% in six subjects with level 7 rating. A further 125 pupils achieved commendable achievement, placing them in the top 5% in five subjects with level 7 ratings.
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