As the second term of 2026 kicks off, the real work of Matric begins in earnest. This is not a year where performance suddenly matters in September, but rather a full-year campaign with the June exams the first major checkpoint that truly counts, an education expert says.

“These mid-year exams cover the bulk of Term 1 and 2 work, feed directly into your school’s progression report, and (most importantly) decide whether you walk into the second half of the year with momentum or playing catch-up,” says Dr Alucia Mabunda, Campus Head at IIE Rosebank College .

Dr Alucia Mabunda
Campus Head at IIE Rosebank College

“Nail them and your APS starts looking strong, your confidence skyrockets, and your university options strengthen. Slack now and you’ll spend July to November firefighting instead of flying. These next few months are your non-negotiable window to build an unbeatable foundation,” she says.

Why the June exams matter:

• They form the first official record of Matric performance that universities and bursary providers review;
• Strong June results create early momentum and confidence heading into the second half of the year;
• They reveal foundational gaps early, giving students time to fix them before final NSC exams;
• Good mid-year marks improve a learner’s overall APS;
• Performing well now prevents a stressful catch-up period from July to November, and
• They can reveal whether a learner’s current plans for post-Matric study are realistic, allowing time to reconsider or adjust before it’s too late.

Image: Freepik

Dr Mabunda says there are three solid moves Matrics can make now to perform to the best of their ability in the upcoming and, ultimately, final exams:

1) Build an exam-simulation timetable that treats June Exams like the finals

Stop “studying when I feel like it.” Aim to block 3 focused hours every single weekday (and more during weekends) using the exact DBE/IEB or Cambridge weighting of each subject. Put your phone in another room, use the Pomodoro 50/10 method, and schedule full timed mock papers. The students who smash June are the ones who already train like it’s October. This habit alone will make the actual finals feel familiar instead of terrifying.

2) Master the core concepts in every subject before doing past papers

June papers expose who actually understands the work versus who crammed. For Maths and Physical Sciences, solve every single example in the textbook until you can explain it out loud without notes. For Languages and History, build your own 1-page mindmaps of key themes, quotes, and sources. If you don’t fix your foundational gaps now, every single paper will punish you. In coming months, aim to close all remaining gaps.

3) Turn weak subjects into performance drivers

Be brutally honest and identify the two subjects that are currently dragging down your average. From this moment until the June exams, give those subjects serious, non-negotiable daily priority. Book extra lessons with a teacher or tutor, make full use of reliable free online resources, or form a small, focused study group with only two or three equally committed students. Turning even one weak subject around can dramatically lift one’s overall percentage, and significantly improve the chances of securing access to your preferred course or bursary. While it is important to polish your strengths, attacking weaknesses head-on, with urgency and discipline, can be a game-changer.

“The June exams contribute to the school-based assessment portion of the final Matric results. Performing well at this stage helps create a pattern of steady effort that supports the overall year mark and prepares learners for the final exams,” notes Dr Mabunda.

“Starting strong now builds habits, confidence and collateral that will pay off in the final NSC outcome, and if students lock in for these next three months, the second half of Matric becomes a victory lap instead of a rescue mission.”