Assuring the education standards in general and further education and training in South Africa

The Council has the responsibility for the issuing of the following certificates:

• Senior Certificate
• National Senior Certificate (FET colleges)
• National N3 Certificate
• Subject certificate
• General Education and Training Certificate
• Learning area certificate
• National Certificate (Vocational)
• National Senior Certificate (Schools)
• Subject statement

Please note that Umalusi does not work directly with members of the public with regard to verification services. Individuals should apply through a verification agency for verification services, also refer to questions 1.20 and 1.21.

Please visit our website at www.umalusi.org.za under the verification heading for the names of agencies that have contracts with Umalusi. There are a number of other verification agencies which are not listed, but which have contracts with Umalusi, that can also be contacted. You are not limited to using an agency listed on the website.

Please note: Agencies charge varying fees for verification services. You are therefore advised to request prices from more than one agency before requesting the verification of your qualifications.

Umalusi verifies certificates issued from November 1992. All certificates issued before November 1992 must be verified by the Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training (N3).

Umalusi verifies the National Senior Certificate, Senior Certificate, General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) for adults and N3 certificates and National Certificate (Vocational) (NCV)

Yes, through any assessment body where you wrote according to certain regulated rules of combination.

The National Senior Certificate will be awarded to you if you have complied with the following requirements which form the basis for determining pass requirements to be accepted at University for the Higher Certificate, Diploma or Degree Studies programmes:

To obtain a National Senior Certificate you must have offered the following subjects in the examination:

Subject

One Home Language
One Home or First Additional Language
Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
Life Orientation
3 x subjects selected from Group B

and further fulfil the minimum promotion requirements, viz:

• achieve 40% in three subjects, one of which is an official language at Home Language level;
• achieve 30% in three subjects; and
• provide full evidence in the School-Based Assessment component, in the event of a subject failed.

To qualify for admission to Higher Certificate studies you need to pass with a minimum 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the Higher Education institution concerned.

To qualify for admission to Diploma Studies at a University, you need to pass the National Senior Certificate, with an achievement rating of 3 (moderate achievement, 40%-49%) or better in four recognised NSC 20-credit subjects, and a minimum 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the Higher Education institution concerned.

To qualify for admission to Bachelor`s Degree studies at a University, you need to pass with a minimum of 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the Higher Education institution concerned, in addition to an achievement rating of 4 (adequate achievement, 50%-59%) or better in four subjects chosen from the designated subject list determined by Higher Education.

If you are already in possession of a National Senior Certificate, combination is possible only if through the improvement of your results the status of the certificate changes e.g. a new certificate can be obtained if the old certificate allows access only to a Diploma but with the improvement you are now eligible for access to a Bachelor's degree studies.

Unfortunately not. The National Senior Certificate is granted according to specific rules of combination and therefore one has to write the matric to get a matric.

A candidate who did not qualify for a full certificate is issued with a subject certificate/subject statement/learning area certificate for the subjects passed. A subject certificate/subject statement/learning area certificate is also issued to candidates who have rewritten and improved their results in a given subject.

A change of personal details due to a marriage or civil union or arising from the situation where a person has changed his or her name through a legal process after the issuing of a certificate do not qualify for a re-issue.

Please send an e-mail to verification@umalusi.org.za or telephone 012 349 1510 for particulars on how to go about this, as these can differ.

You will need to make a payment to Umalusi and then send certified copies of your ID document or passport as well as your certificate (not older than 3 months) to verification@umalusi.org.za with Authentication for the DIRCO in the subject line. Fees vary from year to year. The applicable fees can be requested from Umalusi by sending an e-mail to verification@umalusi.org.za

New qualifications 
The National Senior Certificate for Adults (NASCA)
The General Education and Training Certificate for Adults (GETCA)

Within the six month period after certification, but not later than a year after the examination, Umalusi will consider a request for a re-issue.

Administrative Errors

Within the six month period after certification, but not later than a year after the last examination, Umalusi will consider a request for a re-issue in the following cases where there is sufficient proof that the mistake on the certificate, either with regard to a subject mark, subject choice or a change in result, or some aspect of the personal details, is incorrect because of a registration error by the school or the assessment body. Such a request will be considered, if it is submitted within a six month period after the issuing of the certificate to the candidate, but not later than a year after the examination.

The following procedure is required in an application for a re-issue

• the request for a re-issue must be made through an assessment body;
• the original certificate must be returned; and
• A change to an original certificate will not be considered unless the original certificate (not a replacement) is returned.

Re-issue: Legal alteration of personal details

A change of personal details due to a marriage or civil union or arising from the situation where a person has changed his or her name through a legal process after the issuing of a certificate do not qualify for a re-issue.

Yes, the assessment body where you apply for a replacement of your lost certificate can supply you with a confirmation letter to indicate that you are in the process of applying for a replacement certificate and confirm your qualification and results.

No, Umalusi does not issue letters of achievement if you have lost your certificate. Such a letter may be issued by the Department of Education when you apply for your lost certificate.

Umalusi is responsible for the replacement of the Senior Certificate and National Senior Certificate as from September 1992.

To apply for a replacement (in lieu of a lost certificate) of your matric/Gr12 certificate the following is required:

1. A completed application form, which can be obtained at any of the departments of education or on the website of the National Department of Basic Education (www.education.gov.za)

APPLICATIONS FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED TAKING CARE OF THE DETAIL REQUIRED, E.G. YEAR QUALIFICATIONS OBTAINED, SURNAME AND NAMES UNDER WHICH THE PERSON QUALIFIED FOR THE CERTIFICATE AND WHERE POSSIBLE THE SCHOOL NAME.

APPLICATIONS FOR LOST CERTIFICATE / RE-ISSUES CAN BE DONE AT ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHERE YOU WROTE YOUR MATRIC, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE WRITTEN THE EXAM IN A SCHOOL IN EASTERN CAPE, YOU CAN APPROACH THE MPUMALANGA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR A REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE.

2. An affidavit – All applications for replacement of lost/damaged certificates should be accompanied by a signed affidavit from a police station stating the status of the original certificate e.g. stolen; lost in a move.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PREVIOUS CERTIFICATE IS CANCELLED WHEN A REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED.

3. A certified copy of the candidate`s identity document is required. (This copy must be certified by a commissioner of oaths. A copy can be made and certified either at a police station or at an attorney`s office where they should do it for free.)
4. Proof of payment of administration fees – An administration fee is payable with a request for a certificate. The fee payable can be established with the accredited assessment body. The fee is reviewed on an annual basis.

Please note the following important information:

A certificate cannot be issued on the same day that the application is submitted. The processing time is 4 – 6 weeks under normal circumstances.

A request for replacements for certificates obtained prior to November 1992 can be made from the office of any of the Departments of Education.

Presently Umalusi Council issues the following certificates:

Schooling qualifications: 
The Senior Certificate (SC) which was offered before 2008
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) which replaced the Senior Certificate in schools and commenced in 2008
The Amended Senior Certificate, which will be written for the first time in June 2014

TVET/FET qualifications: 
The National N3 Certificate
The National Senior Certificate: Colleges – phased out in 2011, but still certified for candidates combining the National N3 Certificate with two languages; this option will be phased out once the Amended Senior Certificate is offered
The National Certificate: Vocational (NCV) Levels 2 – 4 – commenced in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively

Adult Education and Training qualifications; 
The General Education and Training Certificate for Adults (GETC: ABET)

Yes, you can improve the status of a certificate issued to you, taking into consideration the minimum higher education admission requirements, e.g. from a National Senior Certificate with access to Diploma Studies to access to Bachelors Degree studies, by completing the outstanding requirements. A new certificate, taking into consideration the requirements will be issued, if this does not exceed a maximum of 3 examination sittings.

We either refund you or keep the money for a future verification request. Umalusi only verifies certificates that were issued after 1992. Certificates issued earlier must be verified by the respective department of education. However, in order to avoid such incidents you are advised to confirm the examination date before making payment.

Yes. Umalusi has records of all Senior Certificates from 1992 and will continue to issue the Senior Certificate for replacement purposes.

Presently Umalusi Council issues the following certificates:

Schooling qualifications:

The Senior Certificate (SC) which was offered before 2008 and is being phased out – its final examination will be administered in 2014
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) which replaced the Senior Certificate and commenced in 2008

Vocational qualifications:

The National Technical Certificate N3
The National Senior Certificate: Colleges – phasing out by the end of 2011
The National Certificate: Vocational (NCV) – commenced in 2007

Adult Education and Training qualifications;
The General education and Training Certificate for adults (GETC: ABET)

Umalusi is responsible for the replacement of the Senior Certificate and National Senior Certificate as from September 1992.

NOTE: Applications for lost or replacement certificates must be done directly with Umalusi by clicking here.

To apply for a replacement (in lieu of a lost certificate) of your Matric/Gr12 certificate, the following is required:

1. A completed application form, which can be obtained at any of the Departments of Education or on the website of the National Department of Basic Education (www.education.gov.za)

Applications forms must be completed taking care of the detail required, e.g. year qualifications obtained, surname and names under which the person qualified for the certificate and where possible the school name.

Applications for lost certificate / re-issues can be done at any of the Departments of Education, irrespective of where you wrote your matric, for example, if you have written the exam at a school in Eastern Cape, you can approach the Mpumalanga Department of Education for a replacement certificate. This statement is in exception of IEB and SACAI, as lost certificates can only be applied from them.

1. An affidavit – All applications for replacement of lost/damaged certificates should be accompanied by a signed affidavit from a police station stating the status of the original certificate e.g. stolen; lost in a move.
2. A certified copy of the candidate’s identity document is required. (This copy must be certified by a commissioner of oaths. A copy can be made and certified either at a police station or at an attorney’s office where they should do it for free).
3. Proof of payment of administration fees – An administration fee is payable with a request for a certificate. The fee payable can be established with the accredited assessment body. The fee is reviewed on an annual basis.
4. An electronic request must be submitted to Umalusi by the Assessment Body after processing an application form. This request should be sent in a form of a dataset as stipulated by the Council.

It should be noted that the previous certificate is cancelled when a replacement certificate is issued. Should it happen that a candidate find a certificate that was lost/replaced, then the candidate should know that the certificate is invalid.

Please note the following important information:

A certificate cannot be issued on the same day that the application is submitted. The processing time is 1 – 6 weeks under normal circumstances.

A request for replacements of certificates obtained prior to November 1992 can be made from the office of any of the Departments of Education and the same procedure followed. However, it should be noted that this certificate will be printed by the relevant Assessment Body and not Umalusi. The processing time is 1 to 3 weeks under normal circumstances.

Contact details for the various provincial and National Departments are as follows: