If you’re a student in South Africa, you know how important it is to have access to past exam papers. These papers can help you prepare for your upcoming exams, giving you an idea of the format and type of questions you can expect.
However, finding past papers can sometimes be a challenge. That’s why, in this article, we’ll show you where to find past exam papers in South Africa, so you can start preparing for your exams with confidence.
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Find Past Exam Papers at Your Tertiary Institution
The first place to start when looking for past exam papers is at your college or university. Many tertiary institutions keep copies of past papers for their students to use as study aids. If your college or university has a library, check with the librarian to see if they have any past exam papers available. Alternatively, ask your lecturer if they have any copies they can share with you.
Although the above methods are effective, the easiest way to find past exam papers at your tertiary institution is by searching online! Depending on where you’re studying, you can easily find past papers on your institution’s website.
To help get you started, we’ve rounded up South African universities and TVET colleges that list past exam papers on their websites.
University Past Exam Papers
There are several South African universities that list past papers for students on their websites.
Note that in order to download past exam papers from some of these universities, you need to be a registered student and will have to either log in or know your course code:
- Nelson Mandela University (NMU)
- Rhodes University (RU)
- North West University (NWU)
- Sol Plaatje University (SPU)
- University of Cape Town (UCT)
- University of Fort Hare (UFH)
- University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)
- University of Limpopo (UL)
- University of Pretoria (TUKS)
- University of South Africa (UNISA)
- University of the Free State (UFS)
- University of the Western Cape (UWC)
- University of Venda (Univen)
For students who are busy studying at a university of technology, be sure to find past exam papers at any one of the below tertiary institutions:
TVET College Past Exam Papers
Students who are completing their studies at TVET colleges can find past exam papers at their current TVET college. Note, however, that certain TVET colleges may require you to log in before you may access old question papers or exams.
Find Past Exam Papers at the Department of Education
The Department of Basic Education provides past exam papers for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, which are written by Grade 12 learners. These exam papers can be found on the department’s website, and are available for download in PDF format. The papers go as far back as 2008, and cover subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Sciences and many more.
For learners who are going to be studying for the upcoming June 2023 exams, here’s a list of the past 2022 June exam papers for your ease of viewing:
