The matriculation exemption is a legal requirement for the first-degree study (also known as the undergraduate degree study) at a South African university.
If you plan on pursuing an undergraduate degree at a South African university but you have not passed your Senior Certificate with endorsement then you will be required to apply for a matriculation exemption through the Matriculation Board.
Passing your Senior Certificate with an endorsement means that you achieved a 50% pass in 4 designated subjects. These selected subjects count towards a Bachelors Pass which allows a student to pursue a higher certificate, diploma or bachelors degree.
For more information on what your matric results mean, click here.
International students who wish to register for undergraduate studies in South Africa must have their school qualifications evaluated by the Matriculation Board that will then issue a certificate of exemption to those students who qualify.
How To Apply
You will need to get a form called the M30e form using the following resources:
- Admissions Offices of universities
- Download the form from the Matriculation Board Website, by clicking here.
- Request it via an e-mail addressed to applications@usaf.ac.za
- Request that the form be faxed to you.
You will be required to pay the standard application fee for 2021 which is R610 and is non-refundable, so it is advised that you take the assessment used to see if you are eligible for exemption before applying.
Click here to access the online assessment.
The Matriculation Board takes approximately 5-10 working days to process the online/faxed inquiries and if you should qualify for exemption a provisional letter will be issued and will be sufficient in facilitating your admission to a South African public university granted the applicant has met the requirements at the university.
For more information on matric exemption, click here.






