The grade 12 learners around the country started writing their final year exams on Monday morning.

They will be sitting for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams from 31 October 2022 to 7 December 2022 in all nine provinces.

On Monday the matriculants sat to write the English Paper 1 exam.

At the Nellmapius Secondary School in Tshwane learners got a surprise visit from the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshega, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Education MEC Matome Chiloane hours before starting their final exams for their National Senior Certificate to encourage them to give it their very best.

Premier Lesufi told the 357 matric learners to do to the exams what Kaizer Chiefs did to Orlando Pirates.

"Congratulations to you for making it this far. Not many pupils make it to their final year of high school. These exams will determine your future," he said.

Motshekga advised pupils to work hard, make sacrifices and stay motivated. She said learners are briefed on all the rules and regulations pertaining to the examinations and on the consequences, should they be implicated in irregularities.

"We have gone to great lengths to ensure that the examinations happen with no irregularities. The DBE has stepped up its security across all points in the question paper chain, based on a continuous review of all examination processes," Motshekga said.

More than 920 000 pupils nationally are writing English Paper One.

Matriculant Junior Moremi said despite feeling nervous he was confident he would do well because he had worked hard for the exams. He said the visit by the minister was highly motivating.

"I'm looking forward to leaving high school behind and pursuing higher education," he said.