Understanding which matric subjects your child must take and which they get to choose is the foundation of every subject decision. This guide sets out the four compulsory subjects (with the language rule that trips many families up), the elective subjects and how they are chosen, and how the two groups fit together into the seven-subject matric package.

Compulsory subjects in matric: the four every learner takes

Every matric learner takes four compulsory subjects — sometimes called the "fundamental" subjects, or Group A. These are fixed: every learner must take them, whatever their interests or intended path. They are:

• A Home Language — a language studied at the more advanced Home Language level.

• A First Additional Language — a second language, studied at (at least) First Additional Language level.

• Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy — every learner takes one of these two (a hugely consequential choice, covered below).

• Life Orientation — covering personal, social, health, civic and career development.

These four provide the common foundation every South African matriculant shares. There is no choice about whether to take them — though, as the next section explains, there is important detail in how the two languages work, and a critical choice within the Mathematics option. On top of these four, a learner chooses their electives, making seven subjects in total.

What are the compulsory subjects in South Africa? The language rule explained

The part families most often misunderstand is the language requirement, so it is worth setting out precisely. Two of the four compulsory subjects must be official languages, and they are taken at different levels: one at Home Language level (the more advanced level) and one at First Additional Language level (a level designed for a language that is not the learner's mother tongue). So a learner takes two languages, at two different levels — not two Home Languages, and not two First Additional Languages.

The crucial rule that catches families out is about the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) — the language in which a child is actually taught. One of the two compulsory languages must be the school's LoLT, taken at the appropriate level. In practice, for most online and mainstream schools teaching in English, this means English is taken (usually at Home Language level) because it is the language of instruction, with a second official language taken at First Additional Language level. The principle is that a learner must study, at a suitable level, the language they are actually learning in — which makes sense, since that language carries their whole education. This is why language choice is not fully free: it is tied to the school's language of instruction. A good school will explain exactly how this works for its learners. Read about subject requirements for university.

Which subjects are compulsory in Grade 12?

The compulsory subjects are the same across the whole FET phase — Grades 10, 11 and 12 — because a learner carries the same seven-subject package through all three years. So the four compulsory subjects in Grade 12 are exactly those a learner took up in Grade 10: a Home Language, a First Additional Language, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, and Life Orientation.

It is worth clarifying this because families sometimes wonder whether the compulsory subjects change or drop away in the final year — they do not. The same four are compulsory throughout, and they are examined in the final NSC (with the exception that Life Orientation is assessed through school-based assessment rather than a single external national exam, though it remains compulsory and counts). The takeaway is simple: the compulsory four are set from the start of the FET phase and stay compulsory to the end, so the decisions made at subject-choice time (in Grade 9) hold all the way through. Read about how many subjects you take in matric.

List of elective subjects in matric

Beyond the four compulsory subjects, a learner chooses a minimum of three elective subjects (from Group B) — the subjects that let a learner shape their own direction. The approved elective list is broad, and typically includes subjects such as:

• Sciences: Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Geography, Agricultural Sciences.

• Commerce: Accounting, Business Studies, Economics.

• Humanities: History, Religion Studies.

• Technical / applied: Information Technology (IT), Computer Applications Technology (CAT), Engineering Graphics and Design, Consumer Studies, Tourism, Hospitality Studies.

• Arts: Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, Dance Studies, Music.

• Additional languages (as an elective choice).

A few important rules apply to elective choices. Some subjects cannot be combined (for example, a learner generally cannot take both Geography and History as their only humanities, or both Business Studies and Economics, depending on the rules) — combinations are constrained, so it is worth checking. Crucially, not every school offers every elective — each school offers a particular menu, so the practical list of choices depends on the school your child attends. And elective choices should be made with a child's intended university course and career in mind, since many courses have specific subject requirements. So the elective list is broad in principle but shaped, in practice, by combination rules and by what a specific school offers. Speak to Teneo Online School about which electives it offers.

How compulsory and elective subjects fit together

Putting the two groups together gives the full matric picture: four compulsory subjects plus a minimum of three electives makes the standard seven-subject NSC package. The compulsory four give every matriculant a shared foundation — two languages (including the language they learn in), a mathematics subject, and Life Orientation. The three-or-more electives let each learner specialise towards their own interests and goals.

For a family, understanding this structure is what makes good subject choice possible. You cannot change the compulsory four (though you make the important Mathematics-versus-Mathematical-Literacy choice within them, and the language levels are set by your school's language of instruction). Your real area of choice is the electives — and choosing those well, with your child's strengths and intended direction in mind, is where the consequential decisions lie. Knowing which subjects are fixed and which are yours to choose is the starting point for every subject decision that follows. Read the guide to choosing matric subjects.

Frequently asked questions

What are the compulsory subjects in matric? Four: two official languages (one at Home Language level and one at First Additional Language level, with one being the school's Language of Learning and Teaching), Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, and Life Orientation. Every learner takes these four, plus a minimum of three electives, making seven subjects in total.

Why must one of my child's languages be the language of learning and teaching? Because a learner must study, at a suitable level, the language they are actually taught in — that language carries their whole education. So one of the two compulsory languages must be the school's LoLT. For most English-medium schools, this means English is taken (usually at Home Language level) as the language of instruction, with a second official language at First Additional Language level.

Which subjects are compulsory in Grade 12? The same four as throughout the FET phase: a Home Language, a First Additional Language, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, and Life Orientation. The compulsory subjects do not change or drop away in the final year — a learner carries the same seven-subject package through Grades 10, 11 and 12, so the compulsory four are set from Grade 10 and remain to the end.

What elective subjects can a learner choose in matric? Electives are chosen (a minimum of three) from a broad approved list including Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Geography, History, Accounting, Business Studies, Economics, IT, CAT, Consumer Studies, Tourism, Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, Dance Studies and more. Some combinations are restricted, and not every school offers every elective, so the practical choice depends on the school.

Can a learner take both Geography and History, or both Business Studies and Economics? Elective combinations are subject to rules, and some pairings are constrained depending on how a learner's overall package is structured. Because the exact rules can affect a learner's choices, it is best to check the specific combination rules with the school when planning electives, rather than assuming any two subjects can be freely combined.

How many compulsory and elective subjects are there in total? Four compulsory plus a minimum of three electives makes the standard seven-subject matric package. The compulsory four are fixed (with the Mathematics-or-Mathematical-Literacy choice within them); the electives are where a learner specialises. A capable learner may take an additional subject beyond seven as an optional extra.

The essential structure is four compulsory subjects (two languages including the language of instruction, a mathematics subject, and Life Orientation) plus a minimum of three electives — seven in total. To choose well, read about subject requirements for university, or speak to the Teneo Online School team about your child's subject choices.