Exam season — SA universities say they’re on track, but students take strain

Detailed summary

Hit by weeks of protest disruptions and funding bottlenecks, students across South Africa are tackling high-stakes final examinations under immense pressure. While universities…

Hit by weeks of protest disruptions and funding bottlenecks, students across South Africa are tackling high-stakes final examinations under immense pressure. While universities push forward to save the academic calendar, students battle fatigue and anxiety, prompting mental health experts to urge caution against end-of-year burnout.

Across South Africa lecture halls have fallen quiet as thousands of university students sit for their final year-end assessments. Following a demanding academic year complicated by funding bottlenecks and campus disruptions, institutions insist that recovery plans have stayed the course, while students grapple with lost momentum and psychological strain.

At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), a second-semester protest shuttered campuses for nearly three weeks after the recess. Despite the lost time, CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kensley maintains that the academic project remains secure.

“We are 100% ready to complete the academic year on time and on schedule. The adjusted academic calendar and differentiated faculty recovery plans have gone according to plan, and the academic recovery position indicates that all six faculties are on track to complete within the approved timeframe. Preparations for the 10 December graduation also remain on track as planned,” Kensley said.

Addressing student housing pressures as leases lapse in late November, Kensley clarified: “Reassessments will take place in January and no students, apart from those who have academic permission because of Work Integrated Learning (WIL), will be on campus. The institution must shut down residences for deep cleaning and maintenance so that [they] are fresh and ready for the new cohort of students in 2027.”

The University of Cape Town (UCT) reported smooth operations for its 15,920 enrolled candidates. Spokesperson Elijah Moholola confirmed that following earlier disruptions by EFF student structures, “UCT’s 2026 academic year pattern has proceeded as planned”…

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