Matric exam leak traced to learner who got help from mother
Investigators say the 2025 matric exam leak was driven by a single learner who acted as the main distributor of the papers.
They say the candidate admitted to receiving a USB containing question papers and marking guidelines from their mother, who works for the Department of Basic Education in Pretoria.
The woman is among the officials currently suspended.
The task team that investigated the breach says interviews and written statements from Grade 12 pupils helped identify 40 implicated candidates in Tshwane.
It found that the breach involved seven question papers in the three subjects, Mathematics, English Home Language and Physical Science.
The leaked material was shared using USB drives, WhatsApp messages, screenshots and printed copies.
The National Investigative Task Team's chairperson Chika Sehoole says some learners also used AI tools.
" Based on linked marking guidelines, Meta AI and Chat GPT were also used by some candidates to structure and reformulate answers. Individual papers with marking guidelines were sold, as well as individual pages, depending on the affordability of items, and on the finances of candidates."
But officials insist the integrity of the exams was not compromised due to the leak being localised.
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