Extra time for NSC exam papers: +10, +15 and +20 minutes per hour
A quick table for exam venues. It shows the extra writing time for the paper lengths on the 2026 NSC timetable (1½, 2, 2½ and 3 hours) at the three rates Exam Timer uses.
| Paper length | +10 min/hour | +15 min/hour | +20 min/hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1½ hours | 15 min | 22½ min | 30 min |
| 2 hours | 20 min | 30 min | 40 min |
| 2½ hours | 25 min | 37½ min | 50 min |
| 3 hours | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min |
Values in amber end in a half minute. Exam Timer rounds them up.
A worked example
A 2½-hour paper starts at 09:00 and normally ends at 11:30. For a learner at +15 minutes per hour, the extra time is 15 × 2.5 = 37½ minutes, rounded up to 38. That learner finishes at 12:08.
Why venues get this wrong
At 08:45 with a full hall, it is easy to add extra time per paper when the concession is per hour, or to forget that a 3-hour paper at +20 is a full extra hour. Writing the finish time for each concession group on the board before the paper starts removes most mistakes.
Questions
How do you work out extra time per hour?
Multiply the extra minutes per hour by the length of the paper in hours. At 15 minutes per hour, a 2½-hour paper gives 37½ minutes.
What do you do with a half minute?
Exam Timer rounds a half minute up, so 22½ minutes shows as 23 and 37½ as 38. Two of the twelve values in the table end in a half.
Is +10, +15 and +20 minutes per hour an official rule?
No. They are the three concession groups Exam Timer offers. This page only does the arithmetic. Always go by each learner's approved concession and your own exam rules.
Exam Timer works out each group's finish time for you, shows up to three papers side by side on the projector, and keeps counting if the Wi-Fi drops. Runs in the browser on the venue PC.
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