Learners at Kharwastan Secondary School reflected on their Afrikaans Paper 3 and History examinations during the second week of the matric timetable. They generally described the papers as fair and manageable. Some pupils still found the writing questions demanding, especially essay work and transactional writing. The latter asks a learner to respond to a specific situation in a formal, practical format, which can be unfamiliar in a timed exam. Despite those difficulties, the students did not portray the papers as inaccessible or unfair. Their comments point to the value of practising less common question formats before future examinations. For teachers, the feedback identifies unfamiliar formats as an area where more preparation may help.