National Senior Certificate: Examinations and Assessment

1. National Senior Certificate: Examinations and Assessment Presentation at the South District Conference for Assessment February 2008 Jaywant Parbhoo jparbhoo@pgwc.gov.za

2. STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION • Policy underpinning the NSC • Support leading up to the first NSC in 2008. • WCED strategic foci in assessment • NSC detail • Continuous Assessment • Challenges

3. National Curriculum StatementNCS • New curriculum policy for grades 10 – 12. • High skills, values and knowledge for a globalised 21st century. • Assessment is mainly application of knowledge and problem solving. • No higher grade and standard grade. • Stresses key values.

4. National Senior Certificate - NSC: qualification at level 4 on the NQF, 2005. - Grade 12 – externally examined All question papers (29 subjects) are set by the DoE.

5. Legislation governing NSC • NCS (2003) –curriculum outline with learning outcomes and assessment standards. • NSC (2005, Government Gazette 27819 & amendment 2007, Gov. Gazette 29851) –policy document on promotion and certification requirements. • Minimum requirements for Higher Education (2005) • National Protocol for Assessment (2006, Gov. Gazette 29467) – specifies formal recording and reporting. • NSC – amended for special needs (2006, Gov. Gazette 29466) – specific for learners in special schools or those with specific barriers but still in mainstream classes. • Conduct, administration and management of NSC (2007, Gov. Gazette 30048) – policy document specifying how the NSC is to be managed by the examination body and school. • Subject Assessment Guidelines (2007) - guidelines on subject specific requirements for assessment

6. Support leading up to the first NSC • Grade 10 exemplar QP’s and memos • Grade 10 Pilot papers • Grade 11 exemplar QP’s and memos • Grade 11 common examination • Grade 12 exemplar QP’s and memos

7. Continuous Assessment • Informal and formal • Formal programme of assessment – must be recorded and reported on. (Gazette 29467) • Assessment must be developmental with specific feedback to learners.

8. Performance in Assessment • Performance judged in terms of outputs and number of passes. • System accountability at micro/macro level. • Focus on quality of passes as a means to HE entry – filtering. • Improve no of passes in Maths and Science. • Quintile 1 and 2 schools.

9. NSC REQUIREMENTS

10. RATING CODE RATING MARKS/ % 7 Outstanding achievement 80-100 6 Meritorious achievement 70-79 5 Substantial achievement 60-69 4 Adequate achievement 50-59 3 Moderate achievement 40-49 2 Elementary achievement 30-39 1 Not achieved 0-29 SCALE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR NSC

11. NSC Amended for Learners with Barriers to Learning

12. CONCESSIONS • Candidates with the following barriers may offer only one official language at FAL level – deaf / aphasic / dyslectic. • Mathematical barriers – may be exempt from offering Maths /Math. Lit. • Applications to be made in grade 10.

13. IMMIGRANTS • First enrolled at grade 7 or higher. • Attended school outside RSA for 2 or more years after grade 6. • Diplomats’ children

14. Non official languages • Include foreign languages at second additional language level. • Set by the Independent Examination Board (IEB) in terms of contract between IEB & DoE • Registration for these subjects will be done as with all other subjects. • Moderation of CASS will be done by IEB. • Answer scripts will be marked by IEB. • All mark sheets will be controlled by WCED.

15. CASS moderation systems • School: Internal moderation (school based assessment) – [school assessment policy] • Districts: Three meeting moderation system: • Standard setting – February – set out the year programme for assessment & agree on quality of assessment. • Monitoring and support – mid year meeting aimed at support for schools. • Final moderation – approval of evidence of learning.

16. Practical Assessment Tasks PAT’s • Standardised tasks for practical subjects. • Undertaken over a period of time. • External moderation. • EMDCs will workshop these tasks with teachers of the relevant subjects. • PAT’s - benchmark of the standard and quality of practical assessment.

17. Life Orientation • Compulsory subject • Assessment is 100% school-based. • Subject Assessment Guidelines provide direction in terms of assessment requirements. • Circular 0043/2007 - amendment to Life Orientation guideline. • DOE and UMALUSI moderation process

18. Mathematics /Mathematical Literacy • Can offer either of the subjects. Choice between two. • Different subjects with different cognitive demands. • ML requires greater context application. Hence language literacy is important in understanding and applying previously acquired knowledge.

19. Challenges in 2008 • Ensuring valid and reliable CASS • Thorough preparation of learners for the first NSC • Error - free examination • Improved pass rate in Maths and Science • Better administration of the NSC exam • Excellent marking

20. Exam Timetable (NSC 2008) • Exam commences on 3 November. • Practical subjects will be written in late October. • Reason for late commencement - teaching and learning must continue until exam commences. • Registration-all learners would need I.D nos.

21. HIGHER EDUCATION • Higher Certificate • requires a NSC. • Diploma • requires NSC with 40% in 4 subjects • Bachelor's Degree • requires NSC with 50% in 4subjects from a designated subject list.

22. Thank You http://curriculum.pgwc.gov.za/site/22/page/view/