Educational MEasurEMEnt, assEssMEnt and Public ExaMinations

rEPort on tHE national sEnior cErtiFicatE ExaMination rEsults

2010

1

REPORT ON THE NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION RESULTS 2010

His Excellency JG Zumathe President of the Republic of South Africa

On the playing field of life there is nothing more important than the quality of education. We urge all nations of the world to mobilise in every corner to

ensure that every child is in school President JG Zuma

2

Educational mEasurEmEnt, assEssmEnt and Public Examinations

The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, MPrecently opened the library at the Inkwenkwezi Secondary School in Du Noon on

26 October 2010 and encouraged learners to read widely and this will contribute to improving their learning achievement.

the minister of basic Education, mrs angie motshekga, mP has repeatedly made the clarion call that we owe it to the learners, the country and our people to improve Grade 12 results as

committed.

3

REPORT ON THE NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION RESULTS 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTSForEWord bY ministEr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1. introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

2. THE 2010 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE (NSC) EXAMINATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

2.1 The magnitude and size of the National Senior Certificate examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

2.2 The examination cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

2.3 Question Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

2.4 Printing, packing and distribution of question papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

2.5 security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

2.6 The conduct of the 2010 National Senior Certificate (NSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

2.7 Processing of marks and results on the Integrated Examination Computer System (IECS) . . .20

2.8 standardisation of the nsc results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

2.9 Viewing, remarking and rechecking of results during the appeal processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

2.10 dealing with irregularities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

2.11 Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

3. marKinG oF tHE national sEnior cErtiFicatE Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

3.1 marking centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

3.2 selection and appointment of markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

3.3 standardisation of marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

3.4 training of markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

3.5 marking procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

4. SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT (SBA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4.1 General requirements of school based assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4.2 moderation of sba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4.3 moderation of life orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

4

Educational mEasurEmEnt, assEssmEnt and Public Examinations

5. SUPPORT PROGRAMMES FOR GRADE 12 TEACHING AND LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

5.1 Provision of learning and teaching support material to schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

5.2 Additional support provided to the class of 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

6. monitorinG and suPPort oF ProVincial Examination sEctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

6.1 monitoring the state of readiness of Provincial Education departments to conduct nsc examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

6.2 Monitoring the writing of examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

6.3 Monitoring the marking of examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

7 . manaGEmEnt oF Examinations in tHE mPumalanGa ProVincE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

8. ANALYSIS OF THE 2010 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

8.1 overall national results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

8.2 Comparison of NSC performance between 2008 and 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

8.3 Performance compared in accordance with quintile ranking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

8.4 subject analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

8.5 district Performance by Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

9 . conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

annExurEs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

5

REPORT ON THE NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION RESULTS 2010

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: The number of Candidates that enrolled (full-time and part-time) for the National Senior Certificate examination from 2008 to 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Table 2: The number of examination centres by province 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Table 3: The Quintile ranking of schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Table 4: Candidates enrolled for the National Senior Certificate examination from 2008 to 2010 (Part-time and Full-time) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Table 5: The number of marking centres by province . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .