1. You are referred to Examinations Minute 0004/2008, dated 28 February 2008.
2. It is again emphasised that these tests are compulsory and will be written by learners in the WCED public and independent schools on the following dates:
2.1 Language test: Monday, 21 April 2008 from 09:45 to 11:00
2.2 Mathematics test: Wednesday, 23 April 2008 from 09:45 to 11:00
3. Where Afrikaans is the language of learning and teaching, the test papers will be set and supplied in Afrikaans. Where English is the language of learning and teaching, the test papers will be set and supplied in English, except for schools where Xhosa is the home language of most of the learners. At these schools the learners take the learning area called Languages: isiXhosa Home Language. These schools will receive language test papers in which Part 1 is set in Xhosa (to be answered in Xhosa) and Part 2 is set in English (to be answered in English).
4. Skynet Couriers will deliver the test books and documents in one consignment, a week prior to the first assessment date. Each school will receive a box or boxes containing sufficient copies of the various tests, bubble sheets (answer sheets), a test administration manual, 2 overhead projector transparency slides, attendance register forms, a checklist (consignment note), elastic bands and grey plastic bags in which to return the test books and answer sheets. After receipt of the consignment, kindly complete the checklist and then fax it to 021 461 5637 or 021 461 5628. (For any enquiries pertaining to test books and test documents, please telephone Mr C. Berry at tel. no. 021 461 2265.)
5. Principals must ensure that they receive the correct number of boxes and that they sign the delivery note for the receipt of these boxes. The boxes must be stored in the school's strongroom and the principal is responsible for the safe-keeping of the keys. Please note that, before the test is administered, the test books (assessment tasks) may not be opened, may not be removed from the strongroom and the questions may not be discussed with learners.
6. At least 3 days before the administration of the tests, the principal must hand the teacher the exact number of answer sheets required for the number of learners who will be writing the test. Under the supervision of the teacher, learners must then be allowed to complete only page 1 of the answer sheet, i.e. the biographical information. This information must be double-checked by the teacher concerned. Detailed instructions (with an example of a completed answer sheet) will be provided in the Test Administration Manual.
7. Each school will be provided with a unique 3-digit test centre number. Each learner will also be given a unique examination number. Learners must write this number on their answer sheets when they complete their biographical information. They will also write this number on their test books on the morning of the test.
8. The open-ended questions must be answered in the test books, while the multiple-choice questions must be answered on the answer sheets provided. All learners must be seated 30-minutes prior to the commencement of the test. This time must be used to complete the attendance register and to read the test instructions to the learners.
9. These tests must be written under formal examination conditions, and the rules pertaining to the conducting of the Senior Certificate examinations must be applied, but without the appointment of external invigilators.
10. The teacher invigilating the test must ensure that the following procedure is adhered to on the morning of the test.

9:00 to 9:30: Conducting of preparation for the test

The teacher invigilating must perform the following tasks in the order given below:

  1. Hand each learner the correct answer sheet, i.e. the answer sheet containing that learner's biographical information that he or she completed beforehand.
  2. Hand out a test book to each learner.
  3. Instruct learners to copy the biographical information that is on their answer sheets onto the first page (headed "Instructions") of their test books.
  4. Tell learners that they are allowed to begin reading through the test questions 15 minutes before the commencement of the test.

9:30 to 11:00: Writing of the test.

Detailed instructions are provided in the Test Administration Manual, which will accompany the test materials consignment.

After the test

The learners must stop writing at 11:00 and the test books and answer sheets must be taken in immediately. The invigilating teacher must do the following:

  • Check that the number of test books and answer sheets taken in corresponds with the number of learners who wrote the test.
  • Check that each learner has completed his or her biographical details correctly on the test book.
  • Verify that the learners' test books and answer sheets are arranged in the same order as the names on class register forms and that these registers are returned with the test books and answer sheets.
  • Place the each answer sheet inside the front cover of the corresponding test book.
  • Complete the Test Venue Script Control Sheet and return this with the used test books. See Sample in the Test Administration Manual.
11. The following is the procedure for the return of the test books and answer sheets:
11.1 The used test books, with their encoded answer sheets, must be arranged alphabetically and in number sequence, according to the class register form.
11.2 The used test books, with their encoded answer sheets, must be batched per class with no batch containing more than 50 books. The register form and the class attendance register must be placed on top and, finally, the batch cover sheet on top of these. See "Batch Covers" in the Test Administration Manual.
11.3 Each batch must be placed in one of the grey plastic bags provided and returned to the Directorate: Examinations, labelled "For attention: Mr E. van Breda".
11.4 All unused and spoilt test books and answer sheets must be batched separately and returned under separate cover.
11.5 The courier is scheduled to collect the parcels of test books and answer sheets within two days of completion of the last test. Should parcels for the two tests not be collected by Friday, 25 April 2008, the Directorate must be informed immediately by telephoning 021 467 2960/1.
12. Kindly note that intensive monitoring of the administering of these tests will take place. This will include unannounced visits to the schools by officials of the national department, circuit managers and officials of the Directorate: Curriculum GET to ensure that all procedures are being followed.
13. Please note that these tests do not form part of the progression mark for Grade 9 learners. Furthermore, learners are not expected to learn specific content for the tests as skills and the understanding of concepts at a level appropriate to Grade 9 will be tested.
14. Teachers will not be required to mark their learners' answers. The test books and answer sheets will be sent to the University of Cape Town, where the marking and the compiling of results will be done. Each school will be sent its own results, together with a detailed analysis of how the school has performed. Each learner will receive a certificate and so it is essential that you make sure, during registration, that spelling, names and test levels are correctly recorded.
15. Principals and teachers are requested to ensure that the tests are written on the scheduled dates at the times specified and that the attendance registers are signed.


SIGNED: CD BIRTLES
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2008:04:11