1. This minute provides a summary of all the external examinations and assessments conducted by primary and secondary schools and adult education centres within the Western Cape Education Department. The purpose of this communication is to clarify the assessments for this year so as to assist schools with good and timeous planning.
2. The following external examinations and assessments will be conducted at primary and secondary schools and adult education centres in 2009, including the national senior certificate supplementary examinations in 2010.

2.1 PRIMARY SCHOOLS
  1. National Foundations for Learning Assessment (Grade 1 - 6)
  2. WCED Grade 6 Literacy and Numeracy Assessments
2.2 SECONDARY SCHOOLS
  1. Grade 9 Common Tasks for Assessment (CTA)
  2. The National Senior Certificate Examinations (Nov 2009) and supplementary examination (Feb/March 2010)
  3. The Senior Certificate Examinations (Report 550 - May/June 2009)
2.3 ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES

The ABET Level 1 - 4 Examinations and Assessments

3. Below are the details regarding each of the examinations and assessments. It is important that schools and the adult education centres take note of the dates of the various examinations and assessment and plan accordingly.
3.1 PRIMARY SCHOOLS
3.1.1 National Foundations for Learning Assessment (Grade 1 - 6)
  1. The Foundations for Learning Assessment is a national assessment that will be written by all learners in Grades 1 to Grade 6.
  2. This is an annual assessment that was introduced as a national project in 2008 and will continue to be written until 2011.
  3. The main objective of these annual assessments is to improve the reading, writing and numeracy skills of learners. Hence, the test is set in the Languages and in Mathematics.
  4. The question papers for these assessments are set by the national Department of Education and it is indicated that they will be provided by the national Department of Education to schools in the fourth term.
  5. These assessments must be included as a component in the composition of the assessments for Grade 1-6. This means that it must be used as one of the formal assessment tasks for Term 4.
  6. These assessments are scheduled to be written from 16 to 20 November 2009.
  7. The assessments must be marked and moderated at the school and the marks captured electronically and submitted to the national Department of Education.
  8. The logistical details of these assessments will be communicated to schools closer to the period of assessment and as soon as clarity is obtained from the national Department of Education.
3.1.2 WCED Grade 6 Literacy and Numeracy Assessments
  1. During October and November 2009 all Grade 6 learners will write an external assessment in Literacy and Numeracy that is aimed at measuring the performance and to track the progress made by Grade 6 learners towards achievement in Literacy and Numeracy.
  2. The Grade 6 assessments have been written since 2003 and will continue to be written every alternate year as a provincial assessment.
  3. In 2010, all schools will again write the WCED Grade 3 Literacy and Numeracy assessments. These assessments are also written every alternate year.
  4. Any enquiries regarding the WCED Grade 3 and 6 Literacy and Numeracy assessments should be directed to Dr RS Cornelissen at 021 467 2286 or by e-mail to rcornelissen@pgwc.gov.za.
3.2 SECONDARY SCHOOLS
3.2.1 Grade 9 Common Tasks for Assessment (CTA)
  1. The Grade 9 CTAs were implemented in 2003. These assessments are written annually and consist of a Section A and a Section B.
  2. Section A constitutes the informal assessments (school-based assessment - SBA) whereas Section B constitutes the formal examination.
  3. The Grade 9 CTAs are set by the national Department of Education.
  4. Whilst it was envisaged that the 2009 CTAs (Section A) would have been dealt with in the second term of 2009, the full packages have not yet been received from the national Department of Education. To give schools sufficient time to plan appropriately, the CTAs for Section A may now be dealt with in the third term if the delivery of the full pack of the Section A question papers to the province is received in time. Further communication in this regard will be sent to schools as soon as clarity is obtained from the national Department of Education.
  5. Section B of the CTAs will be written in the 4th term. Dates for the Grade 9 Assessments for 2009 are as follows:
DATE 09:00 -11:00 12:00 - 14:00
WEEK ONE    
16 -11- 09 Natural Science  
17 -11- 09 Social Science  
18 -11- 09 Arts and Culture  
19 -11- 09 Economic and Management Sciences  
20 -11- 09 Technology  
WEEK TWO 09:00 -11:00 12:00 - 14:00
23 -11- 09 Home Language Second Home Language
24 -11- 09 1stAdditional Languages Second Additional Language
25 -11 - 09 Life Orientation  
26 -11 - 09 Mathematics  
27 -11 - 09 RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY  
WEEK THREE    
30 -11- 09 2nd Additional Language  

3.2.2 The General Education and Training Certificate (GEC) Pilot
  1. The General Education Certificate (GEC) will be piloted in a sample of schools across the nine provinces in 2009.
  2. In the Western Cape, a total of 100 schools will participate in this pilot project.
  3. The pilot project involves the writing of the CTAs (Section A and B), as in other schools, with the addition that the pilot schools will further process the results electronically, as specified by the national Department of Education.
  4. The pilot schools will be identified and informed of the details of the pilot project as soon as the information is received from the national Department of Education.
  5. The full implementation of the GEC will take place in 2010.
3.2.3 The National Senior Certificate Examinations (Grade 12: NQF Level 4)
  1. The National Senior Certificate Examination was written for the first time in 2008.
  2. The main examination is written during November and December and the practical subjects are written in October each year.
  3. The supplementary examinations will be written in February/March each year.
  4. The question papers are set by the national Department of Education, moderated by Umalusi and supplied to the provinces for administration and management.
  5. Examination question papers will be delivered to schools prior to the writing of the papers, as in the past.
  6. The examination timetable for the 2009 National Senior Certificate examination is included in Circular 0014/2009.
  7. All candidates writing the National Senior Certificate Examinations must comply with the requirements of school-based assessment, which must be moderated and verified at school and district level before being submitted to the Directorate: Examinations.
  8. Where candidates do not comply with the requirements of SBA, their examination results will remain incomplete.
3.2.4 The Senior Certificate Examinations (Report 550: NQF Level 4)
  1. The Senior Certificate examination that assesses the old curriculum will be phased out in June 2011.
  2. Candidates wishing to complete this qualification still have three opportunities to complete the qualification (2009, 2010 and 2011).
  3. This examination is offered only once in May/June each year and registration closes on 31 January each year until 2011.
  4. The examination is written at identified examination centres only. Examination question papers will be delivered to the centres in terms of the registration statistics.
  5. Admission letters are issued to candidates. These admission letters specify the date of the examination and the venue at which the candidate must write.
  6. The timetable for the 2009 May/June examination is included in Circular 0012/2009.
3.3 ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES: ABET Level 1 - 4 Examinations and Assessments
  1. The ABET level 1 - 4 examinations and assessments are offered in June and October each year.
  2. The ABET level 1 - 3 are provincial assessments, whereas ABET level 4 is a national assessment.
  3. The provision of these examinations and assessment is important in addressing the Human Capital Development Strategy of the province and to providing multiple learning opportunities for adult learners.
  4. The ABET assessment constitutes 50% site-based assessment and 50% examinations.
  5. As from 2009, all ABET centres must implement the standardised site-based assessment tasks set by the national Department of Education.
  6. All SBA marks must be moderated at site and district level.
  7. The examination timetable for June 2009 is included in Circular [Assessment Management Minute] 009/2009.
  8. The examination timetable for October 2009 will be sent to the centres once received from the national Department of Education.
  9. The closing date for registration for the October 2009 examination is 14 August 2009.
  10. Registration for these examinations must take place at the ABET centre.
4. Your co-operation in the successful implementation of the various examinations and assessment is appreciated.


SIGNED: BK SCHREUDER
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2009:04:21