1. This minute is a follow-up to Circular 0015/2012, which announced the date for the administration of the common assessment task (CAT) for Life Orientation as 7 September 2012. The circular stated that schools who wished to write the assessment on 7 September 2012 may include the task as part of their school-based assessment.

2. The aim of this minute is to inform schools that will be writing the CAT of the procedure to be followed in the administration of the CAT for Life Orientation.

3. The date for the writing of the CAT remains 7 September 2012, from 09:00 to 10:30, and schools are required to write and mark the CAT as prescribed in this minute.

4. The Life Orientation CAT will consist of a 1½ hour paper totalling 75 marks. It may replace Task 4 in the Grade 12 Life Orientation programme of assessment that was scheduled to be written in Term 3, and will constitute 20% of the total mark for Life Orientation.

5. The exemplar and the assessment guidelines which stipulate the scope and coverage of the CAT were sent to all schools in May 2012.

6. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) will manage the printing and distribution of the CAT to all schools.

7. Writing of the common assessment task
7.1 The principal, as chief invigilator, must take full responsibility and ensure that the rules for the National Senior Certificate examinations are adhered to.
7.2 Principals must open the envelopes in the presence of the learners and oversee the distribution of the question papers.
7.3 Principals must ensure that invigilators are vigilant during the writing of the CAT.
7.4 After the writing of the CAT, the scripts must be sealed in the bag provided and returned to the school principal for safe-keeping.

8. Marking guideline discussions
8.1 National and provincial discussions on the marking guidelines will take place during the period 9 to 12 September 2012.
8.2 The final marking guidelines will be sent to schools by 14 September 2012.

9. Marking of the common assessment task
9.1 Marking of the CAT will be conducted at school level under the supervision of the school principal, with the senior teacher or head of department (HOD) acting as internal moderator.
9.2 The marking must commence on 14 September 2012 and must be completed by 21 September 2012.
9.3 Scripts must be removed from the strong-room only by the school principal on the day marking begins.
9.4 Where there is more than one teacher of Life Orientation at the school, please ensure that the teachers do not mark the scripts of their own learners.

10. School and district moderation of scripts
10.1 The CAT must be moderated at school level.
10.2 The principal must ensure that at least 10% of the marked scripts are moderated by the senior teacher or HOD.
10.3 After the scripts have been moderated, the marks must be recorded on the mark sheet provided to the school.
10.4 The subject adviser for Life Orientation in the education district may moderate a sample of scripts from selected schools. A 10% sample per class is recommended.

11. Capturing of common assessment task marks
11.1 A special mark sheet will be provided to schools for the capturing of the CAT marks.
11.2 The mark sheets must be sent to the WCED with the other SBA marks.

12. Principals are kindly requested to make the necessary arrangements for the conducting of this assessment.

13. Schools that wish to write the CAT for Life Orientation are requested to complete the attached response slip and fax it to Mr A Jantjies at 021 467 9370 by no later than 20 August 2012.

14. Kindly bring this information to the attention of all Life Orientation teachers and learners.


SIGNED: BK SCHREUDER
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT
DATE: 2012:08:10

Common Assessment Task (CAT) for Life Orientation - Response form  (size: 51 KB)