Media Release
Minister of Education Donald Grant
Western Cape

9 December, 2011

Marking the 2011 NSC

Statement by Minister Donald Grant, Minister of Education, Western Cape

On Wednesday, the marking of the 2011 National Senior Certificate officially began.

3 200 markers have been appointed to mark around 800 000 examination scripts.

The marking process is expected to end on the 14th of December 2011.

On Wednesday, markers received training on the guideline answers and went through each answer and the allocation of marks.

They were also informed about the various rules, regulations and the logistics of the marking process.

This year the criteria for markers were as follows: They must be teaching the relevant subject in Grade 12, have a 2nd year university level in the subject, five years teaching experience and have taught the subject for two of the last three years.

To enhance the credibility of the National Senior Certificate Examinations and to give all candidates and their teachers their best opportunity, the WCED also introduced competency tests for matric markers for the 2011 NSC. The first set of competency tests were written in the following subjects: Accounting, Business studies, Geography, History, Life Science, Physical Sciences and Mathematics.

The purpose of the competency tests is to ascertain the marking skills, content knowledge and knowledge application abilities of the teachers who will be appointed to mark the National Senior Certificate scripts to ensure that there is the highest possible standard of marking in these examinations and that all our markers are both competent and experienced in their subject fields.

Once the markers have marked each paper, a percentage of scripts and markers are moderated (remarked) by senior markers appointed for this purpose. The marked scripts are then checked by 'mark checkers' and then uploaded onto a national database.

In the last week of December a National Standardisation meeting takes place where marks for various subjects are standardized and approved by UMALUSI. Standardised decisions are uploaded onto the national database to determine the results nationally. Once the information is checked and verified, UMALUSI declares the results fit for publication.

Once the provinces have checked these results, they can then be released for publication. Individual candidate results are expected to be released on the 5th of January 2012. Overall National and Provincial results will be released on the evening of the 4th of January.

Schools collect the results from district offices on the morning of the release. They are then asked to analyse the results and check for any errors. At 12h00, candidates will then receive their individual results.

Candidates who would like to apply for remarks can then do so by the 23rd of January 2012. Applications for supplementary exams also close on the 23rd of Jan. Candidates qualify to write the supplementary exams if they have failed a maximum of two subjects, or qualify for in certain medical circumstances.

The Supplementary Examinations will be written in February and March.

We are confident that the Class of 2011 will do themselves and the Western Cape proud and we look forward to the final announcement early in January.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za


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