By Levy Sara Masiteng
The class of 2024 started their preliminary examinations on Monday, and are expected to finish writing on 18 September.
The prelims are regarded as just as essential as the end of the year exams, which are written under similar conditions. They are designed to assist Grade 12 learners to assess their strengths and weaknesses before writing the finals.
The aim of these exams are to make the students aware of and know which subjects and areas to improve, including seeing which methods are effective to them, the Department of Basic Education said in its website.
The learners not only gauge the extent of their subject knowledge but they also get to experience the conditions including time constraints under which they write the final year examination.
They gain skills such as following instructions, using time properly and answering all questions adequately.
The exams form part of the School Based Assessments (SBA), which carries 25% of the final promotion mark, with the November examination fulfilling the remaining 75%, in addition to the marks achieved in the preliminary exams for each subject included in the SBA mark for that subject.
Former Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga at the beginning of the year mentioned the importance of using relevant coursework to fully achieve the objective of getting great marks during the statement address of the NSC examination results being released.
Motshekga said it was important to rely not only on international assessments, but to also reflect on equally valid results from national assessments that are more closely aligned to the curriculum.
The DBE provides Tips on preparing for an exam:
- Use past question papers, that way you know which section you struggle with.
- Reverse as a group to correct each other and someone might explain it more.
- Look at YouTube for videos of certain topics if you are more of a visual person.
- Consider studying in a place where you feel most comfortable and motivated.
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