INCA Education around the world
South Africa : Assessment arrangements
6.3.1 Control
6.3.2 Purpose(s)
6.3.3 Participation
6.3.4 Nature
6.3.5 Administration
6.3.6 Grading process
6.3.7 Consequences
6.3.8 Use of results
6.3.9 Output statistics
6.3 Third phase (compulsory secondary education, ages 12-15)
[See 3.2.3].
6.3.1 Control
The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) forms the foundation for ongoing curriculum development, delivery and assessment in South African schools. It states that the performance of students should be measured against the Assessment Standards of the Learning Outcomes in a Grade.
Assessment is a continuous, planned process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about the performance of learners. It involves four steps:
- generating and collecting of evidence of achievement,
- evaluating this evidence against the outcomes,
- recording the findings of this evaluation, and
- using this information to understand and assist the learner's development and improve the process of teaching and learning.
Teachers have overall responsibility for assessing the progress of students in achieving the expected outcomes. The National and Provincial Departments of Education are accountable for the management of assessment programmes.
Teachers are expected to keep a portfolio of all documents relating to assessment. This may be a file, folder, box or any other suitable storage system. It should contain the tasks for assessment as well as the planning which informs the development of these tasks and the records of assessment of the formal tasks.
The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Provincial Education Departments of education, manages and develops learning area assessment guidelines. The guidelines provide teachers with exemplars of tasks set for the learning area.
6.3.2 Purpose(s)
Assessment during compulsory secondary education should be used to determine:
- Determine whether the learning required for the achievement of the learning outcomes is taking place and whether any difficulties are being encountered.
- Provide reports to parents and other role-players and stakeholders on the levels of achievement across a range of competencies acquired during the learning process, and to build a profile of learner achievement across the curriculum.
- Provide information for the evaluation and review of the learning programme used in the classroom.
- Maximise learners' access to the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes defined in the national curriculum policy.
- Assist with early identification of learners who might experience barriers to learning and development as well as to provide them with learning support.
- Determine the progression of each learner through the acquisition of knowledge and a range of competencies.
- Support the development needs of all learners.
- Make judgments about a learner's progress.
6.3.3 Participation
See section 6.2.3.
6.3.4 Nature
Assessment in Grades 7 to 9 can be both formal and informal. Formal assessment provides teachers with a systematic way of evaluating how well learners are progressing within a Grade and in a particular learning programme/learning area. Formal assessment is recorded. Formal assessment tasks may focus on an integration of learning outcomes and assessment standards, or, could for enrichment or reinforcement purposes, could be focussed on a particular learning outcome and its assessment standard. Examples of formal assessment tasks include projects, oral presentations, demonstrations, performances, tests, examinations, practical demonstrations etc.
Informal or daily assessment also takes place to monitor learner progress. This is done through observations, discussions, learner-teacher conferences, informal classroom interactions etc.
In Grades 7 and 8, continuous assessment comprises 100 per cent of the assessment programme. Continuous assessment (CASS) is an assessment model which encourages the integration of assessment into the teaching and development of learners through ongoing feedback.
At the end of grade 9 (age 15 which is also the end of compulsory education), a nationally set Common Task for Assessment (CTA) provides 25 per cent of the assessment programme. The other 75 per cent is provided by CASS. The CTA is moderated and approved by the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Council (Umalusi). It is designed to sample learner achievement in each learning area through tasks that encompass a range of appropriate and relevant assessment techniques and activities.
CTAs in all learning areas consist of performance based tasks and written tasks. The performance based tasks should be completed over a period of time and are not a one-off event. The pen and paper tasks are administered under controlled conditions following a national timetable. CTAs are marked by teachers using marking guidelines supplied by the DOE. Marking is moderated by the Provincial Education Department.
6.3.5 Administration
See section 6.2.5.
6.3.6 Grading process
The codes and percentages used for recording and reporting learner performance in Grades 7 - 9 (ages 12-15) are provided below. 26
| Rating code | Description of competence | Percentage |
| 7 | Outstanding achievement | 80 - 100 |
| 6 | Meritorious achievement | 70 -79 |
| 5 | Substantial achievement | 60 - 69 |
| 4 | Adequate achievement | 50 - 59 |
| 3 | Moderate achievement | 40 - 49 |
| 2 | Elementary achievement | 30 - 39 |
| 1 | Not achieved | 0 - 29 |
In Grades 7 - 12 the recording and reporting of learner performance should be in accordance with the learning areas or subjects set out in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Grade R - Grade 9 and Grades 10 - 12.26
6.3.7 Consequences
Progression and promotion of learners to the next Grade is based on evidence recorded during the assessment process.
Passing Grade 9 results in the award of a compulsory secondary leaving certificate qualification which registers at grade 1 on the National Qualifications Framework. This qualification is a requirement for access to Grade 10 at a school, to NQF qualifications at an FET College, to other pathways in the FET band or to access a different pathway at NQF level 1.
6.3.8 Use of results
Records of learner performance provide evidence of the learner's conceptual progression within a Grade and her/ his readiness to progress to the next Grade. Records of learner performance also verify the progress made by teachers and learners in the teaching and learning process, and are consequently used to monitor learning and to plan ahead. 26 The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) (Grade R - Grade 12) states that formal report cards should be sent to parents once a term. Report cards should provide a clear, holistic picture of a learner's achievements in the various learning programmes/ learning areas/ subjects, and provide an overall rating of a learner's performance. The achievement rating in a report card should be indicated by a combination of percentages, codes and comments. Report cards should include information on the following essential components:
- Personal details: Name of the learner; Grade and class of the learner; date of birth; school attendance profile.
- Official school details: Year and term; name of the school; date, signature and comment of parent or guardian, teacher and principal; dates of closing and opening of school; school stamp; explanation of the codes of the national coding system.
- Performance details: A percentage and /or a code indicating the level of performance for each learning programme /learning area / subject and a description of the strengths and developmental needs of the learner.
- Constructive feedback: The feedback should contain comments about the learner's performance in relation to his/her previous performance and in relation to the requirements of the learning programme/ learning area/ subject. 26
The language in which recording and reporting takes place should be in accordance with the language of learning and teaching (LOLT), as informed by the National Language Policy. In the case of dual medium (dual language) schools, one of the languages used as the LOLT should be utilised for reporting purposes, while the language of recording should be any of the languages used for learning and teaching. 26
A report card may be produced electronically or manually and in the style preferred by the school. As an official document, used to provide feedback to parents on the achievement of learners, it must, however, contain all the information mentioned above. Schools must also ensure that there are no errors, erasures or corrections that will compromise the legal status of report cards. The school management team is responsible for ensuring that reports issued to learners do not contain any errors. 26
Learner profiles
Results of assessment are recorded in a 'learner profile'. This is a collection of evidence which exhibits to the learner, parent, teachers and others, the progress, growth and achievements of the learner in relation to the expected outcomes in each learning programme/ learning area. 26
The learner profile is used to:
- Track the progress, growth and achievements of the learner with regard to expected outcomes.
- Create an opportunity for the learner to reflect on his/her growth and development and set goals for self-development.
- Inform teachers' planning as well as intervention strategies. 26
The requirements for formal recorded assessment for Grades 7 and 8 (compulsory secondary education, ages 12-14) are set out in the first table below. Requirements for Grade 9 (age 15) are in the second table. Teachers may add to the number of assessment tasks. All tasks should be integrated into the development of the learning programme, work schedule and lesson plans. The recorded pieces of evidence should reflect three to five different forms of assessment. More information is provided in the individual learning programme/learning area / subject assessment guidelines. 26
Number of assessment tasks - Grade 7 and 8
| LEARNING AREA | TERM 1 | TERM 2 | TERM 3 | TERM 4 | TOTAL |
| Language 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| Language 2 | |||||
| Language 3 (optional) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Mathematics | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Natural sciences 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Social sciences | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Technology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Economic and management sciences | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Life orientation 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Arts and culture 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Grade 9
| LEARNING AREA | TERM 1 | TERM 2 | TERM 3 | TERM 4 | TOTAL |
| Language 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
All CTA assessment |
8 |
| Language 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| Language 3 (optional) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| Mathematics | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |
| Natural sciences 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| Social sciences | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| Technology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Economic and management sciences | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Life orientation 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Arts and culture 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
6.3.9 Output statistics
Information being collected.
