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State of Readiness: 2011 NSC Examinations (40 days to go)

This report highlights the improvements made in the administration of the 2011 NSC examinations and discusses the various aspects of the examination system. It also provides information on the scope and size of the exams and the success indicators being targeted. Additionally, it covers the registration of candidates/centres, the setting of question papers, and the printing, packing, and distribution processes.

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State of Readiness: 2011 NSC Examinations (40 days to go)

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  1. Basic Education Portfolio Committee State of Readiness – 2011 NSC examinations (40 days to go)13 September 2011

  2. Introduction • Maturing system with aspects that are being improved annually. The areas of good practice …… are a clear indication of marked improvement in the manner in which all the assessments, as well as the final examination, were administered. The PEDs have continued to demonstrate their remarkable ability to administer and manage this high stakes examination with fervour” (Umalusi, 2010) • Sound legislative framework. • National Guidelines. • Development of national norms and standard. • Nationally set question papers. • National examination computer system. • National Co-ordination

  3. Introduction • Intensive national monitoring. • National moderation of SBA. • Electronic archiving of certification data – since 1914. • Extended mandate of Examination Units – NSC, SC, ABET and Common tests.

  4. Monitoring Approach • Broader mandate of building a national examination and assessment system • Differentiated approach (4:1:4 model). • Audit of examination and assessment systems • Self-evaluation instrument preceded the on-site verification by DBE. • Improvement plans. • Follow-up evaluation/support visits

  5. Scope and Size of 2011 NSC Exams • Candidates: 620 000 • Question Papers: 325 • Printed Question Papers: 6.8 million • Scripts: 6.2 million • Examination Centres: 6540 • Invigilators: 65 000 • Markers: 35 000 • Marking Centres: 127

  6. NSC Enrolments for 2010 and 2011

  7. NSC Full-Time Enrolments 2008-2011

  8. NSC Part-Time Enrolments 2008-2011

  9. Enrolment comparison between Grade 11 and Grade 12

  10. Target Success Indicators High quality question papers are set and moderated Examination centre and candidates are accurately registered on the examination computer system. Question papers are accurately printed. Question papers are distributed in time to all schools and candidates and strict security measures adhered to in the distribution process All candidates including learners with special needs are catered for.

  11. Target Success Indicators e) Answer scripts accurately marked and moderated. All examination marks are accurately captured on the examination computer system. g) SBA is completed in accordance with policy prescripts and moderated. h) All examination and SBA marks are accurately captured. i) All examination irregularities are appropriately managed. All candidates are accurately and timeously resulted.

  12. Target Success Indicators k) Effective feedback provided to schools. l) All eligible candidates receive certificates.

  13. Registration of Candidates/Centres All candidates have been registered on the Examination Computer System . Registration data has been audited by the DBE. Two schedule of entries have been sent to all schools to ensure accurate registration of all candidates. Mark sheets have been printed. Letters of admission to the examination will be sent to schools by 30 September 2011. All enhancements on the examination computer system will be completed by 30 September 2011. Examination computer system maintained and supported by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA)

  14. Registration of Candidates/Centres All independent centres have been evaluated to ensure that they satisfy the criteria for registration. Independent centres that have a history of examination irregularities have been de-registered. j) In cases where there is doubt about the integrity of the centre, the examination will be administered by the PED at these centres, or will be closely monitored.

  15. Question Papers All question papers are set by the Department of Basic Education to ensure a national standard. All 2010 question papers have been reviewed and the comments from the review process have been incorporated into the 2011 setting process. Certain examining panels have been re-constituted on the basis of the review process. 258 question papers have been set by panels of examiners and moderated by subject specialists.

  16. Question Papers f) The question papers have been moderated by Umalusi to ensure appropriate standard. g) Pre-testing of selected question papers. h) Question papers have been handed over to PEDs for printing. Question papers for the blind and deaf have been adapted. Question papers are being brailled for blind candidates. j) DBE monitors the printing and packing of question papers by PEDs.

  17. Printing, Packing and Distribution All staff working in the printing and packing sections have security clearance and have signed confidentiality agreements. Five of the PEDs have developed excellent in-house printing facilities. Three of the PEDs utilise the services of GPW and SITA, and the last province outsources printing to a reputable service provider. All PEDs that had packing problems in 2010 have been supported in the correction of these challenges. Storage facilities across all PEDs have been inspected and there is concern about the large number of distribution points where question papers are stored 17

  18. Printing, Packing and Distribution e) Question papers will be distributed to examination centres on the morning of the examination, except in the Western Cape, question papers are stored at school, and in the Northern Cape, where due to extreme distances, question papers are stored at certain schools. 18

  19. Preparation for the examination • Invigilators who supervise the writing of exams have been trained across all PEDs. • The principal is the Chief Invigilator, except in cases where he/she has a son or daughter writing Grade 12. • Detailed regulations govern the conduct of exams and the managing of irregularities – DBE has issued a Guideline document to assist this process. • All chief invigilators and invigilators are officially appointed for the duration of the examination and are made aware of the responsibility. • The writing of the examinations will be monitored by DBE, PEDs and Umalusi. • Schools with previous irregularities will be closely monitored.

  20. Collection of Answer Scripts • All scripts to be returned to the district office the same day. • Scripts to enjoy the same attention and security as the question paper. • All scripts must be correctly labelled with centre number, subject and must be sealed at the school level. • Scanning of scripts to be introduced by all PEDs by 2012. • All scripts to be controlled and checked at each stage of the process. • DBE has introduced norm times for the return of scripts between the different collection points. • Implementation of sanctions where Chief Invigilators do not manage the return of scripts correctly. 20

  21. Marking • The quality of marking will enjoy priority in 2011. • Marking centres have been established across all PEDs based on the prescripts contained in the Policy. • Markers have been appointed based on the PAM criteria. Some PEDs have introduced additional criteria. Competency test is being tabled at the ELRC for implementation in 2012. • Training of markers is ongoing and specialised training sessions will be organised prior to the marking sessions. • National Marking Guideline discussions will be hosted in Pretoria for all subjects, to ensure standardisation of marking across all PEDs • Internal moderators to be appointed for each subject at each marking centre. • DBE will appoint external moderators to evaluate the marking at each centre.

  22. School Based Assessment (SBA) • School based assessment constitutes 25% of the final promotion mark. • SBA is moderated at school, district and provincial level. • Common assessment tasks are set by PEDs. • DBE established a team of 67 moderators who were deployed to the districts in August 2011. They will conduct a follow-up moderation in October 2011. • Life Orientation has been closely monitored and moderated by PEDs and DBE. DBE conducted moderation of LO in August 2011 and will conduct follow-up moderation in October 2011. • Final SBA moderation by PEDs will be completed by 31 October 2011, and capture will be completed by 15 November. • DBE will release common assessment tasks for LO in November 2011, for use by schools in 2012.

  23. Processing and Release 2011 • Marking will be completed by 15 December across all PEDs. • Mark Capture will be completed by 18 December 2011. • A technical team will prepare proposals in respect of adjustments for the pre-standardization meeting – 20 December 2011. • Pre-standardization meetings will be held on 21 & 22 December. • Umalusi standardisation meeting to be held on 23 December 2011. • Results will be thoroughly checked by DBE, PEDs and Umalusi from 26 – 30 December. • Umalusi approval meeting to be held on 30 December 2011. • Results will be released on 5 January 2011.

  24. Analysis and Feedback • Detailed analysis of results per school, per district, per province, per subject will be made available. • Qualitative analytical reports from chief markers/internal moderators will be consolidated for distribution to schools. • Outcomes of the Umalusi standardisation meetings will be made available to curriculum specialists and examining panels. • Workshops will be conducted with teachers and subject advisors. • Under-performing schools will be brought to account and improvement plans will be designed. • Curriculum specialists to develop subject improvement plans.

  25. Certification • The issue of the certificate signifies the culmination of the examination cycle. • The certificates for candidates that wrote the examination in 2010 was distributed to candidates at the end of May 2011. • The 2011 certificates are also scheduled to be released to candidates by end May 2012.

  26. Current Examination Processes • SBA, Practical and Oral assessment is ongoing • Practical examinations in Visual Art and Design began on 20 July 2011. • Practical examinations in Computer Applications Technology and Information Technology to be conducted from 17 to 19 October 2011 • The first written examinations on 24 October 2011: • English HL, FAL, SAL (Paper 1) • The last examinations to be written on 1 December 2011: • Religion Studies Paper 2 • Design

  27. Concerns • Drop out rate : Grade 11 to Grade 12. • Application of promotion requirements – Grades 10 and 11. • Subject Changes. • Human Resource Capacity. • Storage of question papers outside the provincial or district office. • Competency levels of markers. • Large number of marking centres. • Security of scripts. • Moderation of SBA.

  28. Conclusion • All PEDs are ready to administer the 2011 NSC examination. • The areas of concern will be addressed prior to the commencement of the examinations. • The DBE will continue with its agenda of building a credible, national examination and assessment system.

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