This as the five and a half week exam period kick-starts on Monday, October 15. The Department says the service is taking place at Gospel Worker Ministry. The Free State has in recent years come out at the top of the pack for its NSC matric results. 

In January of this year the province was announced as the top performing province with an 86 percent pass rate for the 2017 exams, albeit, down by 2,2 percent from the 2016 exams.

Over 30 000 candidates countrywide are expected to write Monday’s Computer Application Technology exam which will be followed by the practical Information Technology exam a few days later. 

Exams are expected to get into full swing on October 22, when more learners will be writing.

The 2018 examinations also mark the first time, the Department of Basic Education will be administering exams in sign language to 58 learners across 10 schools in the country. The move comes after the Constitutional Review Committee recommended to parliament in 2017 that Sign Language be recognised officially, a move deemed “long overdue” by the committee. 

Also for the first time, there will be a Technical Mathematics and Technical Science examination.

The Department says it has introduced a review of “all its systems and processes and has taken cognisance of the limitations that may have presented a challenge in previous years and all these have been thoroughly addressed”. 

Specific emphasis has been placed on the different points at which question papers are stored when moved to schools or exam centres. The Department says these points have been thoroughly audited, further adding they have “also engaged the services of the SAPS who will assist in maintaining a presence where necessary and will respond to requests at short notice.”

OFM News reported last week the Free State Provincial Government has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the province retains its number one position in the country. In its latest effort, the department signed a pledge with grade 12 learners in the province, not to cheat and to give their best in the forthcoming final matrix exams.

These exams are expected to end on November 28.

OFM News