the national school of the arts

The National Senior Certificate (NSC)

The NSA is a secondary school and offers the general pathway to obtain a National Senior Certificate (NSC). It is based on a curriculum for Grades 10 – 12.

In the General Education and Training (GET) band, Grade 9 is the end of the compulsory phase of schooling. Education in this band aims at providing learners with the basic competencies or a broad foundation of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed for lifelong learning.

A Grade 9 qualification will be required for access to Grade 10 at a school. Promotion only occurs at the Grade 9 Level. A learner is promoted from Grade 9 on the basis of demonstrating competency which reflects a balanced spread over eight Learning Areas and which have been assessed through a continuous assessment programme and an external assessment component.

Grade 9 signifies an exit point in the education system. All credited examining bodies for this level must meet assessment requirements in terms of the provisions of the General and Further Education and the Training Quality Assurance Council (Umalusi).

Grade 8 & 9
The Grade 8 and 9 Learners follow a general course with the following subjects:

English Home Language
Afrikaans and isiZulu First Additional Languages
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Arts & Culture
Technology
Economic Management Sciences
Life Orientation
Specialist Subjects: Art, Dance, Drama or Music

At the end of the Grade 9 year learners must choose their subjects for Grade 10 – 12. (See below)

The National Senior Certificate (NSC)

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) is the new school-leaving qualification. It is based on a curriculum for Grades 10 – 12.

Qualifications

In the General and Training (GET) band, Grade 9 is the end of compulsory phase of schooling. Education in this band aims at providing learners with the basic competencies or a broad foundation of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed for lifelong learning.

A qualification at this level must be registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) at level 1 and will be quality assured by the relevant ETQA (Umalasi).

A Grade 9 qualification will be required for access to Grade 10 at a school. To qualify for the certificate, a learner needs seven subjects of which four are compulsory and three are of their own choice. In the compulsory section, every learner will have to take two languages (one being his Home Language (HL) and the other, a First Additional Language, Life Orientation and either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy.

Minimum requirements for admission for a Degree and Diploma.

Diploma:

The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with an achievement rating of 3 (Moderate Achievement, 40 – 49%) or better. Institutional and programme needs may require appropriate combinations of recognised NSC subjects and levels of achievements.

4 Subjects at a rating of 3 (40 – 49%)
+ Institutional Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree:

The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi with an achievement rating of 4 (Adequate Achievement, 50 – 59%) or better in four subjects chosen from the following recognised NSC subjects:

Business Studies
Dance Studies
Design Studies
Dramatic Studies
History
Languages (one Language of learning and teaching at a higher education institution and two other recognised Language subjects)
Life Sciences
Mathematics
Mathematical Literacy
Music
Physical Sciences
Visual Arts

Satisfactory Achievements in 4 designated NSC subjects provides the primary basis for admission to a Bachelor’s Degree programme. For university entrance learners need a 4 for Afrikaans or isiZulu as their 1st Additional Language. A tertiary institution is entitled to specify an appropriate level of subject achievement for a particular programme.

4 Subjects at a rating of 4 (50 – 59%)
+ Subjects from designated list
+ Institutional Requirements

Subject Combination for FET Grade 10, 11 and 12

A learner must select seven subjects, namely:

* English Home Language
* First Additional Language (Afrikaans OR isiZulu)
* Mathematics OR Mathematical Literacy
* Life Orientation
* Specialist Subject: Art, Dance, Drama or Music
* Two subjects from Group B (see below)

Structure of the National Senior Certificate (NSC)

Group A - 4 Subjects (Compulsory)

Language 1: English Home Language
Language 2: Afrikaans OR isiZulu First Additional Language
Mathematics OR Mathematical Literacy
Life Orientation
Specialist Subject: Art, Dance, Drama or Music

Group B - 2 Subjects of Choice

Subjects offered in 2010:

Life Sciences
Physical Sciences
History
Business Studies

Requirements of Subjects

* Mathematics
Any learner not achieving at least 50% at the end of Grade 9 for Mathematics will be strongly advised
NOT to continue with Mathematics in Grade 10.

* Physical Sciences
If a learner is competent at Mathematics, he should consider Physical Science as a subject. A learner who would like to take Physical Science should pass Mathematics in Grade 9 with at least 60%.
 

Immigrants

The GDE defines an Immigrant as follows:

* A child or dependant of a diplomatic representative of a foreign government accredited in
South Africa

OR

* Any person who:
* First enrolled at and entered a South African school in Grade 7 or a more senior grade
OR
* having begun his or her schooling at a school in South Africa, has attended school outside South Africa for two or more consecutive years after Grade 6 or its equivalent.

To be classified as an immigrant candidate, such a candidate must be in possession of:
* The relevant official documentation issued by the Department of Home Affairs, and
* The relevant official documentation issued by the school where the Learners entered the South African school system for the first time.

General

* If a learner has not met the pass requirements for a specific subject in Grade 9, they will not be allowed to take the given subject in Grade 10.

* Any learner who decides not to take Mathematics in Grade 10 may not continue with Physical Science in Grade 10.

* Any learner who chooses Mathematical Literacy will not be allowed to change to Mathematics in Grade 10 - 12.

* Subject changes will be allowed until April in Grade 10 & 11, and no changes in Grade 12. A learner can ONLY change if there is space and after they have produced the Portfolio work missed in the subjects they are changing to. The mark for the original subject will count for term/examination marks until they are allowed to change. It is vital that the correct initial choices are made.

Promotion and certification requirements

Codes, descriptors and percentages for recording and reporting in Grade 8 & 9:

Rating Description of Competence Marks %
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

Promotion at Grade 8 & 9 Level

* Promotion only occurs at the Grade 9 Level. A learner is promoted from Grade 9 on the basis of demonstrating competency which reflects a balanced spread over eight Learning Areas and which have been assessed through a continuous assessment programme and an external assessment component.

* Grade 9 signifies an exit point in the education system. All accredited examining bodies for this level must meet assessment requirements in terms of the provisions of the General and Further Education and the Training Quality Assurance Council (Umalusi).

* All eight Learning Areas are compulsory and the assessment of all eight is compulsory, but the awarding of the qualification will be based on Languages, Mathematics and four (4) other Learning Areas.

* The learner will be promoted only if he satisfies the requirements of both the Continuous Assessment (75%) and the External Assessment (25%) components in all Learning Areas.

* A learner will be promoted to Grade 10 only if he has satisfied the following achievement requirements:

Subject Requirements
1 x Language (Home Language) 40%
2 x Other Subjects 40%
3 x Subjects 30%
1 x Subject Fail (Complete portfolio of evidence of subject failed to be submitted)

* Condonation at Grade 9:
The minimum requirements in terms of offering eight Learning Areas, a minimum of two languages, and evidence of performance in CASS and CTA should be met before condonation may be considered.

A learner’s results will be condoned ONLY ONCE in either of the following cases:

* Mathematics Level 2 Elementary Achievement 30 – 39
* Languages Level 2 Elementary Achievement 30 – 39
* ONE of the four other Learning Areas Level 2 Elementary Achievement 30 – 39

Promotion at Grade 10 - 12 Level

Scale of achievement for the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10 – 12

Rating Description of Competence Marks %
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

Assessment in Grades 10 and 11

* The internal assessment mark allocated to assessment tasks completed during the school year will be 25% and the end of the year assessment mark will count 75% of the total mark.

* The end of the year assessment must consist of tasks that are internally set, marked and moderated, as specified in the Subject Assessment Guidelines.

* A learner will be promoted to Grade 11 & 12 only if he has satisfied the following achievement requirements:

Subject Requirements
1 x Language (Home Language) 40%
2 x Other Subjects 40%
3 x Subjects 30%
1 x Subject Fail (Complete portfolio of evidence of subject failed to be submitted)

Assessment in Grade 12

* The internal assessment mark will be 25% and the external assessment mark will make up 75% of the total mark, as specified in the Subject Assessment Guidelines.

* The weighting for assessment in the subject Life Orientation in Grade 12 is an exception. The internal assessment component will be 100% of the total mark. The internal assessment will be externally moderated.