The Department of Basic Education has announced that the 2020 Grade 12s will concurrently write mid-year and final examinations between 5 November and 15 December.
The reconfiguration of the examination calendar comes after the school year was severely disrupted by the lengthy closure of schools since March due to the COVID-19 enforced lockdown.
“Following the closure of schools on 18 March 2020, and the national lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus, a decision was taken by the Minister of Basic Education to administer the May/June 2020 examination concurrently with the October/November 2020 examination,” the department said in a statement.
The late commencement of the final Grade 12 examinations will allow schools and learners adequate time to cover the curriculum and also to ensure that ample time is allocated for revision of the syllabus.
Basic Education emphasised to candidates that this is a combined examination, which implies that all candidates that were scheduled to write the Senior Certificate examination in May/June 2020 and have already registered, will be allowed to write this examination.
Candidates that have also registered for the October/November 2020 National Senior Certificate examination will be allowed to write this examination.
More than 1.1 million candidates are expected to sit for the 2020 combined matric exam and every registered candidate will receive an admission letter by the end of September 2020, listing the subjects for which they have registered and the examination centre where they will write.
Registration for this examination has closed and no late registrations will be entertained, said the department.
Candidates, who were originally scheduled to write the 2020 October/November examination, will write two papers each in Business Studies and Accounting, whereas those who would have written the 2020 May/June examination will write one paper each in Business Studies and Accounting.
This is clearly denoted on the timetable.
The Life Orientation (LO) Common Assessment Task will be written on Monday, 19 October 2020. The practical examinations in Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and Information Technology (IT) will be written prior to the official commencement of the examination on Wednesday, 21 and Thursday, 22 October 2020, respectively.
The results of the 2020 Grade 12 examination will be released to candidates on 23 February 2021.
“Candidates need to be assured that the late release of the results will not jeopardise their admission to higher education institutions,” said the department.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has wished Grade 12 learners well, saying they will be fully supported in their preparations leading to the exams, despite the challenges that this year has presented. – SAnews.gov.za
