1. SETTING AND MAINTAINING STANDARDS in the NSC
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE NSC RESULTS?
SETTING AND MAINTAINING STANDARDS in the NSC
Portfolio Committee
APRIL 2012

2. Quality Assurance of Assessment
Regulatory Framework
Quality Assurance of Assessment
NQF Act Section 27 (h)
The QC must develop and implement policy and criteria for assessment for the qualifications on its sub-framework.
From Quality Assurance to Standard Setting

3. Umalusi Model for Setting Standards for Qualifications on the Sub-framework
Qualifications and Curriculum – Intended Curriculum
Evaluation and Accreditation – Enacted Curriculum
Quality Assurance of Assessment – Assessed Curriculum

4. Purpose of the National Senior Certificate
Relatively new qualification
Inherited qualification
Purpose of the NSC
HE vs. School Leaving
HE vs. Employment
Single qualification to accommodate all candidates vs. previous HG / SG option
The underlying philosophy of the NCS had
been designed to ensure that most people
achieve the minimum requirement for a pass

5. Standards for the National Senior Certificate
Standards captured in National Curriculum Statements and Subject Assessment Guidelines (National Policy Documents)
HE participants in development of NCS
Umalusi responsibility to ensure that NCS and SAG standards are maintained

6. Quality of the NSC questioned…..
1. More learners passing – at lower levels
2. Pass mark of 30 % and 40%
3. Qualifying candidates not displaying requisite
knowledge and skills
4. Maths and Lang competencies continue to be
weak
5. Standardisation process questioned
6. National Benchmark Tests

7. Immediate critical issues…..
1. (perceived ) Gap between School and HE
and everything in between
2. Standards of Assessment

8. Higher Education
Issue of University readiness as old as education itself
NSC – minimum requirements (revision?)
University and faculty admission requirements
Bridging Programmes
“Blame Game” – a vicious cycle

9. Some points of comparison
The number of candidates passing
The quality of the results
The standardisation of the exam
The predictive quality of the exam for performance at HE level

10. Pass Mark 1. 30% and 40 % not invention of the NSC
2. SC – converted passes HG to SG; SG to LG
3. SC - exemption determined by attaining aggregate score
4. NSC – 3 x 40% and 3x 30% (40% in HL)
Higher certificate – NSC + 30% (LOLT)
Diploma – NSC + 30%(LOLT) + 4 (40% and above)
Degree - NSC + 30%(LOLT) + 4 (50% and above from
designated list)

11. The number of candidates passing
Massification is a natural outcome of an education system that is non-racist, non-sexist and democratic
It is clear that there has been a steady increase over the last decade in the number of learners who enrolled for and wrote the SC and then NSC – notable exception 2010 and 2011

12. The number of candidates passing : Trends in SC / NSC enrolment and passes
SC / NSC examination results, all schools,
Year
No. of
Candidates
Passes
Number
Change in number
(%)
Change in passes (%)
1995 7 -1
1996 -3 -2
1997 -6
1998 4
1999 -7 -8
2000 -4 13
2001
2002 5 17
Sources: DoE, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2007, 2008, 2009

13. Year No. of Candidates Passes Number Wrote Change in number (%)
Change in passes (%)
2002 5 17
2003 -7 -1
2004 6 3
2005 9
2006 4 1
2007 7 *
2008 -6 -9
2009
3.5
334718
0.33
2010
-2.7 * 8
2011
-7.7
-4.4
Sources: DoE, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2007, 2008, 2009

14. The quality of the results
Concerns about quality has become a thorny issue and the subject of much debate albeit uninformed at most times.
SA public uses the matric results as the main indicators of quality of the education system and so there is an understandable concern about what these results of a relatively new qualification is saying about the current state of education
It is important however that we interrogate some of our assumptions that inform our beliefs about standards and quality

15. Assumptions that affect our perceptions
The assumption is that “more means less” or “more means worse”
The assumption that a higher pass rate is as a result of:
Lowering standards
Upward adjustment of marks

16. Umalusi’s comparative research: NSC with SC (NATED 550)
Another assumption is that the NCS is of a lower standard than the previous curriculum.
Research completed by Umalusi into the standard of the NCS curriculum confirms that in most cases the NCS presents a greater cognitive challenge
The NCS also represents modern, updated and more demanding versions of previous subjects

17. Understanding the NSC
2008 Maintaining Standards, 2009 – 6 gateway subjects comparing the intended and examined curricula for the SC and the NSC
2009 Maintaining Standards, – Accounting, Business Studies, Economics and History
Evaluating the South African NSC i.r.o selected international qualifications: a self-referencing exercise to determine the standing of the NSC, research jointly undertaken by Umalusi and Higher Education South Africa

18. Umalusi’s research on comparisons with other qualifications
Another assumption is that the NCS is of a lower standard than the previous curriculum.
Research completed by Umalusi into the standard of the NCS curriculum confirms that in most cases the NCS presents a greater cognitive challenge
The NCS also represents modern, updated and more demanding versions of previous subjects

19. Umalusi’s research on comparisons with other qualifications
National Senior Certificate (NSC), Department of (Basic) Education (South Africa)/Umalusi
International Baccalaureate Diploma, Standard Level and higher Level, International Baccalaureate Organization
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), A Levels, Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC), Department of Education (Namibia)

20. Findings
NSC curriculum fits comparably within the range of selected curricula
Content and level most similar to the IB SL and CIE AS Level
Increasing depth and level of difficulty
NSC
International Baccalaureate
Cambridge International Examinations
Namibia
IB Mathematical Studies SL
IGCSE
Namibian OL
IB SL
AS Level
Namibian HL
IB HL
A Level

21. Minimum Pass Mark QUALIFICATION ASSESSMENT RATING SCALE MINIMUM PASS
NSC
1-7
2 (30%)
3 (40%) in HL
IB DIPLOMA 4
IGSCE
A-E
C* (*grade boundaries not fixed)
A / AS Level D*
NSSC OL
NSSC HL
A-G
1-4 C* 3*

22. Trust and credibility: The standardisation of the exam
Another assumption is that we now use vastly different methods of standardising the results
Responsibility for matriculation results has changed hands:
JMB (1918 to 1992)
SAFCERT (1992 – 2001)
Umalusi (2002 – to date)
The one constant has been the standardisation process used for the examinations. This is crucial to:
Obtain equivalence of the standard of the qualification across years, subjects
Deliver a relatively constant product to the HE sector and to the workplace
Trust in the statutory institutions established with particular mandates.

23. SC / NSC examination results
Senior Certificate examination results, all schools,
Sources: DoE, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2007, 2008, 2009

24. SC / NSC examination results and HE
SC/NSC examination results, all schools,
Year
No. of
Candidates
Passes
University
Exemption
Number
Rate (%)
1994 58
88 497 18
1995 53
78 821 15
1996 54
79 768
1997 47
69 007 12
1998 49
69 856 13
1999
63 725
2000
68 626 14
2001 62
67 707
2002 69
75 048 16
2003 73
82 010 19
2004 71
85 117
Sources: DoE, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2007, 2008, 2009

25. SC/ NSC examination results and HE
SC/ NSC examination results, all schools,
Year
No. of
Candidates
Passes
University
Exemption
Number
Rate (%)
2004 71
85 117 18
2005 68
86 531 17
2006 66
85 830 16
2007 65
85 454 15
2008 63 20
2009 60
2010
67.8
23.5
2011
70.2
24.3
Sources: DoE, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2007, 2008, 2009

26. Senior Certificate examination results
Senior Certificate examination results, all schools,
Sources: DoE, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2007, 2008, 2009

27. Thank You