The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has granted permissions for exam rewrites to take place.
The allowance comes after the DBE had received various requests from candidates to rewrite certain subjects, as they had faced disruptions to exams that were not of their doing.
Because of the extended period to allow for the rewrites to take place, the exam season will conclude on 8 December, 2022.
This year's matric learners have been facing a never-ending stream of challenges, ranging from loadshedding to physical assault such as the stabbing of one learner.
The DBE assessed the requests from the Provincial Education Departments (PEDs), along with Umalusi, and granted permission for rewrite opportunities in the following subjects:
- Mathematics Paper 2 (Mpumalanga Department of Education)
- Mathematical Literacy Paper 1 (Eastern Cape Department of Education)
- Mathematical Literacy Paper 2 (Mpumalanga Department of Education, Eastern Cape Department of Education and North West Department of Education)
- Economics Paper 1 (Gauteng Department of Education)
- English First Additional Language Paper 1 (Limpopo Department of Education and Western Cape Department of Education)
The main functions of Umalusi is to set standards for the assessment of qualifications on the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Framework and to ensure that assessment for certification in schools, Further Education and Training Colleges and Adult Education and Training Centres is of the required standard.
Some of the reasons cited in the rewrite requests include disruptions such as loadshedding and technical glitches during the Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1 and Information Technology (IT) Paper 1 exams, miscommunication from a school principal which resulted in Economics learners missing the exam, community protest action prohibiting learners from making it to the exams, banning pregnant learners from sitting for their exams, as well floods.
The examination rewrites for the above-mentioned subjects will take place between the 7th and 8th of December, 2022.
In addition, the situation regarding the difficult question (Question 5.1) that arose in Mathematics Paper 2 has been resolved, says the DBE who has admitted that the question was in fact made out of error.
"The question will be excluded from the marking process. The question paper will be marked out of 143 and the mark will be upscaled to 150," reads the Department's statement.
Marking sessions will commence on 10 December, concluding on 22 December, 2022. Matric results will be announced on 19 January 2023.
