The number of credits offered in a subject to pass Grade 10 – 12 is usually based on the number of hours that the class meets each week. Understandably subjects like English Literature and Mathematics have higher credits than other subjects with 2 or 3 lessons per week. But, how many credits must be completed to pass grades 10 -12?
What the Department of Education say about credit passes for Grade 10 – 12
The South Africa Department of Education policy document clearly spelt it out this ways…
”Progression in Grades 10-12 does not guarantee the final certification of a learner in Grade 12 and such a learner must comply with the certification requirements as contemplated in paragraph 37(1)(a) of the policy document, National policy pertaining to the programme and promotion requirements of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R -12 to enable him or her to obtain a National Senior Certificate.”
That means that learners in Grades 10-12 progress from grade to grade if/when they completed all the school assessments with the ‘required credits’ – see below.
Complete school-based assessments and external examinations Grade 10 – 12
Schools and learners must complete the internal and external assessments as contemplated in the policy document, National Protocol for Assessment and Curriculum & Assessment Policy Statements of the various subjects.
That means that the learners must complete the following internal and eternal assessments with required credits to pass Grade 10 – 12:
- School-Based Assessment (internal),
- Practical Assessment Tasks (internal), where applicable,
- oral assessment (internal) and
- end-of-year examination (external) requirements in no fewer than seven examinable subjects.
Required Credits to pass Grade 10 – 12
The brief below will give you an idea about the number of credits you’ll need to pass grade 10-12.
1) Achieved 40% in three subjects
Achieved 40% in three subjects, one of which is an official language at the Home Language level, and 30% in three subjects, provided the School-Based Assessment component is submitted in the subjects offered.
2) Condonation of a maximum of one subject
A condonation of a maximum of one subject will only be applied to a Grade 12 candidate in the final National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination, if such a candidate requires a maximum of 2%, either to obtain a pass at 30% or 40%.
Such a condonation will be applied in only one subject, provided the application of the condonation allows the candidate to obtain the National Senior Certificate (NSC) qualification.
3) Music programme pass
Subject to paragraph 28(7) learners who offer a Music programme from the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music or Trinity College of London or UNISA, must obtain the following ratings:
- the Associated Board of Royal Schools Practical Music Examination Grade 7: at least 65%.
- Trinity College of London Practical Music Examination Grade 7 at least 65%.
- UNISA Practical Music Examination Grade 7 at least 50%.