THE Independent Examinations Board is worried about the decrease in the number of candidates taking physical science in high school.
The IEB is an independent assessment agency, separate from state and provincial examination boards, operating within the constraints of national legislation and provisions of the national quality assurance body Umalusi.
IEB CEO Anne Oberholzer has said that while pupils had generally performed well in the senior certificate examination, the board was concerned about the drop in pupils taking physical science in Grade 12.
The IEB Grade 12 exams results are due today.
In 2008, 52.3% of all IEB pupils took physical science and in 2011 there were only 47.4%.
"This appears to be a national trend, with the decline in the percentage of pupils taking physical sciences from 2008 to 2010 also showing a decline.
"However, it is heartening to see an increase in the uptake of the subject by girls. This has changed from 45.5% in 2008 to 47.4% in 2011," Oberholtzer said.
There were 8281 candidates from 173 private schools who sat for the IEB exams. This was an increase of 205 candidates from 2010.
In 2010, the IEB candidates achieved a 98.38% pass rate, which was up by one percent compared to 2009.
This year, the pass rate is 98.15%.
Oberholzer said candidates could collect their results from their schools, via the board's registered SMS hotline, or from the IEB website.