For the first time this year the National Senior Certificate examinations will  be administered in South African sign language to 58 deaf matric candidates across 10 schools. The question papers will be signed to the pupils who will respond by signing and this will be recorded using the appropriate technology.

Basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said  the department  has piloted its assessment processes in this regard, and doesn’t foresee any difficulties with this examination.

“Another first for the department is the writing of the examination in technical mathematics and technical science. The offering of these two subjects is in sync with the intention of the department to provide a broader scope of subject offerings for  pupils so as to allow for a stronger vocational slant in the curriculum,” Mhlanga said.

He said more than 37 000 grade 12  pupils will sit for the first practical examination in computer applications technology (CAT) on Monday. This will be followed by the practical examination for information technology that will be administered to 4 170 candidates on Tuesday.

The 2018 NSC examinations will then begin on Monday October 22 with the non-official languages.

This year, 796 542 candidates will sit for the exams which will last for five-and-a-half weeks.

Mhlanga said the department has left no stone unturned in its bid to ensure a credible NSC examination.

“The department has embarked on an intensive review of all its systems and processes and has taken cognisance of the limitations that may have presented a challenge in previous years and all these have been thoroughly addressed,” Mhlanga said.

Question papers will be stored at different points.

“The department has audited each of these points and only those points that comply with the stringent criteria are allowed to store question papers. These storage points will be closely monitored by the provincial education departments (PEDs) and the national department. The department has also engaged the services of all the security agencies who will assist in maintaining a presence where necessary and will respond to requests at short notice,” Mhlanga said.

The department has also conducted an audit of marker appointments to ensure that only those who satisfy the criteria are appointed. A total of 44 505 markers have been appointed to mark across the 141 marking centres. Marking will commence on December 1  across most PEDs, except for the larger provinces where marking will start earlier to ensure that all marking is completed by December 15.