Take 2: Matric 2018 ruled clean, despite geography paper having to be rewritten

This year, no exam papers were leaked and an attempt to cheat was foiled, Umalusi disclosed on Friday, a week before the release of the 2018 matric results. 

Chairperson Professor John Volmink revealed that a Gauteng teacher gave pupils answers to a geography paper 1 exam. The pupils rewrote the exam later.

Volmink told a news conference in Pretoria that geography was a subject pupils had struggled with, in particular, map work.

Overall, though, Umalusi found a “pleasing” upward trend in the so-called gateway subjects of mathematics, physics and life science.

Umalusi also noted a “remarkable decrease” in community protests, which had, in the past, affected the writing of the national examinations.

The Department of Basic Education registered 621,141 full time students and 161,000 students for its National Senior Certificate examinations in November. The Independent Examinations Board administered the NSC examinations where 11,514 full time candidates and 855 candidates sat for the exams.

The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, Umalusi, on Friday approved the release of the 2018 national examination results after conducting the quality assurance of examinations from a number of examining bodies including the Department of Basic Education and the Independent Examinations Board.

Volmink said based on the evidence the body received, the National Senior Certificate exams were largely incident-free but with minor disruptions.

"This year, there was no leakage of examination papers. Nothing pollutes the integrity of the examinations than a leaked paper."

Volmink said there were no systemic irregularities that were recorded.

"Having studied all the evidence at hand, Umalusi is satisfied that apart from instances of irregularities, there were no systemic instances of irregularities that might have compromised the integrity of the exams," Volmink said.