Power cuts, service delivery protests and natural disasters have interfered with the National Senior Certificate final exams since they began.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Rolling blackouts a big worry as matrics set to write final examinations”

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has now extended the exam period to 8 December to allow for the rewriting of at least seven papers for six subjects disrupted between October and November.

Disrupted exams include:

• Computer Applications Technology, written on 25 October;
• Information Technology, written on 26 October;
• English First Additional Language Paper 1, written on 31 October;
• Economics Paper 1, written on 1 November
• Mathematical Literacy Paper 1, written on 4 November;
• Mathematical Literacy Paper 2, written on 7 November; and
• Mathematics Paper 2, written on 7 November.

According to the DBE’s chief director for exams, Dr Rufus Poliah, 119 writing centres were affected by rolling blackouts, leading to 3,956 learners being affected. This meant Computer Applications Technology and Information Technology pupils were unable to finish their exams.

In Mpumalanga, Emalahleni, at least 1,127 candidates were barred from accessing exam centres where they were scheduled to write either MathematicsPaper 2 or Mathematical Literacy Paper 2, due to service delivery protests in the area.

In Gauteng, 53 matric candidates from Phandimfundo Secondary in Etwatwa could not sit for their Economics paper 1 due to alleged communication from school management instructing learners not to appear for the exam. The school management also allegedly misdirected the province by stating that there was a protest in the area.

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Four learners in the Eastern Cape are reported to have missed their Mathematical literacy paper 1 and paper 2 “due to the principal’s actions”.

Flooding at a North West informal settlement, and service delivery protests, hindered three pupils from writing their Mathematical Literacy paper 2 and led to delays, prompting the department to be hyper-alert during this rainy season.

It is alleged a pregnant pupil at a Western Cape school was prevented from writing her English FAL exam Paper 1 on Monday. Another pupil from Limpopo could not write her English exam.

The DBE has afforded another opportunity for the affected pupils to complete the exams on 7 and 8 December. The rewrite exam schedule is as follows:

• CAT, Information Technology and Mathematical Literacy Paper 1 will be written on Wednesday, 7 December;
• Mathematical Literacy Paper 2, Mathematics Paper 2, English First Additional Language Paper 1 and Economics Paper 1 will be written 0n Thursday, 8 December.

In making sure the right matric candidates sit for the rewrites, DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said each candidate would be asked to present their ID and exam number.

“The affected learners are known — that should make it easy for schools to identify the right persons.”

Latest on the problematic maths problem

Almost a month after the matric class of 2022 sat for Mathematics Paper 2, the DBE has admitted there was a “fault” in question 5.1 worth seven marks.

Explaining the fault, Mhlanga said: “The intended question required learners to work in the third quadrant. The restriction value on the angle did not allow for this. The restriction value on the angle created a contradiction that resulted in candidates having to assume the quadrant to answer the question. Hence, the absence of a correct solution to the question.”

The department has since resolved to exclude the seven-mark question from the marking process, meaning the exam will be marked out of 143 and not 150.

Mhlanga said no learner would be disadvantaged. DM