What matric marks really mean

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

I know this is an old article (2004), but since I did matric this year, I am getting nervous since I need 4As to do Business Science at UCT. I got them in the September 'mock' exams, but 2 of those As were 81% and 83% so moderation could easily retract theses As. I'm utterly shocked at how many people fail

Johannesburg - Before the subject marks for last year's matric exams were adjusted, nearly two thirds of the candidates who wrote biology on standard grade (SG) had failed with an FF symbol (between 30% and 33%).

More than 58% of pupils in English second language higher grade (HG) got an F symbol (34% to 39%) and 68% of candidates failed mathematics SG with an FF.

Of the 39 548 pupils who wrote accounting on higher grade, almost 40% failed. These marks were not adjusted.

Just more than 12% of the candidates got A symbols and this was reduced to 9.88% (after adjustments, 46.77% of the pupils got more than 50% in the subject. In 2002, 29.9% got more than 50%).

Initially, just more than 20% of the 106 621 pupils who wrote accounting on standard grade failed the subject. After the marks were adjusted, this moved up to 25.9%. The number of pupils with A symbols was dropped from 4.8% to 3.26%.

After the marks were adjusted upwards for biology (SG), 30.33% had more than 50%.

While 44.57% of the 19 545 candidates in English second language (SG) got more than 50%, 20.2% scored between 30% and 33% and failed.

Nearly 60% of the 52 215 candidates who wrote physical science (HG) obtained an F symbol (30% to 33%) and therefore failed.

After adjustments, 56.6% failed. A total of 73.3% of pupils scored an E symbol (40% to 49%). This was adjusted to 70.4%.

I knew matric moderation took place, but I never knew the failure rate was that bad

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1466257,00.html

 

[iDenTiTy]

I bet the stats you quote were mainly from students who would rather toi-toi than study chemistry and mathematics...



BTW

I'm sure you'll be just fine. Well done, your life lies ahead of you.

 

[Lord Anubis]

..not really how many A's..its about what Degree you can AFFORD to buy...

 

[BTTB]

I know this is an old article (2004), but since I did matric this year

Hi Dominic,

Did they not write the old Curriculum in 2004?

From what I can gather under the new curriculum a mark over 50% is considered a Matric Exemption Mark?
My son will be writing Matric next year and he intends to study Law in 2010 and for that they require a minimum average mark of 60% for entrance.

80%. Wow that is quite a steep requirement!

Regards,
BTTB.

 

[slayerza]

50% for exemption what has the world come to?

 

[PeterCH]

Why study when you can watch 'lolcats' on the web, play gamez and fap to porn and hentai. Modern kids have too many distractions.

 

[Intelligence++]

And if one thinks - the South African matric is of such a low difficulty level. You don't belive me? Well, do a google search for the chinese maths paper if you really want to see what a matric exam is all about. But then again, the average chinese has a 10%+ bigger brain and is 20% more intelligent then the average african. Makes one think, doesn't it ?

 

[PeterCH]

And if one thinks - the South African matric is of such a low difficulty level. You don't belive me? Well, do a google search for the chinese maths paper if you really want to see what a matric exam is all about. But then again, the average chinese has a 10%+ bigger brain and is 20% more intelligent then the average african. Makes one think, doesn't it ?

Recently the Koreans have trumped everyone. My buddy from Tokyo says it's because of the decline in educational values in Japan and too many eroges, but yeah Koreans are trouncing their neighbours.

 

[slayerza]

Not everyone wants to be or needs to be a asian engineer at the cutting edge of technology but at least being somewhat proficient in even the basics would be nice. Language and a basic grasp of numbers (not math per se) would be good.

Have a look at the mathematical literacy papers, what a laugh some of that stuff we used to do in primary school

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

Hi Dominic,

Did they not write the old Curriculum in 2004?

From what I can gather under the new curriculum a mark over 50% is considered a Matric Exemption Mark?
My son will be writing Matric next year and he intends to study Law in 2010 and for that they require a minimum average mark of 60% for entrance.

80%. Wow that is quite a steep requirement!

Regards,
BTTB.

Yes that is true, but I saw an article in Saturday's paper that said the "pass rate of 65% [from 2007] will stay the same". Yeah I know, it is a steep requirement, and one of those As have has to be Maths. But the Maths is reasonably easy, at least they took out circle geometry in P2

 

[PeterCH]

The need to ban sites like 4chan, slashdot and somethingawful for matrics. Then we'd see the buggers starting to study again instead of posting nonsense about lolcats and Obama Barrack and other weird stuff.

 

[slayerza]

Hey circle geometry was fun and not too difficult

 

[slayerza]

maybe slashdot is the only site where they still learn stuff - I propose we rather ban mxit and that will lead to and increase in studying (typical proudly south african idea)

 

[PeterCH]

Hey circle geometry was fun and not too difficult

Yeah once you remember that a circle has 180 degrees, you can't go wrong with anything else. Easy - peazzy.

 

[noxibox]

Has UCT increased the requirements to take into account easier exams? I don't recall them requiring four As in the past (except perhaps specifically for Actuarial Science). I know plenty of UCT BBusSci graduates none of whom had four As in matric.

 

[Ekhaatvensters]

Has UCT increased the requirements to take into account easier exams? I don't recall them requiring four As in the past (except perhaps specifically for Actuarial Science). I know plenty of UCT BBusSci graduates none of whom had four As in matric.

I don't think they have to that extent. I doubt you really need 4 A's for business science. Your entrance exam will also count more these days with the new curriculum instead of just higher requirements.

I also know a lot of people in business science with far from 4 A's (I assume the OP is doing everything higher grade).

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

Has UCT increased the requirements to take into account easier exams? I don't recall them requiring four As in the past (except perhaps specifically for Actuarial Science). I know plenty of UCT BBusSci graduates none of whom had four As in matric.

Yes, you need 47 points (well as a white person anyway). And you need at least an A for Maths. Now UCT changed their system this year so to get 8 points, you need to get 90%, and not 80% as in previous years. (80-89 = 7).

So..taking that into account...

A (7*2) - 14 points [Maths is doubled]
A - 7
A 7
A 7

=35. And two Bs (which are 6 points) = 12

35 +12 = 47.

 

[jambai]

forget the marks ,varsity will have a natural system where if you cant cut it you just wont make it at varsity no matter what you got at school.I remember back to stellenbosch and take a look at all the people starting degrees and looking around you who pulled through.I would say more than half drop out but somehow they cant cut it and go to Unisa and get 70% at Unisa.Suppose that is why I would always prefer an Uct or Stellies graduate anyday to Unisa,unless they are an CA or CFa which is standardised.

 

[iDenTiTy]

forget the marks ,varsity will have a natural system where if you cant cut it you just wont make it at varsity no matter what you got at school.I remember back to stellenbosch and take a look at all the people starting degrees and looking around you who pulled through.I would say more than half drop out but somehow they cant cut it and go to Unisa and get 70% at Unisa.Suppose that is why I would always prefer an Uct or Stellies graduate anyday to Unisa,unless they are an CA or CFa which is standardised.

+1

There's no spoon feeding there!

 

[bodhi]

forget the marks ,varsity will have a natural system where if you cant cut it you just wont make it at varsity no matter what you got at school.I remember back to stellenbosch and take a look at all the people starting degrees and looking around you who pulled through.I would say more than half drop out but somehow they cant cut it and go to Unisa and get 70% at Unisa.Suppose that is why I would always prefer an Uct or Stellies graduate anyday to Unisa,unless they are an CA or CFa which is standardised.

100% in agreement with you - matric marks means almost nothing - only useful for university entrance....