Most higher education institutions currently make use of a points score to summarise performance in the grade 12 or ‘matric” examination.
A points score helps institutions to make admission decisions based on school performance in an efficient, transparent way. One way in which institutions are preparing to admit the first applicants with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) — the qualification that will replace the matric certificate in 2008 — is by developing and publishing their minimum admission requirements.
Most institutions agreed that with the introduction of the NSC they will continue to use a point score system, which will be called an admissions point score. This means that the rating a grade 12 learner receives and which reflects a range of percentages, are converted into scores ranging from one to eight (see tables).
For the admissions point score, the achievement ratings awarded for NSC subjects will be used (see table: ‘The seven levels of achievement of the NSC”) but the top achievement rating of seven will be split into two. A percentage of 80 to 89 will be awarded a seven, while a percentage between 90 and 100 will be awarded a score of eight.
However, although most institutions will use the admissions point score and the eight-point scale based on the new senior certificate’s achievement ratings, there will be much variation among institutions when it comes to computing the admissions point score. For example:
- Some institutions will add up the points for the seven senior certi-ficate subjects to get a total; and
- For certain critical gateway subjects (mathematics and English), some institutions will double their points or adjust the ratings (an achievement rating of five for mathematics will be awarded seven points and so on) before totalling up all the points. For example, the requirements of a BSc programme might be an admissions point score of 35.
Institutions will also differ in whether and how they will include achievement in life orientation in the admissions score system. Although universities strongly support the introduction of life orientation in the NSC, life orientation is only a 10-credit subject whereas the other NSC subjects are 20 credits.
Life orientation will also not be externally examined, although it will be externally moderated. However, this makes institutions a little wary of the validity of the life orientation achievement ratings. Some of the ways in which universities are dealing with the subject are:
- To exclude life orientation from the admissions point score (which will then be based on only six subjects);
- To exclude life orientation from the admissions point score, but to set the subject as a requirement for entry into certain programmes or to use achievement in life orientation when making alternative admissions decisions. (Alternative admissions decisions are made when applicants do not meet the entry requirements and after applicants have been sent for admissions testing);
- To include life orientation in the admissions point score, but to adjust the points awarded to the achievement rating to account for the fact that the subject counts half the weight of another NSC subject (an achievement rating of five will be awarded one point and so on); and
- To include life orientation in the admissions point score (in this instance, the minimum admissions point score required has been adjusted based on the assumption that most learners will probably achieve at least a four).
Finally, universities will set minimum admissions point scores for entry into each of their programmes (law could be different from medicine) along with subject requirements, where appropriate. Given that there are many different ways to compute the admissions point score, it is not surprising that different institutions will use different scores for similar programmes. In terms of subject requirements, mathematics, physical sciences and life sciences are indicated most often for maths-based programmes — diplomas and degrees in science, engineering, health sciences and commerce.
Cheryl Foxcroft is the Senior Director: Higher Education Access and Development Services at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University