Term two is when the workload for matric learners intensifies, as June exams are the turning point that determines the outcome of the whole year, according to an expert in education.
Campus Head at IIE Rosebank College Dr Alucia Mabunda said, “These mid-year exams cover the bulk of Term 1 and 2 work, feed directly into your schools progression report, and (most importantly) decide whether you walk into the second half of the year with momentum or playing catch-up.”
Mabunda encouraged learners to master their exams and improve their APS score as that will not only boost their confidence, but enhance their university choices to broaden. She added, “Slack now and you’ll spend July to November firefighting instead of flying. These next few months are your non-negotiable window to build an unbeatable foundation.”
She outlined a few points on the importance of June exams:
• Universities and bursaries use the results to check learner’s performance as they are they serve as the first official evidence of matric results.
• Exceptional results build confidence ahead of the other six months of the year.
• They expose basic shortcomings earlier providing students with enough time to solve them before final exams.
• If a learner performs well during the year, their APS score gets better.
• They provide a learner with realistic post matric expectations to know whether to re think their choice or change whilst there is still time.
“The June exams contribute to the school-based assessment portion of the final Matric results. Performing well at this stage helps create a pattern of steady effort that supports the overall year mark and prepares learners for the final exams,” Mabunda stated.
Mabunda provided three practical steps for learners to nail their upcoming final exams:
• Creating a June exam timetable
She explained that learners should strive for three hours of studying every day during the week and more hours over the weekend, utilising the exact DBE weighting of every subject, and plan full time trial papers to make final exams appear less alarming.
• Nail key concepts in all subjects
Mabunda encourages solving all examples in textbooks for Maths and Physical Sciences to a point of explaining it without any aid from notes. For other subjects, to create sources, quotes or mind maps pages. If you don’t fix your foundational gaps now, every single paper will punish you. In coming months, aim to close all remaining gaps”.
* Transform low scores into strong results
Mabunda explained choosing two subjects that weigh down your results and give them full focus and engage in extra lessons with a tutor, utilise online materials, and create study groups with equally dedicated learners preferably two or three.
“Starting strong now builds habits, confidence and collateral that will pay off in the final NSC outcome, and if students lock in for these next three months, the second half of Matric becomes a victory lap instead of a rescue mission,” Mabunda concluded.
Compiled by Sibongile Selomane
