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Ask about our fees, learning model, or why it's called a boxing ring if it's actually a square.
Please see our stationery and equipment list here.
Depending on the subjects, you may have a Mastery Check at the end of each module Between Mastery Checks, you will have regular opportunities to practice through self-graded or auto-graded assessments.
A Mastery Check is a formative or summative assessment (mainly formative – we’ll explain the difference in the next section) that assesses Adult Matric learners' mastery of the content. These Mastery Checks are points where both Facilitators and Adult Matric learners can see where gaps exist and where additional revision may be needed.
The Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) is scored against the same metric and Admission Point Scores (APS) as the National Senior Certificate (NSC), which are awarded when a learner completes their matric at high school. The points are broken down into percentage groups that equal an admission point score that determines whether you will be granted access to a tertiary institution. Every subject is awarded a point based on the percentage result of their examination. Tertiary institutions use this system to determine entry requirements for their courses.
Unfortunately, not. We place the highest authority on the safety and security of our learners. Our Learning Facilitators, Support Coaches, School Counsellors and staff are thoroughly vetted and monitored in line with our Safeguarding Policy to ensure that you/your child is as safe as possible in all their interactions with UCT Online High School.
Unlike a traditional school, you/your child will not be on our premises, and therefore, we cannot take responsibility for you/your child’s safety at your home or any other environment that you/your child is using to access UCT Online High School.
We cannot take responsibility or vouch for any third parties such as:
- au-pairs,
- tutors,
- schools,
- or any other person or institution that you contract with to supplement, care for, or assist you/your child with UCT Online High School’s programme.
UCT Online High School is completely independent of these people or institutions. We cannot take any responsibility for them. Where a learner or guardians contract with another party or school, such a contract is between the learner/guardian and that person or company and in no way involves UCT Online High School.
The Learner Code of Conduct document can be accessed via the website.
A resounding yes! UCT Online High School is strongly committed to offering an inclusive learning experience. We celebrate the uniqueness of individuality. Our policies and rules are there to support and uphold these principles
UCT Online High School has a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of bullying. We know that learners learn best in a safe and calm environment that is free from disruption.
We take the following steps to address this matter:
Learners, staff and guardians are required to accept the rules of engagement set out by the institution. These rules set out clear responsibilities, boundaries and expectations for all parties. These rules outline the procedures that are followed when instances of bullying are reported as well as the sanctions imposed if our rules are found to have been breached.
Key staff members that engage with learners during the learning journey complete intensive training that ensures they are fully equipped to offer support in so far as is appropriate. Dialogue regarding the issue of bullying is an ongoing part of the learning community to educate each member further, and strengthen their will to advocate for inclusion. Engagements between individuals on the Online Campus are all held by the system and are monitored.
When members of the learning community encounter engagement, which is not appropriate, they can report the exact piece of engagement immediately.
UCT Online High School is committed to working with a wider community of social services and local authorities where it is necessary.
Further initiatives are in the works!
Virtual Clubs do not contribute to a learner’s* overall grade and are not compulsory, but they are a lot of fun! If a learner does sign-up for a club that piques their interest, they need to ensure that they attend their Virtual Club live sessions as often as possible.
*This is not applicable to Adult Matric learner
Please read about our Virtual Clubs here.
*Please note that virtual clubs are only available for high school learners.
Yes, we do. Please see our extracurriculars page. Please note, this is only for high school learners in South Africa.
Yes, learners and guardians are encouraged to meet up and get to know each other. UCT Online High School will do its best to enable learners and guardians to do this by creating online spaces to get to know each other and self-organise.
Good question! Learners* will have the opportunity to build community and make friends from all over the country through their Support Coach Check-in sessions, which will happen every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 15 minutes, not to mention our school assemblies and Virtual Clubs
*This is not applicable to Adult Matric learners
Our videos are hosted on our own server and streamed to you via an embedded player. No need to worry about any formats!
Our customised Moodle platform – it’s fantastic!
Not yet, but we’re working on it!
UCT Online High School hires dedicated Learning Facilitators, Support Coaches and educational professionals who are incredibly good at creating and delivering content to high school and adult learners.
UCT (the university) and Valenture Institute have a shared governance structure to manage UCT Online High School. UCT’s Vice-Chancellor is Chair of the Oversight Committee, and UCT's faculty sits on the Operations and Governance committee, which is responsible for academic quality assurance, governance and overall management of the school.
UCT Online High School learners* also gain access to UCT faculty through our virtual My Brilliant Future series, hosted by our Head of Student Culture, Kieno Kammies. In this series, Kieno will interview UCT faculty and industry experts on topics to help set learners up for success at school, university and in life. In addition, UCT Online High School's learners will benefit from access to the UCT Vice Chancellor’s Open Lecture Series, as well as faculty-led seminars on areas of research at UCT.
*This is not applicable for Adult Matric learners.
Not automatically. Getting into any university requires good grades and hard work, and the normal application processes (and requirements) apply to all learners seeking admission to any tertiary institution locally or abroad. We’ll champion you/them every step of the way through!
They are the remarkable group of individuals responsible for educating, motivating and inspiring our learners. They’ve been hand-selected and are some of the best in South Africa.
Our Learning Facilitators are passionate about making a lasting, positive impact in the world by enabling learners to reach their full potential. They know that the way to elicit the best from each learner is through meaningful engagement and a sincere commitment to their success.
We can’t wait for you to meet them!
No, we are an entirely online high school.
Nope, UCT Online High School is an online high school for Gr 8-12 learners for the SA National Senior Certificate (CAPS), learners in Year 10 for the Cambridge International curriculum* and adult learners who want to receive their Adult Matric; an incredible, cutting-edge, online one at that!
*Years 11, 12 and 13 for the Cambridge International curriculum will be offered in the coming years.
Valenture Institute is an ed-tech company that partners with leading education institutions to offer aspirational high school experiences to learners worldwide. Valenture Institute's proprietary learning technology, analytics and learner support model are at the forefront of online education.
UCT (the university) has partnered with Valenture Institute to create UCT Online High School. By combining UCT’s research-driven excellence with Valenture Institute’s proprietary learner support model, we’ve created something truly special at UCT Online High School.
UCT and Valenture Institute have a shared governance structure to manage UCT Online High School, with UCT’s Vice-Chancellor as Chair of the Oversight Committee, which is responsible for setting strategy and measuring the performance of the school. UCT and Valenture Institute appoint members of the Operations and Governance committee, which is responsible for academic quality assurance, governance and overall management of the school. Valenture Institute is responsible for the technology and day-to-day operations of the school — it’s a classic case of teamwork making the dream work!
We follow a southern hemisphere academic calendar, which runs from January to December each year.
Our support staff keep regular weekday operating hours between 8am - 5pm (SAST) and adhere to South African public and school holidays. Please note that all exams and live events happen in South African Standard Time (SAST).
As an online school, we accept international learners from all over the globe, provided that they are not on our sanctioned list (see T&Cs), agree to adhere to the school academic calendar and are able to operate in South African Standard Time (SAST).
If you would like more details about how to join our online school from your country of residence kindly contact our Admissions Team at [email protected]
UCT Online High School is a bold new initiative from the University of Cape Town and its partner, Valenture Institute. Developed to enable high school and adult learners throughout South Africa, and beyond, to choose an aspirational secondary school. UCT Online High School's ecosystem is designed to help learners unleash their potential and set them up for success in school, university and life.
As several top universities, like Stanford's Online High School, have proven, the academic excellence of universities can be extended to high school learners and create new opportunities for a diverse group of learners to join an aspirational school.
We asked the question: what if we broke down the unnecessary silos between high school and university and offered a solution where the high school experience sets our learners up for success in their university studies and careers?
Bold innovations are required to bring more cohesion to our education sector, and more access for the next generation of leaders across Africa. In response to the education crisis currently facing our country, the time to lead is now — in this regard, we are thrilled to launch the UCT Online High School.
Requirements for homeschooling vary from country to country. Please consult the resources from your country's Education Ministry to gain clarity on the requirements that you will need to adhere to.
For learners based in South Africa who are entering Grade 8 or Grade 9 (younger than 15 years), the responsibility will lie with the parents/guardians to apply to the head of their Provincial Education Department to register their child/children for home education or to apply for an exemption from compulsory education. This is not necessary if the learner is over the age of 15.
In order to get this process going, parents may click here to gain more insight into the government homeschooling registration requirements and may visit the website of your Provincial Education Department to gain more insight into exemption applications.
While this is something parents will be required to do, we’ll be here to guide you!
Parents are integral in the educational journey of their children, whether it be in a brick-and-mortar school, online school or homeschooling context. Parental guidance, interest, support and motivation is critical to ensuring that a child develops holistically.
There is, however, a big difference between homeschooling and UCT Online High School. In the homeschooling context, the parent is expected to be the curriculum and content creator, as well as the teacher and assessor. Whereas in an online school environment, learners are provided with all the learning materials they require and a learning path to guide their progression. They have access to Learning Facilitators, and Support Coaches who will monitor their progress and help them achieve their academic goals.
All that’s left for you to do is keep encouraging them.
Okay, let’s separate substance from legality.
In substance, UCT Online High School is very different to most ‘homeschools’. Your child will be joining a fully-fledged online high school, with a community of friends, teachers and support coaches.
This notwithstanding, we also provide tutorials and other educational support to Grade 8 and 9 learners who are registered with the Department of Basic Education as homeschoolers.
What does this mean for you?
Homeschooling regulations only apply to the compulsory schooling phase (from Grade 1 - Grade 9). At this age, parents are required to register their children as homeschoolers with their Provincial Education Department or apply for an exemption from compulsory education. Please visit the Home Education page for more info or alternatively reach out to our Admissions Team if you need help: [email protected]
For Grade 10–12 learners, parents do not have to register their children with their Provincial Education Department.
Please see our stationery and equipment list here.
Learners who are enrolled with UCT Online High School will write the external exams for their subjects as set by the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI).
Mastery Checks take place at the end of each module. Each module represents 1 week’s worth of work to be completed for each subject.
A Mastery Check is a formative or summative assessment (mainly formative) that assesses learners' mastery of the content. These Mastery Checks are points where both Learning Facilitators and learners can see where gaps exist and where revision or remediation is needed. Learners who fail the Mastery Check will unlock an instructional video. The learner is allowed another attempt at the Mastery Check after watching the video. If they fail a subsequent time, they will be automatically booked into a Mastery Boot Camp.
Summative assessments assess learners' overall understanding of the content taught during the term. These assessments usually assess a bulk of content and are more heavily weighted than formative assessments.
Formative assessments are an important part of any learner's learning path as it provides the learners with feedback and a clear sense of how they are progressing through the course.
UCT Online High School requires all learners to download The Invigilator app onto their mobile phones or learning devices. They are required to use this during all internal Cycle Tests and Examinations. The app allows examiners to choose from a variety of photo authentication and speech recording tools, matched to the level of security required for each assessment.
The app uses artificial intelligence to authenticate photos, flag recordings containing speech, and generate verification codes for integration into an LMS (Learning Management System).
Typically, there are two sets of internal examinations per subject, per grade, held in the 2nd and 4th terms. These examinations will summatively test the content covered up to that point. Some subjects supplement the 2 examinations with Cycle Tests in terms 1 and 3.
In Grade 12/matric, high school learners will write external exams in term 3 and term 4.
The examination for Grade 9 will at this stage, until the GEC (General Education Certificate) is available, be facilitated by us and will be conducted online under proctored conditions. The final exams for Grade 12 are set by the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and need to be written at a physical examination venue in South Africa organised by SACAI.
UCT Online High School will facilitate preferred venue requests from parents with SACAI for our learners, in consultation with SACAI as the examination body. All other exams will be conducted online under proctored conditions.
We do! UCT Online High School will register your child through SACAI to write their Grade 12/matric examinations.
Unfortunately, not. We place the highest authority on the safety and security of our learners. Our Learning Facilitators, Support Coaches and staff are thoroughly vetted and monitored in line with our Safeguarding Policy to ensure that your child is as safe as possible in all their interactions with the UCT Online High School.
Unlike a traditional school, your child will not be on our premises and therefore we cannot take responsibility for your child’s safety at your home or any other environment that your child is using to access the UCT Online High School.
We cannot take responsibility or vouch for any third parties such as:
- au-pairs,
- tutors,
- schools,
- or any other person or institution that you contract with to supplement, care for, or assist your child with the UCT Online High School programme.
UCT Online High School is completely independent of these people or institutions. We cannot take any responsibility for them. Where guardians contract with another party or school, such a contract is between the guardian and that person or company and in no way involves UCT Online High School.
Fear not, there need be no kicking of printers or throwing modems out of windows; learners get all the technical support they need. This includes troubleshooting any issues with their online campus, Learner Portal, logins, shared drives or any Google-affiliated products, such as Google Meets.
Our Technical Support Officers will also be on hand via email or a live chat feature, which lets the learner chat with the Technical Support Team in real time for quick assistance and turnaround time.
Our Support Coaches are dedicated to nurturing and developing our high school learners holistically. While our Support Coaches are equipped to provide excellent holistic support, they are not counsellors. When a high school learner is in need of emotional or mental health support that is outside the bounds of the Support Coaches purview, they will refer them to our School Counsellor. Our School Counsellor will supply a referral where matters exceed their duty of care. UCT Online High School does not cover costs for all external support.
Guardians are provided with access to their own Guardian Portal on the day their learner begins their academic journey with us. Guardians can log in to the Guardian Portal at any time to gain insight into their child's progress. Progress is also closely monitored by our Support Coaches and Learning Facilitators, who will support your child in reaching their academic goals.
Support is directly offered by Support Coaches, School Counsellors and our highly responsive Technical Support Team who are available to assist and support learners throughout their entire high school career.
Our team is constantly monitoring their progress proactively, reaching out to them where required.
UCT Online High School takes the safeguarding of children very seriously. It's compulsory for our Learning Facilitators to be registered with the South African Council of Educators (SACE). Learning Facilitators, Support Coaches and other team members who engage directly with children are required to have an up-to-date, valid, clear background check and complete two levels of Child Protection training.
When joining UCT Online High School, all Learning Facilitators receive extensive training in digital pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching) and ongoing workshops. Using learning analytics and recorded sessions, we can provide direct coaching interventions with our Learning Facilitators to help them refine and continually improve their skills.
We look for Learning Facilitators who have experience teaching a vast curriculum. They must have demonstrated experience working effectively with young people to promote their individual academic potential.
We don’t just look for Learning Facilitators that are experienced in their subject area, we recruit highly passionate individuals who believe in making a lasting, positive impact on the lives of the high school learners they engage with.
According to the Department of Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, the Physical Education (PE) component of Life Orientation aims to develop high school learners' physical well-being, knowledge of movement skills in traditional and non-traditional sports, and safety issues in physical activity.
High school learners will be encouraged to perform a range of engaging activities that aim to develop an active and healthy lifestyle. High school learners will capture their physical activities through videos and photographs, and monitor their heart rates. This evidence will then be submitted to our Learning Management System (Online Campus), enabling our trained Learning Facilitators to view these submissions on a weekly basis, provide feedback, and assign a participation mark. Activities that contribute to formal grades will be awarded marks.
Through these fun, practical lessons, we help high school learners develop communication skills, creativity, and critical thinking, as well as find an appreciation of, and enjoyment in, regular physical activity.
Through Valenture Institute, UCT Online High School is proud to be a member of the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) Community. All team members who engage with learners have completed up to ECIS level two training on Child Protection. Learn more about the ECIS Community here.
We have a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of bullying. We know that learners learn best in a safe and calm environment that is free from disruption or intimidation. Key staff members that engage with learners during their learning journey complete intensive training to ensure that they are fully equipped to offer support as and if appropriate.
For more information on our safeguarding of children policy, please read here.
UCT Online High School utilises video demonstrations to deliver creative art practicals for internal assessments. Learners will never be required to attend a physical venue to conduct a Visual Art or Drama practical. Instead, high school learners are required to purchase the items listed in the stationery and equipment list (where possible, high school learners can substitute materials for what they have available). For Visual Art, high school learners will work in their art book using the materials from their kit and photograph their work according to our specifications using their smartphones or tablets. The photograph will be inserted by the high school learner into a document and uploaded for grading. For drama, high school learners will use their smartphone or laptop to record their performances and upload them for grading. The methods used to deliver Creative Art practicals adhere to the Curriculum Assessment Policies Statements (CAPS) outlined by the Department of Basic Education (DBE). We aim to equip high school learners with the practical skills required to prepare them for future studies in the creative arts through the use of innovative and accessible tools.
UCT Online High School uses an integrated approach to delivering science practicals for internal assessments that utilises video demonstrations, online simulations and at-home practicals within a fun, safe and controlled environment. Learners will never be required to attend a physical venue to conduct science practicals nor acquire expensive and potentially dangerous equipment to use at home. All practicals to be conducted within the home environment will use materials listed in our stationery and equipment list, and/or cheap and easy-to-source materials from a local supermarket or online store. Additionally, learners will be briefed on the practicals they will be conducting before the module where the practical is placed, allowing the learner’s primary caregiver to source the required materials well in advance. The methods used to deliver science practicals adhere to the Curriculum Assessment Policies Statements (CAPS) outlined by the Department of Basic Education (DBE). We aim to equip learners with the practical skills required to prepare them for future studies in the sciences through the use of a fun, engaging, and safe environment.
The size of the Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions held by Learning Facilitators every week will depend on the number of learners who join the session.
We acknowledge that this is a different type of learning system and that it may take some time and perseverance for high school learners to adapt. If your child feels they are not managing, they can reach out to their Support Coach, who will identify their socio-emotional needs and refer these to our School Counsellors.
Ask Me Anything sessions will be available to all high school learners. They are live-stream sessions that happen weekly with pre-curated questions.
Yes, there are Live Check-ins that take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings for 15 minutes, with Support Coaches.
As such, high school learners will have multiple opportunities to engage with their Support Coaches and peers, enriching their learning experience.
A high school learner’s achievement in Grades 8–12 is reported by using the standard system in the CAPS curriculum. All final marks will be reported in percentages. A corresponding rating and level of competence are obtained using the following system:
100 - 80% - Outstanding achievement - 7
79 - 70% - Meritorious achievement - 6
69 - 60% - Substantial achievement - 5
59 - 50% - Adequate achievement - 4
49 - 40% - Moderate achievement - 3
39 - 30% - Elementary achievement - 2
29 - 0% - Not achieved - 1
A whole range, please refer to our academics page.
Not currently, but our team is working in the background to make this possible in the near future.
English is the medium of instruction for UCT Online High School learners, and additional languages offered as First Additional Language (FAL) include Afrikaans and isiXhosa. UCT Online High School will be offering further additional languages in 2023, namely: isiZulu and Sesotho.
We currently offer a CAPS-aligned curriculum that will result in the SA National Senior Certificate (NSC) qualification. You can find out more about CAPS over here.
As a school, unless stated otherwise, we presume your child/learner will be staying with us for the next academic year, and we will automatically enrol your child/learner.
Tuition fees are subject to an annual increase. Please refer to our Fees handbook for detailed information about this.
No. Please note: qualified promotional offers are only applied to tuition fees. The full application and placement fee is payable on applying to UCT Online High School. After paying the placement fee, the qualified promotional offer will be applied to tuition fees going forward.
As and when they become available, scholarships are offered. Please see more information here.
Yes, there are standardised exam registration fees and examination fees that are subject to change as per SACAI. Applicants are advised to budget accordingly. Please refer to our fees handbook for detailed information about this.
Yes! The more the merrier – when you enroll more than one high school student, each additional sibling will receive a 5% discount.
We charge a flat tuition fee for all of our grades. This fee is inclusive of the required minimum number of subjects for the phase. Any additional elected subjects will incur an additional cost. Please see our fees page for more info.
To secure your child’s place at our school and accept the conditional offer, we require a once-off placement fee to be paid in advance. This payment is non-refundable and will not be deducted from the total tuition cost.
This fee includes, but is not limited to the costs associated with record verification, high school learner onboarding and the purchase of technology licences on behalf of the high school learner.
We offer several payment options that guardians are able to select for their convenience. Please refer to our fees handbook for detailed information about this.
No, these costs are all included in the application fee.
We welcome high school learners from all around the world to join our global classroom. Please note that all live events, including tests and internal examinations, are fixed and are in South African Standard Time (SAST). If you live in a time zone with a 6-hour (or greater) time difference to South Africa, please speak to our Admissions Consultants for more details. Please remember to consider whether the CAPS curriculum, which ends in Grade12/matric with a South African National Senior Certificate (NSC), is best suited to your child. External examinations for the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) have to be written in person at an approved SACAI examination centre within South Africa.
If your child meets all of the basic requirements, you should receive feedback in a matter of hours.
If your child's application is submitted for academic review and they need to write an assessment, you should receive feedback on the outcome of your application within 10–14 days.
An email with an application outcome outlining whether your child has been accepted or not will be sent to you once the process is complete.
Yes, there is an application deadline. To find out more details, please reach out to our Admission Team here.
Yes, your child may need to complete an English and/or Mathematics assessment during the application process.
No, we are not an open enrolment school. However, we look at every application holistically and strive to be as inclusive as possible.
The entrance requirements for UCT Online High School are detailed in our admission policy.
You need to have the following key documents on hand: your identity document and your child's latest term report. Depending on your selected term, you may be required to provide an additional report.
Once you've received a conditional offer and have accepted your placement at UCT Online High School, we will ask you to submit all of the documents referenced in the application process during the pre-orientation phase. These documents are required before starting at UCT Online High School.
Yes, a non-refundable application fee is payable upon application for all our grades. This fee is to cover the cost of any assessments that may be necessary to adhere to our admissions criteria. Please refer to our fees handbook for detailed information about this.
By going to our application page. Our friendly Admissions Consultants are looking forward to hearing from you and supporting you step-by-step throughout the entire process.
The Admissions Team would love to hear from you and assist with any questions that you may have. Please click here to request a call.
Admissions Consultants are available to assist prospective high school learners and guardians with any questions regarding our offering. They’re also there to provide you with step-by-step guidance on the admissions journey and application process.
Speak to our friendly Admissions Consultants – they love answering questions. [email protected]
Please see our stationery and equipment list here.
Depending on the subjects, you may have a Mastery Check at the end of each module Between Mastery Checks, you will have regular opportunities to practice through self-graded or auto-graded assessments.
A Mastery Check is a formative or summative assessment (mainly formative – we’ll explain the difference in the next section) that assesses Adult Matric learners' mastery of the content. These Mastery Checks are points where both Facilitators and Adult Matric learners can see where gaps exist and where additional revision may be needed.
The Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) is scored against the same metric and Admission Point Scores (APS) as the National Senior Certificate (NSC), which are awarded when a learner completes their matric at high school. The points are broken down into percentage groups that equal an admission point score that determines whether you will be granted access to a tertiary institution. Every subject is awarded a point based on the percentage result of their examination. Tertiary institutions use this system to determine entry requirements for their courses.
The final ASC examinations for Grade 12 (Adult Matric) are set externally and need to be written at an approved physical examination venue in South Africa — these are allocated by the DBE.
No, you cannot. You will have to write your ASC examinations in person at a registered venue identified by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).
No, it cannot. You can apply for the Adult Matric programme, which can be completed online at any Adult Matric service provider, like UCT Online High School, but the final ASC examinations will have to be written in approved venues.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) opens registrations for ASC examinations from October/November to January. You can register online or in person, with your supporting documents to complete your registration. The Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) examinations are scheduled for the May/June examination session each year.
Online examination Registration
You can register online on the government’s e-Service website.
Education District Office
You can visit your nearest Provincial Department of Education district office to register in person.
Documents You Will Need
- Completed registration form
- A certified copy of your ID or birth certificate
- Candidates whose country of birth is outside of South Africa will need to use their passports (and provide visa copies)
- Repeat candidates must include a copy of their previous highest qualification
- Examination numbers of the previous Grade 12 or equivalent examinations
Unfortunately not.
Fear not, there need be no kicking of printers or throwing modems out of windows; Adult Matric learners get all the technical support they need. This includes troubleshooting any issues with their Online Campus, Adult Matric Learner Portal, logins, access to course material, shared drives or any Google-affiliated products (such as Google Meet)
Our Technical Support Officers will also be on hand via email, telephone, or a live chat feature, which lets the Adult Matric learner chat with Technical Support Officers in real-time for quick assistance and turnaround time.
Engagement is key and we encourage Adult Matric learners to direct any questions directly to their Support Advisor. If the matter requires escalation, the Support Advisor may refer the Adult Matric learner to contact Student Experience Leadership.
Support Advisors are an Adult Matric learner’s biggest champion. These passionate individuals are deeply committed to helping our Adult Matric learners succeed and support with all things administrative.
We offer a Structured Flexibility approach where Adult Matric learners have the flexibility to complete the necessary content freely within a week — want to study on a Tuesday night or Saturday morning? No problem, as long as you cover the week’s worth of content before the end of the week. Adult Matric Learners will also have access to pre-recorded ASC examination prep sessions to further cement their understanding of the academic content prior to writing the ASC exams. Further support will be provided by our Support Advisors who will be accountability partners and provide administrative support and motivation throughout the learning journey. Our Technical Support team is also on hand to support any technical issues on our various learning platforms and will be on hand during live tests and exams. Our Support Advisors and Tech Support team will be available Monday-Friday from 8:00 am-5:00 pm SAST during published academic terms.
We have a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of bullying. Key staff members that engage with Adult Matric learners during their learning journey complete intensive training to ensure that they are fully equipped to offer support as and if appropriate.
UCT Online High School uses an integrated approach to delivering science practicals for internal assessments that utilises video demonstrations, online simulations and at-home practicals within a fun, safe and controlled environment. Adult Matric learners will never be required to attend a physical venue to conduct science practicals nor acquire expensive and potentially dangerous equipment to use at home. All practicals to be conducted within the home environment will use materials listed in our stationery and equipment list, and/or cheap and easy-to-source materials from a local supermarket or online store. Additionally, Adult Matric learners will be briefed on the practicals they will be conducting before the module where the practical is placed, allowing them time to source the required materials well in advance. The methods used to deliver science practicals adhere to the Curriculum Assessment Policies Statements (CAPS) outlined by the Department of Basic Education. We aim to equip Adult Matric learners with the practical skills required to prepare them for future studies in the sciences.
An Adult Matric learner’s achievement in Adult Matric is reported by using the standard system in the CAPS curriculum. All final marks will be reported in percentages. A corresponding rating and level of competence are obtained using the following system:
100 - 80% - Outstanding achievement - 7
79 - 70% - Meritorious achievement - 6
69 - 60% - Substantial achievement - 5
59 - 50% - Adequate achievement - 4
49 - 40% - Moderate achievement - 3
39 - 30% - Elementary achievement - 2
29 - 0% - Not achieved - 1
English (Home Language) is the medium of instruction for UCT Online High School Adult Matric learners, and additional languages are offered as First Additional Language (FAL). First Additional Languages on offer are Afrikaans or isiXhosa.
This particular offering is aligned with the South African National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) which prepares Adult Matric learners for their final Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) qualification certification. This will cover all requirements necessary for the FET Phase (Grades 11 and 12, and where applicable, Grade 10).
We are a distance learning institution; we do not offer in-person (live) classes. You can access your future from the comfort of your own home.
Applicants can be as young as 16 years old when applying for Adult Matric but will need to be 21 years old when they write their ASC examination.
No, you cannot. If you want to obtain a university/tertiary qualification, you will need to have a matric certificate and meet a variety of entry requirements set by that specific university/tertiary institution.
Yes, the Adult Matric qualification has the following SAQA ID number: 49647.
The Adult Matric qualification is awarded by Umalusi.
Adult Matric preparation for the ASC can be completed in 18 months at UCT Online High School
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has a section on its website where matric results can be viewed once they are released after the examinations have been written. You can simply log in with your DBE learner number to view your matric results.
There is no Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) matric level. The highest ABET level is on an NQF level 1. Matric is on an NQF level 4.
Enrolling for UCT Online High School’s Adult Matric is simple, you can:
- Contact one of our Admissions Consultants
- Call us on +27 21 140 1792
Fill in the online application form
Yes! As long as you have a Grade 9 certificate, have an NSC (complete or incomplete) and are over the age of 21, you can rewrite your Adult Matric.
Universities accept the Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) as one of their entrance requirements. You will need to pass at Bachelor’s Degree level and adhere to all other entry requirements of the course you want to apply for. The higher your marks, the more likely you are to be accepted into a university course. It is important to check all the requirements before choosing your Adult Matric subjects.
The Adult Matric Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) is on the same NQF level 4 as the National Senior Certificate (NSC) for high school learners.
To pass your ASC qualification you need to pass 5 of your 6 subjects. There are 4 levels of matric certificates you can obtain with different minimum pass marks.
They are:
- Bachelor’s Degree Pass
- Diploma Pass
- Higher Certificate Pass
- Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) Pass
These passes determine how well you passed and your eligibility to study further at tertiary institutions.
Bachelor’s Degree Pass - A Bachelor’s Pass means that you must have at least achieved:
- 40% in your home language subject
- 50% in four other high credit subjects
- 30% in one other subject
Minimum APS based on these marks: 21
Diploma Pass - A Diploma Pass means you must have scored at least:
- 40% in your home language subject
- 40% in four other high credit subjects
- 30% in one other subject
Minimum APS based on these marks: 17
Higher Certificate Pass - To obtain a Higher Certificate Pass you must have at least achieved:
- 40% in your home language subject
- 40% in two other subjects
- 30% in three other subjects
- You must have English or Afrikaans as a subject to achieve this qualification
Minimum APS based on these marks: 15
Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) Pass - An ASC Pass is the lowest certificate you can achieve and will mean you have passed at least:
- 40% in your home language subject
- 40% in two other subjects
- You can fail your first additional language subject but then you must score:
- 30% in the remaining subjects
- Fail one subject by a maximum of 20%
Minimum APS based on these marks: 14
Please note that each university or higher education course has its own minimum APS score as an entry requirement when applying. Do some research on the course you are interested in studying so you are familiar with how well you need to pass your Amended Senior Certificate (ASC).
No, you can’t register to prepare for an Adult Matric qualification with the Department of Basic Education (DBE). This can only be done through Adult Matric service providers such as UCT Online High School. You must, however, register to write your ASC examinations with the DBE.
Yes, at UCT Online High School, our Adult Matric programme is offered via distance learning which uses online tools to help you prepare for your Amended Senior Certificate (ASC) examination.
It is important to remember that your ACS examination registration can be done online (or in person at a local Provincial Education Department), but the actual ASC examinations are written in person at dedicated examination centres in your area determined by the DBE.
A matric certificate allows you to:
- Apply for entry-level jobs
- Access to study opportunities
- Access to learnerships
A high school matric qualification is the National Senior Certificate (NSC) available only to high school learners under 21 years of age. This is the traditional way of obtaining your Grade 12/matric. An Adult Matric qualification is the Amended Senior Certificate (ASC). This is when adult learners complete their matric qualification outside of the basic schooling system and is awarded to adults, 21 years old and older.
Not at the moment but keep your eyes peeled, we’ll have some exciting financing options soon!
As and when they become available, financial scholarships are offered. Please see more information here.
There are no additional costs associated with Adult Matric — this includes the purchase of textbooks or ASC Examination Fees required by the DBE.
Although there is no need to purchase any subject textbooks, adult learners will need to purchase the required set work for each of their language subjects. These currently include English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
To secure your place at our school and accept the conditional offer, we require a once-off Placement Fee to be paid in advance. This payment is non-refundable and will not be deducted from the total tuition cost.
This fee includes, but is not limited to the costs associated with record verification, Adult Matric learner onboarding and the purchase of technology licences on behalf of the Adult Matric learner.
No, these costs are all included in the application fee.
We welcome Adult Matric learners from all around the world to join our global classroom. Please note that UCT Online High School operating hours are fixed and are in South African Standard Time (SAST). If you live in a time zone with a 6-hour (or greater) time difference to South Africa, please speak to our Admissions Consultants for more details.
Please note:
Adult Matric learners from outside of South Africa will need their passport, visa and a study permit when entering South Africa to write their final ASC examinations. This will need to be shown at the examination venue before writing your final matric.
If you meet all of the basic requirements, you should receive feedback in a week.
An email with an application outcome outlining whether you have been accepted or not will be sent to you once the process is complete.
Yes, there is an application deadline. To find out more details, please reach out to our Admission Team here.
There are no formal admission assessments, as submitting any of the required documents listed above is all that is required.
No, placement is not guaranteed. However, we look at every application holistically and strive to be as inclusive as possible.
You need to have the following critical documents on hand:
1) A copy of your birth certificate or South African Identity Document
2) A General Education and Training Certificate (GETC); or a Grade 9/old Standard 7 school report stating that you have passed; or
3) A recognised equivalent qualification at NQF level 1 which requires 2 official languages.
Once you've received a conditional offer and have accepted your placement at UCT Online High School, we will ask you to submit all of the documents referenced in the application process during the pre-orientation phase. These documents are required before starting at UCT Online High School.
By going to our application page. Our friendly Admissions Consultants are looking forward to hearing from you and supporting you step-by-step throughout the entire process.
The Admissions Team would love to hear from you and assist with any questions that you may have. Please click here to request a call.
Admissions Consultants are available to assist prospective Adult Matric learners with any questions regarding our offering. They’re also there to provide you with step-by-step guidance on the admissions journey and application process.
Speak to our friendly Admissions Consultants – they love answering questions. [email protected].
Please click here to request a call.
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