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Matric learners will have to properly put on their school socks by now to prepare for the June exams.
Dr. Alucia Mabunda, education expert and campus head of the IIE Rosebank College, cautions that matric is not a school year where good performance suddenly only starts to matter in September.
Learners who do well in the June exam also build self-confidence for the final exam and broaden their university choices.
“The June exam deals with the first half of the year’s work and is one of the first major control points in your final overall mark at the end of the year that really counts. It will differentiate whether learners maintain momentum in the second half of the year or simply catch up,” emphasizes Mabunda.
“If you lay low now, from July to November you will only be killing fires instead of thriving. The next few months are your non-negotiable critical period to build on an infallible foundation.”
According to Mabunda, there are a few practical reasons why good marks in the June exams matter:
- It forms part of the first official record of matric performance that universities and scholarship providers look at.
- This reveals fundamental gaps early and gives learners time to correct them before the final exam.
- This prevents a stressful collection period from July to November.
- This can indicate whether a learner’s plans after matric are realistic and gives enough time to reconsider or adjust before it is too late.
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Mabunda says there are three moves matrics can make now to perform to the best of their abilities in the June and final exams:
1) Draw up a study timetable that simulates that of the final exam. Don’t just study “when you feel like it”. Block out three hours each weekday for focused study and more time on weekends. Put your phone in another room and use the Pomodoro 50/10 method, which involves 50 minutes of focused study and a 10-minute rest period. Also schedule time for full mock tests. This habit will make the final exam feel much less terrifying.
2) Master the core concepts of each subject. The June exam reveals who really understands the work versus who just learned. For Mathematics and Physical Sciences, solve each example in the textbook until you can explain it out loud without notes. For Languages and History, build your own one-page charts of key themes, quotes and sources. If you don’t identify and correct the fundamental gaps now, every test will feel like a punishment. Aim to fill these gaps in the coming months.
3) Turn weak subjects into achievement drivers. Be honest and identify the two subjects that currently bring your average down. From now until the June exam, make those subjects your daily priority. Schedule extra lessons with your teacher, take full advantage of trusted online resources, or form small, focused study groups with one or two equally committed learners. Turning around one weak subject can bring about a drastic improvement in your overall mark and widen your chances of securing your chosen field of study or a scholarship. While it is important to polish your strengths, it can make a big difference if you improve weaknesses with urgency and discipline.
“The June examination contributes to the school-based assessment part of the final matric results. Good performance helps to form a pattern of steady diligence which supports the overall year mark and prepares learners for the final examination,” says Mabunda.