Pretoria - Matrics must use mid-year exams as a practice run to reduce stress levels for their last school exams, an expert has advised.
More than 350 000 registered candidates are writing examinations until June 14.
General manager at The Independent Institute of Education, Peter Kriel, said they should remain disciplined and focused right to the end and not underestimate the importance of this round of assessments.
Kriel said the matrics must use mid-year exams to their advantage. He said it would be their first real encounter with the high expectations they would need to meet this year.
If they did their best now, they would be in a better position to handle the demands of the last half of the year. They would also be able to pinpoint and address those areas that still needed attention before sitting down for their last school exams.
“During this time, they must figure out the areas they struggle with. The other important thing that many matrics do not know is that they can apply to higher education institutions using Grade 11 results.
“If they do not use this opportunity, and they wait for their final results, which many do, then they get disappointed. If you have not applied, yet your time is running out; you don't want to lose your spot,” Kriel said.
“They must use this time to prepare mentally to write exams. Let us say they realise they did not do well in some areas, they can identify areas to focus on and areas to understand, and not waste time. The pressure is always going to be there, but it's all about preparing themselves efficiently to handle large amounts of study material. My advice for them is to take their studies seriously,” he said.
Results are out on August 2.