I want to complete my education through ABET but don’t have formal schooling. Can I do it online?

The long answer

The Second Chance programme that you mention seems to be for those who either wrote matric and failed, or didn’t do well enough to go on to study further.

The SA Homeschoolers says that anyone in South Africa who is 21 or older can obtain a South African adult matric completely free of charge through the Department of Basic Education (DBE). They can study on their own, or enrol in an adult matric course at an ABET learning centre. Adult matric is known as the Senior Certificate (Amended), while the traditional matric is known as the National Senior Certificate. 

They say that if you go through ABET, there is just a small registration fee payable, whereas private institutions could charge as much as R2,700 per course.

These are the requirement they give:

“Any one of the following three qualifications will give you admission to this exam:

• A Grade 9 report stating you have passed.

• A General Education and Training Certificate. It is a standardized exam that students take at the end of Grade 9. This is typically done by children who want to leave school at that age. (my emphasis)

• Any other equivalent and recognized qualification that includes at least two official languages.”

So, as you would need to have passed Grade 9 to do an adult matric through ABET, you could ask your nearest ABET college for advice about taking the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) exam. You could then do your adult matric through ABET, once you have the GETC.

Careers Portal says that the GETC is a qualification that is registered at NQF level 1 and is comparable to a Grade 9, but is not equivalent to a matric certificate. 

“The GETC is awarded to learners who have completed the requirements for general education and training in South Africa, including the completion of the necessary subjects as prescribed by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The subjects include languages, mathematics, life orientation, and a range of other subjects.

“The GETC is a critical qualification for learners as it provides evidence that they have completed the compulsory phase of education in South Africa. It is also an important qualification for learners who wish to progress to further education and training, including vocational and occupational training programs.”

The CAPS workbooks are publicly available and may be accessed for free from the website of the DBE. You can also get them from schools. These workbooks are to supplement textbooks, not replace them.

Although it is possible to study online, the exam would have to be written at one of the DBE venues.

To find contact information for ABET in South Africa, it's best to contact the DBE directly on their website, or visit your local municipality for contact details.

These are the contact details for the DBE:

1. Call Centre: 0800 202 933 | [email protected].

2. Switchboard: 012 357 3000.

3. Email: [email protected].

4. Certification: 012 357 4511/3 | [email protected].

Wishing you the best,
Athalie