Can my homeschooled 16-year-old apply to write the Adult Senior Certificate exams instead of the National Senior Certificate?

The long answer

It does not seem that there are any exceptions for a 16-year-old to write ASC instead of NSC, because the ASC is specifically for individuals who are 21 years or older. 

UCT Online High School says that “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.”

The ASC is not a shortcut or a substitute for the NSC for a young learner; it is a separate qualification for adults who missed the opportunity to complete high school.

The NSC is the standard qualification for high school students, including those who are homeschooled, who are under the age of 21.

As you know, the NSC includes both continuous assessment (school-based assessments) and final exams, whereas the ASC is based solely on final exams, with no internal assessments. 

It seems that your 16-year-old daughter who is being homeschooled should continue to work towards the NSC qualification through her chosen curriculum and examination board. If the homeschooling curriculum is aligned with the CAPS syllabus, she can write the standard NSC exams.

ABET (Adult Basic Education and Training) is now known as AET (Adult Education and Training). You could phone the provincial office to find out where the nearest Brits AET centre is. The contact number for the North West provincial ABET office is 018 389 8246 and the name of the official is Ms J. Mekgoe. 

You could also ask the Department of Basic Education (DBE). These are their contact details:

1. Call Centre: 0800 202 933 | Callcentre@dbe.gov.za.

2. Switchboard: 012 357 3000

3. Email: info@dbe.gov.za.

Wishing you the best,
Athalie