Critical Enrolment Information

• A complete and valid report card (year to date) from the previous school or accredited service provider must be submitted. A report card is valid when issued by a registered school (with an EMIS number) or a registered service provider with one of the accredited assessment bodies. Impaq reserves the right to verify the validity and accuracy of the report card submitted.
• Grade 12 learners must also provide proof of registration with an assessment body.
• Applications received after the above dates will only be considered on individual merit.
• Grade 10 and 11 learners will receive a zero (0) mark for all missed tests and exams if a previous, valid report card is not submitted.
• Grade 12 learners will receive a zero (0) mark for all tasks, tests and exams missed if a previous valid report card is not submitted.

Learners cannot resubmit PAT phases for relevant subjects to improve their results.

The Account Holder may apply to register a learner through Impaq’s online platform or via telephone. All supporting documentation, including a valid final report card, must be uploaded or submitted to Impaq via email. Impaq allows early-bird registration when the learner’s final report card is not yet available. However, this is considered a provisional registration, and a final passed report card must be submitted no later than 31 January 2027. Failure to submit a valid report card by this date will lead to the provisional registration being cancelled. The relevant Cancellation and Returns policies will apply. Impaq will not be liable for the costs incurred. To view the policies, please click on either Homeschool Cancellations and Returns or Online School Cancellations and Returns.

For more information on the registration process, please click here.

All Grade 10 to 12 Impaq learners are registered with the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), the assessment body for distance education. SACAI is accredited by Umalusi, which issues the National Senior Certificate (NSC) to all learners who successfully complete their high school careers. Even though the DBE and IEB are both assessment bodies that are accredited by Umalusi, SACAI does not always follow the same calendar or make the same changes to the curriculum. Registration with Impaq and SACAI means that you are enrolling for distance education.  

It is possible to register with Impaq if you did not previously follow the CAPS. However, if you are registering for Grade 11, you may need to write an entrance examination or provide Impaq with a certificate from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), confirming the equivalency of the report from the previous institution.   

Grade 12 applications will only be considered if the learner meets the necessary requirements. Alternatively, the learner may be required to register for Grade 11 (and must complete the entrance exam).  

The application remains subject to approval by Impaq and SACAI. 

Learners need a minimum of seven (7) subjects to successfully pass GradeS 10, 11 and 12 (FET Phase).  

Compulsory subjects: 

• At least one Home Language 

• At least one First Additional Language (may not be the same as the chosen Home Language) 

• Choose either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy (may not register for both) 

• Life Orientation 

Choose at least three elective subjects. A complete list of subjects along with their criteria and special requirements can be found at this link.  

When changing a subject, the learner is cancelling a subject that they have already registered for and, therefore, needs to register for a new subject in its place. In the FET Phase, subject changes are dependent on statutory regulations and approval from the assessment body, SACAI.  

Changing the language medium for a subject still constitutes a subject change as the lesson material (where applicable), online platform and assessments must be amended and changed to the newly chosen language medium. All terms related to subject changes apply to language medium changes. The Cancellations and Returns policy relevant to the package chosen applies.   

If the learner does not register for a new subject, they may not meet the pass requirements to successfully complete their academic year.  

Please refer to the Impaq calendar available on OLP for the subject change deadlines per grade. 

Requests received after the first term deadline will only be effective as of the second term, and no new subject change requests will be accepted after the final deadline.

The learner must familiarise themselves with the requirements for each subject before considering a subject change. The subject requirements document can be found here. 

For a subject change not to affect the SBA (Site-Based Assessment) mark (often referred to as the year mark), it must have complied with all requirements of the subject that is being cancelled before the change can be made. This means that even though the subject is being changed, all tests and exams for the relevant term must be completed. Failing to do so will result in a zero mark on the learner’s report card and negatively affect the new subject for which the learner is registering. Learners would not be required to complete any assessments from previous terms for the new subject, but must complete all assessments for the term in which the new subject is registered. Subject changes cannot be processed during a test or exam series.

Learners often mistakenly think they will be able to downgrade a subject. Within the CAPS, there are no downgrades. Examples of common misconceptions include the subjects shown in the table below. A change from any subject on the left to the corresponding subject on the right is considered a subject change, as these are all unique subjects and not downgrades of a single subject:

Please keep the following in mind:   

• Grades 10 and 11: Only two (2) subject changes are allowed per year.  
• Grade 12: In exceptional circumstances, a learner may change one (1) subject in Grade 12. 
• Where one subject is dependent on another, it would be necessary to change both subjects. For example, if a learner wishes to cancel Mathematics, the learner will need to cancel Physical Sciences as well.  
• We strongly advise against changing from Mathematical Literacy to Mathematics.  
• It is the learner’s responsibility to upskill themselves on any content missed from previous terms (or years) as the final Grade 12 examination covers all Grade 10 to 12 work for a particular subject.

Grade 10 learners can apply for subject changes on or before the Term 1 and Term 2 subject change deadlines, respectively, and Grade 11 learners can apply on or before the Term 1 subject change deadline. The subject change deadlines are available on the Impaq calendar.  

The learner must have met all assessment requirements for the subject being cancelled up to the date of the subject change. If these requirements are not met, the learner may receive a zero (0), which will impact both their report and final mark in the new subject. 

If no required response (such as approval, confirmation, documentation or payment) is received by the provided deadline, the subject change request will be cancelled. A new application must then be submitted. If accepted, the change will only take effect from the following term or may be declined entirely for the rest of the academic year. 

A 999 (weight withdrawn – therefore, no negative effect on the learner’s assessment report) will be applied to all first-term tests as well as second-term examinations, subject to the following conditions:   

• If the learner cancels a subject(s) on or before the first-term deadline, the learner must still have completed the Term 1 test(s).   
• If the learner cancels a subject(s) on or before the second-term deadline, the learner must still complete all Term 1 tests, as well as Term 2 tests and exams (only applicable to Grade 10).  
• If the learner does not complete the relevant tests and/or examinations, the learner will receive a zero (0) mark, which will have a negative impact on the learner’s report card and the newly registered subject’s final mark.   

The marks achieved for the Term 1 and 2 tests and exams (where applicable) will not have a negative effect on the learner’s final mark for the year. 

If a learner would like to take more than the seven (7) required subjects, they must complete all the required work (including portfolio work) from Grade 10. Only two (2) additional subjects are permitted.  

Learners may not register for an additional subject for the first time in Grade 11 or 12. However, if they have already sat for the National Senior Certificate examination (Grade 12), they are allowed two additional subjects.  

The Grade 10 and 11 materials for the subjects must be acquired and worked through to provide the learner with an understanding of each subject’s fundamental principles. Only Grade 12 assessments and SBA components need to be completed. 

We strongly advise against registering a subject with another institution. Should the learner consider this, please take note of the following:

• The subject being registered for must be offered by SACAI through a SACAI-registered distance education provider as the different assessment bodies (DBE, SACAI and IEB) do not follow the same timetables, often leading to unavoidable clashes.
• Impaq does not facilitate any arrangements or fees for subjects not taken through Impaq.
• Impaq cannot combine report cards if a learner is registered with more than one institution.

It is the Account Holders’ responsibility to make the necessary arrangements with SACAI.

Learners are required to successfully complete one grade before progressing to the next. It is also not possible to progress to the next grade while completing a subject (or subjects) from the previous grade. A complete pass report card is needed to progress in the FET Phase.  

All Grade 10 to 12 tests and examinations, as well as selected tasks indicated per assessment component, except for the final Grade 12 NSC examination, which is administered by SACAI, must be written according to the set timetables provided by Impaq. Grades 10 and 11 learners must complete a test series per term as well as the mid-year (June) and end-of-year (November) examinations. Grade 12 learners must complete a test series per term, as well as the mid-year (June), preliminary and final NSC examinations. All tests and examinations, except for the final Grade 12 NSC examination, can be written by homeschool learners at the venue of the certified invigilator or at home, provided that the below rules are followed:

• Learners must write all tests and examinations under the supervision of a SACAI-certified invigilator, excluding the final Grade 12 NSC examination. Test and examination papers are made available only for SACAI-certified invigilators. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to appoint an invigilator. Where the parent/guardian cannot find an invigilator, a limited list of certified invigilators is available on request. However, parents are fully responsible for nominating an individual who meets the relevant requirements to act as an invigilator. Should the nominated person have completed the SACAI certification, the invigilator’s certification and contact details must be provided to Impaq. If the nominated individual is not certified, they will be required to complete SACAI’s training first, which takes place on an ad hoc basis.
• The invigilator must be over 18, not a family member, and computer literate with the ability to print, scan, and upload papers. The invigilator will be required to invigilate the test/exam session within the timeframe provided on the timetable(s).
• Tests and examinations must be downloaded on the morning of the relevant assessment and only for a limited time.
• The completed papers must be uploaded on the same day within the specified time.
• The rules and regulations for tests and examinations must be strictly followed. A complete document detailing these can be found under the Resources tab on OLP. Alternatively, you may request this document from Impaq.
• Always refer to the relevant timetables for additional information and instructions.

Online School invigilation takes place via the Invigilator App with support from the online school teachers via MS Teams.
Any deviation from/non-adherence to the rules and regulations will lead to a zero (0) mark and/or an investigation per the Impaq irregularity policy. No consultation will be permitted during the investigation process. Should the Impaq Irregularity Committee decide (with the relevant proof) that an irregularity has occurred, a zero mark will be awarded. The committee’s decision is final.

The Life Orientation examination (Task 4), scheduled to be written during the Preliminary Examination period, is subject to the above conditions. It should be noted that it is a national examination. All Grade 12 candidates must write this exam to pass at the end of Grade 12 for Life Orientation.

All components for tasks, tests, exams and PATs for Engineering Graphics and Design must be submitted to Impaq manually, either in person or via courier, at the client’s own expense. Impaq Online School learners may submit tasks via OLP, but all tests, exams and PATs must be submitted manually. 

Should a learner miss a test and/or examination, a declaration with a valid reason must be submitted to Impaq for consideration by the SACAI assessment committee. Valid reasons are restricted to, among others, serious illness (with proof of a medical certificate) and a death in the direct family. Power outages, loadshedding, late registration, oversleeping, late linking of an invigilator by homeschool learners, failure to download tests and/or examinations on time, the failure of online school learners to follow the specific invigilation and invigilator app requirements, and more do not qualify as valid reasons. For a comprehensive list of possible valid reasons, please contact Impaq.

Certain subjects with a practical component (PAT) and Orals for language subjects must be assessed by an Impaq-approved assessor. This service is included in the Online School package. Learners registered for the homeschool option must complete their assessments through Impaq’s assessment events, or the parent may appoint an Impaq-approved assessor. The requirements for subjects must be followed to ensure the integrity of the assessments. Refer to the Subject Requirements here.

Failure to submit these components within the deadlines provided will result in the learner not receiving marks for the relevant subject, which may lead to the learner failing the subject and/or failing their academic year.

In Grade 12, should the learner not submit these components by the relevant deadlines, the learner will run the risk of being de-registered by SACAI, which will mean that the learner will not be able to write their final NSC examination. Re-registration will not be possible, and no refunds will be issued for the learner’s cancellation of their Grade 12 year.

SACAI, the assessment body for distance education, administers the final examination at the end of the Grade 12 year. The National Senior Certificate (NSC) is issued by Umalusi.  

The following documentation is needed:  

• South African Identification Document (ID), or 
• passport, or 
• study permit for international learners. 

A birth certificate will not be accepted.

SACAI establishes examination centres, subject to approval by Umalusi. Centre allocation is dependent on a candidate’s residential address, the capacity of the venue, candidates’ subject choices, and any approved academic accommodations.

Although Impaq assists with allocations as close as possible to the learner’s residential address, depending on the established venues, the learner may still be required to write the final exam out of town. This may require accommodation and additional travelling costs at the parent’s own expense.

The learner’s full name, ID number, date of birth and residential address must be correct and updated on my.Impaq no later than 31 May of each year. The GPS coordinates for the candidate’s residential address should correspond with the address provided on the system.

The registration fee includes costs for the registration and administration of the NSC final examination for candidates. However, additional costs for Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, Hospitality Studies, Consumer Studies, and approved academic accommodations may apply.  

Candidates residing abroad will be required to write the NSC examination in South Africa. To allow for centre allocation, a physical address within South Africa must be provided for the candidate.  

Once the final examination has been completed successfully, learners can collect their Certificate in person or via courier from Impaq’s head office. Certificates are usually available from June/July of the year following the final examinations. Impaq informs guardians and account holders once the certificates are available.  

Additional costs apply to learners with barriers to learning.

• Applications are subject to approval by SACAI.
• An administration fee is charged for handling the application.
• Supporting documentation, which includes, but is not limited to, a medical report, a report from an educational psychologist, specialised tests in relation to the learning barrier and more, will be required to be submitted along with the application.
• Requests must be submitted to aqc.support@impaq.co.za no later than the deadline as stipulated on the Impaq calendar. No applications will be considered after this date.
• Impaq will not accept new applications for academic accommodations submitted for the first time in Grades 11 and 12, as these will not be approved by SACAI.
• For the Grade 12 final examination, additional costs will apply to separate venues and/or invigilators for approved academic concessions. The use of a separate venue must be confirmed by the relevant deadlines, or the use of the venue will be forfeited.

All online school learners must have access to a laptop or PC that meets the minimum requirements, with their camera and microphone always in good working condition. Continuous internet access is required, and power outages and/or load shedding are not accepted as valid reasons to miss class time or assessments. Please ensure the necessary back-up equipment and access. 

It is highly recommended that all homeschool learners have access to a laptop or PC to enjoy the full benefits of the Optimi Learning Portal. 

Mobile devices such as cellphones and tablets are not supported and are not accommodated by the Impaq Online School.

If you have any questions, please give us a call on 087 405 2233 or send an email to info@impaq.co.za.