Looking into Is GCSE the same as matric in South Africa? Matric covers a broad range of subjects like GCSEs do in the UK, which we write at 16. Matric is written at 18 and probably to a slightly higher standard than GCSE level but definitely below the A-Level exams we do at 18, when normally we only do 3-4 subjects. In answer to your question it’s still tough to say.
This page serves to help South Africans understand the UK’s recognition of their SA qualifications.
The important thing to note is that SA has established a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and it works differently to the UK’s Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).
| RQF LEVEL (UK) | NQF LEVEL (SA) | QUALIFICATION LEVEL |
|---|---|---|
| – | 1 | General Certificate |
| – | 2 | Elementary Certificate |
| 1 | 3 | Intermediate Certificate / GCSE D, E, F, G |
| 2 | 4 | National Certificate (Matric) / GCSE A, B, C |
| 3 | 5 | Higher National Certificate / A Levels A, B, C, D, E |
| 4 | 6 | Diploma |
| 5 | 7 | Bachelors Degree / Advanced Diploma(SA) / Higher National Diploma(UK) |
| 6 | 8 | Honours Degree / Post Grade Diploma |
| 7 | 9 | Masters Degree |
| 8 | 10 | Doctorate Degree |
English Test Comparison
This next table of comparison serves to compare the variations of English Tests.
What’s important to note here is that English tests serve to demonstrate a tertiary level of English ability. Therefore above national matric (seen as secondary education).
| SKILLS FOR ENGLISH TEST CODE | SKILLS FOR ENGLISH LEVEL DESCRIPTION | CEFR LEVELS | TOEFL IBT | TOEFL CBT | TOEFL PBT | CAMBRIDGE ASSESSMENT QUALIFICATIONS | IELTS SCORES | CHINESE STANDARDS OF ENGLISH (CSE)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4SC2 | Mastery | C2 | C2 Proficiency | 9.0 8.5 | Level 9 Level 8 | |||
| 4SC1 | Expert | C1 | 110-120 | 270-300 | 637-677 | C1 Advanced | 8.0 7.5 7.0 | Level 8 Level 7 |
| 4SB2 | Upper Intermediate | B2 | 87-109 | 227-269 | 567-636 | B2 First | 6.5 6.0 5.5 | Level 6 Level 5 |
| 2SB1 4SB1 | Lower Intermediate | B1 | 57-86 | 163-226 | 487-566 | B1 Preliminary | 5.0 4.5 4.0 | Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 |
| 2SA2 | Elementary | A2 | 40-56 | 120-162 | 433-486 | A2 Key | 3.5 3.0 | Level 3 Level 2 |
| 2SA1 | Beginner | A1 | 0-39 | 0-119 | 310-434 | 2.5 2.0 | Level 1 |
Reference of this comparison can be found here.