CAPS assessment should combine daily checks that guide teaching with formal tasks that provide recorded evidence of learning. Start with the requirements for your exact subject, grade and phase, then align your classroom assessment plan with the current Annual Teaching Plan and your school or provincial assessment programme. Do not use a generic task list or weighting from another subject or phase.
What a teacher should do first
- Identify the grade, subject and language level you teach.
- Open the official CAPS document for that exact subject and phase.
- Read its assessment section for the prescribed forms, programme and subject-specific requirements.
- Check the current ATP and the assessment plan used by your school.
- Plan daily assessment, formal tasks, feedback, recording and moderation as connected parts of the same process.
Informal or daily assessment
Informal assessment is assessment for learning. It happens during teaching through observation, questions, short written or oral responses, discussion and teacher-learner interaction. Its purpose is to show what learners understand now, identify gaps and help you decide what to reteach, practise or extend.
Give feedback that helps learners see what they can do and what their next step is. Informal assessment builds towards formal assessment, so it should not disappear when the formal programme becomes busy. The National Protocol does not require every informal activity to be formally recorded. You may keep brief notes when they will support planning, intervention or learner support.
Formal assessment
Formal assessment is assessment of learning. It is a planned, systematic way to evaluate progress in a subject and grade. Learners should know beforehand what knowledge and skills will be assessed, what they must produce and how their work will be judged. Feedback still matters after the task.
Formal assessment can take different forms, including projects, oral presentations, demonstrations, performances, tests, examinations and practical work. The form must suit the learners’ age and developmental level, the content and skills in the subject, and the requirement in the relevant policy documents. Record learner performance for every formal assessment task that forms part of the approved programme.
The number of formal tasks, their timing and their contribution to a mark are not the same across all grades and subjects. Check these details rather than copying a schedule from another class or an older resource.
Find the requirements for your subject and phase
The DBE National Protocol for Assessment Grades R to 12 explains the national approach to assessment, recording, reporting, teacher files and assessment records. It must be read with the policy documents that make up the National Curriculum Statement Grades R to 12.
For classroom detail, use the official DBE CAPS subject document page. Choose the correct phase, then open the document for your exact subject and, for Languages, the correct language level. Read the assessment section, commonly Chapter 4, alongside the current ATP and your school’s approved programme. If the documents or local instructions appear to differ, ask your subject head, Head of Department or School Management Team which current requirement applies. This article is a practical guide, not a replacement for national, provincial or school policy.
Recording and reporting learner performance
Recording means documenting a learner’s level of performance. Keep current, accurate results for formal tasks and enough evidence to support the rating reported. A practical teacher file should bring together the formal programme of assessment, tasks and marking guidance, relevant planning documents, record sheets and evidence required for monitoring. Keep it up to date and follow your school’s agreed storage and data-handling processes.
Reporting means communicating performance to learners, parents or guardians, the school and other authorised stakeholders. Use your school’s official reporting process and the national achievement scale where it applies to the learner’s phase. A mark, code or percentage is more useful when accompanied by clear feedback on strengths, progress and developmental needs. Use the recorded evidence to plan teaching and support, not only to complete a report card.
Moderation is a quality check
Moderation checks whether formal assessment meets the required quality and standard. Before moderation, make sure the task matches the subject content and intended skills, instructions and criteria are clear, marking is consistent, totals have been captured accurately, and the required learner evidence and teacher records are available.
Moderation arrangements differ by grade, subject and level of the system. Follow the process set by your school, district, province or assessment body, and use the relevant CAPS requirements as the reference point. Do not assume that a moderation rule for Grade 12 or a practical subject applies unchanged in another phase.
A final classroom check
- Have daily checks changed what or how you will teach next?
- Does each formal task match the current subject and grade requirement?
- Do learners understand the task and assessment criteria?
- Are records, evidence, feedback and moderation materials complete?
For related context, review the principles of the CAPS curriculum. Foundation Phase teachers can also use the Foundation Phase resource hub, while checking every resource against the current official requirements for their grade and subject.