A matric qualification is one of the most important achievements in a person’s life. As it affords individuals many opportunities to build their future, and a good life for themselves. However not all matric passes are equal. In fact, there are four different types of matric passes that students can achieve. These are a Bachelor’s Degree pass (bachelor pass), Diploma Pass, Higher Certificate Pass, and a Senior Certificate (Amended) Pass. While all of these passes will give you a matric certificate at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 4, they don’t all provide the same number of opportunities to graduates.
Despite the importance of a matric qualification not many people know about the different types of passes mentioned above. That is why we decided to write this article to take a closer look at a bachelor pass. We will look at what it is, what requirements you must meet to obtain it and what opportunities it allows you to pursue.
What is a bachelor’s pass?
A bachelor pass is the highest level matric pass you can obtain. Students that obtain this level of matric pass have the greatest number of opportunities to pursue after school. For example, it is the only matric pass that allows you to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a university, hence the name. Therefore, it is important to pursue this level of matric pass especially if you aspire to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Though regardless of your ambitions this level of matric will give you the most options possible, so even if you are unsure of your plans it is a good thing to have.
The requirements for a bachelor’s pass
To obtain a bachelor pass in matric there are certain minimum result requirements students must obtain. These requirements are as follows:
- A minimum of 40% in their home language subject
- A minimum of 50% in four other high credit subjects (excluding Life Orientation)
- A minimum of 30% for two other subjects
As you can see there are quite strict requirements to obtain the highest level matric pass. Additionally, students can not fail any of their subjects if they want to achieve a bachelor’s pass.
What is a high-credit subject?
There are certain high credit subject requirements to obtain a bachelor pass. High-credit subjects are subjects that have a higher rating when applying to a University. These include the following subjects, which are split between languages and non-language subjects.
Languages:
- Afrikaans
- English
- IsiNdebele
- isiXhosa
- Isizulu
- Sepedi
- Sesotho
- Setswana
- Siswati
- Tshivenda
- Xitsonga
Non-Languages:
- Accounting
- Agricultural Science
- Business Studies
- Consumer Studies
- Computer Application Technology
- Dramatic Arts
- Economics
- Engineering Graphics and Design
- Geography
- History
- Information Technology (IT)
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Mathematics Literacy
- Music
- Physical Sciences
- Religious Studies
- Visual Arts
- Tourism
What can you study with a bachelor’s pass?
As we have said a bachelor pass in matric gives graduates many opportunities that they can pursue. These include the following tertiary education courses:
- NATED course
- ICB course
- CIMA course
- Bachelor’s Degree course
Tips to help you achieve a bachelor’s pass in matric
As we have seen there are a number of benefits to obtaining a bachelor pass in matric. Though obtaining a bachelor pass can be difficult there are some things you can do to improve your matric results.
Practice makes perfect
The old saying practice makes perfect remains true when trying to achieve a matric bachelor pass. That is why one of the best methods of revision for your exams is to use past exam papers. These allow you to practice answering exam questions in a low-stress environment to familiarise yourself with the exam structure. It will also show you what areas you need to revise more when studying.
Maintain focus
One of the biggest challenges when studying is staying focused and not getting distracted. That is why it is always important to set up a designated study space that is free from distractions. This allows you to remain focused and absorb your study material better.
Keep organised
Staying organised can also greatly improve your chances of achieving a bachelor pass in matric. Setting study goals and well-organised notes will improve your efficiency when studying and can make recalling information easier. Additionally, it is important to manage your study time well by setting aside time for each subject. Allowing more time to study a subject or topic you are struggling with. Establishing a study timetable can help you use your time wisely and keep yourself organised.
Stay healthy
Studying can be mentally taxing, this combined with the stress of exams can lead to health physical health issues that can affect your performance. That is why it is of vital importance to ensure you stay healthy during exam seasons. You can do this by ensuring you eat healthily and get regular exercise. After all, you can’t get a bachelor pass if you are sick in bed during the final exams.
Don’t cram
Cramming is not an efficient way to study. Trying to memorise large chunks of information at once doesn’t work and can cause stress. This is why it is important to revise your work in small manageable chunks to improve information retention and decrease stress.
