Untitled - Umalusi

part of Umalusi’s broad function of monitoring the conduct of
examinations. With respect to monitoring irregularities, Umalusi utilizes
the following strategies:
The nature of irregularities in 2005 followed an established trend of
similar kinds of irregularities that are reported to Umalusi on a yearly basis
and they include the following:
• Deployment of national teams to monitor the conduct of examinations.
• Use of a common monitoring instrument across all assessment bodies.
• Daily reports from assessment bodies.
• Teleconferences with assessment body officials.
8.1 Findings
In general, assessment bodies deal effectively, efficiently and quickly with
irregularities that are defined as “technical” in the regulations. Part of
the reason for this is that there are very clear procedures outlined in the
regulations that assessment bodies must follow in handling this type of
irregularity. Irregularities in this category are fairly easy to deal with.
Furthermore, the recent establishment of the National Examinations
Irregularities Committee (NEIC) has helped both to expedite the process
of dealing with irregularities and created a structured manner of dealing
• Lack of delivery of question papers.
• Candidates writing without positive identification as defined in the
regulations.
• Candidates leaving the examination room before the stipulated time.
• Power failure affecting subjects like Typing, Computyping and
Computer Studies.
• Candidates changing grades at the time of writing.
• Bomb scares.
• Disruptions.
• Rains (especially in Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape).
• Errors in question papers.
• Negligence by invigilators, such as confusing exam starting times.
• Opening the wrong question paper.
• Use of crib notes.
• Ghost candidates.
uniformly with irregularities. It has also put pressure on assessment bodies
to settle irregularities speedily.
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