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Study guides → NC(V) Mathematics Level 3
NC(V) Mathematics Level 3: where the marks actually are
The second year of NC(V) Mathematics. Complex numbers appear for the first time and algebra becomes the dominant topic.
What the exam is worth, module by module
These are DHET's own weight values. The syllabus states that a module's weight value gives the time to be spent teaching it and its share of the marks in the final exam — so this table is, in effect, the mark allocation of your paper. It totals 100.
| Module | Weight | Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functions and Algebra | 35 | 42 | |
| Space, Shape and Measurement | 25 | 26 | |
| Complex Numbers | 15 | 12 | |
| Data Handling | 15 | 20 | |
| Financial Mathematics | 10 | 10 |
How to spend your time
- Functions and Algebra jumps from 25 at Level 2 to 35 here, and gets 42 of the 110 taught hours. It is comfortably the most important topic of the year.
- Complex Numbers is new at Level 3 and worth 15 for only 12 taught hours — the densest topic on the syllabus in marks per hour.
- Data Handling drops from 20 to 15 while still getting 20 hours. Do not over-invest in it relative to algebra.
How you are assessed
Two things have to go right, and students lose the year on the first one more often than the second.
1. Your college (ICASS) mark
Your college work is assessed continuously through the year. Your final mark is 25% college mark plus 75% exam, so what you do before the exam is 25% of the subject.
2. The final examination
You pass at 30%. It is written in October or November.
A pass is condoned at 25% if it is the only subject preventing you from progressing to Level 4. That is a safety net, not a target — it only applies to one subject.
- The 30% is a SUB-MINIMUM you must reach in BOTH components — your internal (ICASS) mark and the external exam — not just an average across the two. A strong exam does not rescue an ICASS mark below 30%.
- Your internal (ICASS) mark is a year mark out of 100 built from continuous assessment, and it is subject to internal and external moderation.
- Both components must be completed in the same academic year. Your ICASS mark is only valid up to the first supplementary examination after the November sitting — if you fail, you redo every ICASS task for that subject. Nothing carries over to the next year.
- The external examination is national, set and moderated externally, and written once a year.
Also doing Level 3 this trimester?
These are the other Level 3 subjects we have syllabus breakdowns for.
Source: DHET — NC(V) Mathematics Level 3 Subject Guidelines. Module names, weight values, admission requirements and assessment rules on this page are transcribed from that document. The study advice is ours.