Is the GED still recognised in SA – 2020 and beyond?
YES! The GED® has been evaluated by SAQA as being the closest comparable qualification to the South African National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) a foreign grade 12 equivalent and this has not changed.
All that is changing at the end of 2019, is ONE of the ways that students with a GED® obtained exemption from USAf in order to be eligible for admission to DEGREE courses at South African universities.
Exemption is NOT required for admission to Higher Certificate courses.
In November 2018, USAf, Umalusi, SAQA and the Dept of Higher Education held a roundtable meeting with a range of foreign and alternate curriculum providers, including Cambridge, GED®, Montessori, Waldorf, IB and others to gather information about each option and the standards and testing criteria.
Their intention is to review each of these options with the aim of them potentially being registered on the National Qualifications Framework so that they will be more widely understood by universities and colleges as well as the public. It will be clear what the standards are for each one.
GED® Testing Service and GED® South Africa are working with these regulators to help this happen as they believe that this will result in the GED being better understood and accepted. However, it is expected to take several years. This was the main reason that they changed the minimum age from age 16 to age 17 in SA.
Since each university and college course has its own entrance criteria, and since they change often, you MUST check with the institution and specific faculty of your choice that they will accept these foreign qualifications with one of the categories of exemption. Many courses have additional requirements which you will also have to fulfill, no matter what Grade 12 credential you have.
Read more about exemption options here: University and be sure to read Where do GED Graduates Study?
