AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
EXAMINATION GUIDELINES
GRADE 12
2021

1. OVERVIEW
1.1 Introduction
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Engineering Graphics and Design outlines the nature and purpose of the subject Engineering Graphics and Design. This guides the philosophy underlying the teaching and assessment of the subject in Grade 12.
The purpose of these Examination Guidelines is to:

• Provide clarity on the depth and scope of the content to be assessed in the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination in Engineering Graphics and Design.
• Assist teachers to adequately prepare learners for the NSC examinations.

This document deals with the final Grade 12 external examinations. It does not deal in any depth with the School-based Assessment (SBA), Performance Assessment Tasks (PATs) or final external practical examinations as these are clarified in a separate PAT document which is updated annually.
These Examination Guidelines should be read in conjunction with:

• The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS): Engineering Graphics and Design
• The National Protocol of Assessment: An addendum to the policy document, the National Senior Certificate: A qualification at Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), regarding the National Protocol for Assessment (Grades R–12)
• The national policy pertaining to the programme and promotion requirements of the National Curriculum Statement, Grades R–12

1.2 Aims
These are not listed in order of priority. The aims of the Agricultural Management Practices curriculum derive from the aims outlined in the CAPS document. A course based on this syllabus should be to:
1.2.1 Provide, through well-designed studies of experimental and practical application of Agricultural Management an educational experience for all learners, whether they go on to study in the agricultural field, to enable them to acquire sufficient understanding and knowledge:

• To understand the social contribution of Agricultural Management Practices to promote a culture of human rights
• Economic growth and sustainability as a tool for change by improving quality of life and providing solutions
• To be responsive to individual and community needs
• To be suitably prepared for studies beyond Grade 12 level for life-long learning and possible career opportunities
• To be competent, informed and responsible citizens in the field of agriculture, to care for the environment by addressing indigenous knowledge (IK) and social issues

1.2.2 Develop knowledge and skills:

• Master and apply the skills they gain; communicate effectively by using verbal, written, visual, graphical and electronic communication skills
• Mathematical skills as applied to Agricultural Management Practices
• Think creatively and critically in an agribusiness environment and develop and enhance entrepreneurial skills
• Acquire and safe use of relevant technology in agriculture
• Help with the management of a farming enterprise and be aware of the discipline that is required by a well organised farm

1.2.3 The subject promotes the following skills:

• Management skills: the knowledge and skills required to plan, organise, guide, control and evaluate production factors to achieve sustainable production enterprises
• Entrepreneurial skills: the ability to manage risks and combine production factors creatively to produce superior goods and services
• Operational skills: involve the day-to-day management of crop and animal enterprises
• Marketing skills: those value-adding activities in the agricultural supply chain that deal with various agricultural production lines, including post-harvesting aspects such as storage, processing, food safety, product packaging and distribution to consumers in domestic and global markets
• Research skills: involve aspects of problem identification; setting objectives; data collection, analysis, evaluation and report writing

1.2.4 Develop attitudes relevant to agriculture such as:

• Adopting a positive attitude towards rural lifestyles associated with farming
• Organising and manage activities responsibly and effectively collect, analyse, critically evaluate and present agricultural information
• Identifying and solving problems by being exposed to the agribusiness management environment

1.2.5 Stimulate interest in protecting the environment through the management of natural resources and the acceptable treatment of animals and plants

2. ASSESSMENT
2.1 Assessment objectives
As outlined in the CAPS document, assessment is meant to:

• Enable the teacher to make reliable judgement about a learner's progress
• Inform learners about their strengths, weaknesses and progress
• Assist teachers, parents and other stakeholders in making decisions about the learning process and progress of the learners

The attainment of these objectives will be determined through an assessment of certain minimum skills and competencies such as those set out below, at the end of the Agricultural Management Practices Grade 12.
2.1.1 Knowledge and understanding
Learners should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding with respect to:

• Scientific and management phenomena, facts, laws, definitions, concepts, theories
• The use of scientific and management vocabulary, terminology, conventions (including symbols, quantities and units)
• The manipulation of agricultural equipment as well as the safety measures required
• Scientific quantities and their determination
• Scientific, management and technological applications with their social, economic, and environmental implications

The syllabus content defines the factual knowledge that candidates may be required to recall and explain. Questions testing these objectives will often begin with one of the following words: define, state, describe or explain. See the cognitive level weighting explained below.
Cognitive level weighting:
The table on page 7 provides a guide for the cognitive level weighting applicable to the paper. The key verb is used as a guide to judge the appropriate cognitive level of a question. The context of the question will provide more details to measure the level of difficulty of a question to place it at the most appropriate level.
The marks per cognitive level need to reflect the overall cognitive balance as a percentage (40% knowledge and comprehension, 40% application and 20% analysis, synthesis and evaluation) for the question paper. The cognitive levels will be scaffolded within a question.
Cognitive levels, context words and key verbs for examination and test papers:
The levels of difficulty
Each of the cognitive levels A (basic knowledge and comprehension), B (application) and C (analysis, synthesis and evaluation) are mainly determined by the key verbs used in the questions. The level of difficulty for each of these categories must also be judged based on the context of each question. The level of difficulty fall into three different categories: difficult, moderate and easy for each of the cognitive levels. The weighting of these categories should be equal to each of the cognitive levels.
The following contextual issues need to be considered when assessing a question for it level of difficulty:

• The detail of the knowledge or concepts required in the responses
• The amount/quantity of knowledge or concepts that is needed in the responses
• The complexity of the knowledge or concepts that is required in the responses
• The type and complexity of skills needed to complete the question
• The complexity of the phrasing of a question
• The level of extended thinking needed to respond to a question
• The basic context of a question

Each of the contextual issues above needs to be carefully evaluated in each question to make a judgement on the level of difficulty of a question. This classification of questions needs to be justified by the expected performances and perception of candidates to them.
Refer to the exemplar question paper for some examples in this regard.
2.1.2 Handling, applying, and evaluating information
Candidates should be able to (in words or by using written, symbolic, graphical and numerical forms of presentation):

• Solve problems
• Locate, select, organise, and present information from a variety of sources
• Translate information from one form to another
• Manipulate numerical and other data
• Use information to identify patterns, report trends, draw inferences and report conclusions
• Present reasoned explanations for phenomena, patterns, and relationships
• Apply knowledge, including principles, to novel situations
• Evaluate information and hypotheses

2.1.3 Practical skills and investigations
Candidates should be able to:

• Follow a detailed set of sequence of instructions and use techniques, apparatus and materials safely and effectively
• Make observations and measurements with due regard for precision and accuracy, interpret experimental data and make observations
• Identify a problem, design and plan investigations, design or select methods and techniques, suggest possible improvement (For this purpose, planning and designing will include ability to identify variables, state hypothesis, select, set up and use the appropriate apparatuses)
  For example, in an examination, the apparatus may be set up and learners may be required to label, or even criticise the setup, where this refers to a formal prescribed experiment.
• Record observations, measurements, methods and techniques with due regard for precision, accuracy and units

2.2 Scheme of external assessment
All candidates will write one external paper in Grade 12 as prescribed.
2.2.1 Format of question papers

Questions in Paper 1 will assess performance at different cognitive levels with an emphasis on process skills, critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and strategies to investigate and solve problems in a variety of scientific, technological, environmental and everyday contexts as outlined earlier.
2.2.2 Weighting of cognitive levels
The distribution of cognitive levels in Agricultural Management Practices papers is given below.
A – Knowledge 40% (including definitions)
B – Comprehension and Application 40%
C – Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis 20%

2.2.3 Weighting of prescribed content

2.3 School-based assessment (SBA)
Formal assessment tasks are control tests, examinations and assignments or assessment tasks as mentioned under 2.3.1. The weighting of tasks in the program of assessment is provided in the table below:

2.3.1 Assignments in AMP – Grade 12
The practical task as mentioned in the CAPS creates confusion and is therefore replaced by the term 'assignment'. An assignment is a problem-solving exercise with clear guidelines and a specified length. It is shorter focused, more structured, and less open-ended than a project and does not necessarily involve strict adherence to a prescribed procedure. An assignment can be a practical task, but the practical task does not replace the practical tasks needed for the PAT.
Assignments provide learners with opportunities to develop and practice specific knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes.
Possible evidence:

• Case studies/Simulations/Scenarios
• Demonstration
• Analysis and interpretations of data (worksheet)
• Translation/Interpretation activity (worksheet)

2.3.2 Control tests
All summative assessment pieces adhere to the weighting of cognitive levels and topics given in the tables below.

2.3.3 Examinations
Trial examination

Moderation: All SBA tasks must be moderated internally. Provincial and national moderation will be done by the National Department of Basic Education (DBE) and/or the respective provincial departments.
2.4 Practical assessment task (PAT)

1. The aim of the practical assessment task (PAT) for Agricultural Management Practices (AMP) is to assess management skills, entrepreneurial skills, research skills, marketing skills, operational skills and technical skills of learners in the production enterprises which they are exposed to.
2. In Grades 10–12 a total of at least TWO production enterprises must be utilised that would consist of ONE animal production enterprise and ONE plant production enterprise.
3. The context in which the subject is offered is subjected to the wide range of different production systems, production enterprises, management approaches and ecological differences between the different regions in the country. The PAT must allow for this wide range of possible approaches and applications.
4. These PAT guidelines would provide criteria to assist in the standardisation of this wide variety of possibilities which is possible in Agricultural Management Practices (AMP).
5. The PAT will show progression in complexity, content, and context from Grades 10 to 12.
6. The PAT activities should link with the content of the relevant grades.
7. The PAT for Grades 10 and 11 is internally set, marked/assessed and moderated. The PAT for Grade 12 is internally set and marked/assessed and externally moderated.
8. The components of the PAT are completed under controlled conditions and evidence of each activity or task is combined into a learner file for each learner.
9. The PAT in Grades 10–12 consists of the following components:
   
   • Management overview based on the annual production plans for the management of the relevant enterprises
   • Practical tasks/Assignment which are comprehensively assessed and consist out of various activities
   • Management test which consist of application questions, case studies and scenarios based on activities in the above management plans for production
   • Record sheet of the time that the learner spends in a practical situation or production enterprise

Summary of the minimum number of tasks/activities required for the PAT in Grades 10–12:

NOTE: Also see PAT document for clearer instructions.

3. ELABORATION OF SUBJECT CONTENT
Subject content as listed in the CAPS were regrouped to make content clear and will assess in the following topics as listed below. Definitions will always form part of the examinable content.

4. CONCLUSION
This Examination Guideline document is meant to articulate the assessment aspirations espoused in the CAPS document. It is therefore not a substitute for the CAPS document which teachers should teach to.
Qualitative curriculum coverage as enunciated in the CAPS cannot be over-emphasised.