NSSCO Afrikaans Second Language 6108 exam-day guide
NSSCO Afrikaans Second Language 6108 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring your candidate/registration number and a valid photo ID
Namibian schools and exam centres normally require proof of identity for admission to the venue. Carry the same ID document the school registered you with. If you are unsure which document is accepted (national ID, passport, or school-issued candidate card), confirm with the provider or your subject teacher before exam day.
Bring black or blue ballpoint pens (at least two) and a pencil with eraser
Write all extended answers in dark ink so they scan and mark clearly. Use the pencil only for rough work or for multiple-choice answer sheets if your centre uses them. Do not write final answers in pencil unless the invigilator says otherwise.
Bring a printed copy of your exam timetable showing the venue and start time
Afrikaans Second Language 6108 may be scheduled across more than one paper (for example, a written paper and an oral or listening component). Check your personal timetable for the exact dates, times, and rooms, and confirm with your school whether speaking/listening tasks are assessed separately.
Confirm the venue, seat number, and reporting time with your school
Arrive with enough margin to find the room and be seated before reading time. Reporting times and late-admission cut-offs are set by the centre; confirm with the provider rather than guessing.
Leave phones, smartwatches, and notes outside the exam room
Electronic devices and unauthorised materials are not allowed in the venue. Hand them in or leave them at home. A buzzing phone can lead to your paper being cancelled.
Bring a clear water bottle and a light snack for between papers
If you have two sessions in one day, water and a snack help concentration. Keep the bottle label-free and the snack quiet; check with the invigilator whether food and drink are permitted in your venue.
Bring a wristwatch (not a smartwatch) to pace yourself
Many venues do not have a clearly visible clock. A plain analogue or digital watch lets you track time against the marks. Confirm with the provider whether watches are allowed in your centre.
Revise the text types and their conventions
Know the layout of a friendly letter, formal letter, email, diary entry, notice, report, and short essay or paragraph, since the writing section usually asks for one or more of these. Practise the opening and closing formulas and the register (formal vs informal) for each.
Prepare vocabulary lists by theme
Typical themes include family, school, health, the environment, sport, travel, and technology. Learn nouns with their articles and plurals, common verbs, connectives (want, omdat, daarom, maar, alhoewel), and time expressions, because marks are lost through small grammar slips rather than lack of ideas.
Practise reading and listening under timed conditions
Do at least one full past-style paper at home, timing each section. Train the habit of reading the questions before the passage or audio, underlining key words, and answering in Afrikaans in full sentences where required.
Sort out any special arrangements in advance
If you need extra time, a separate room, or other access arrangements, these must be approved before the exam. Confirm with the provider or your school well ahead; they cannot normally be arranged on the day.
Check the exact paper structure and mark allocation for 6108 with your teacher
Confirm how many papers there are, their length, and the weighting of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The syllabus and specimen materials are the authoritative source; ask your teacher to go through them with you.
Plan the day
Do a final timed paper under exam conditions: no notes, no phone, full time limit. Mark it honestly, then list your three weakest areas (for example, verb tenses, comprehension inference, or letter format). Spend the remaining time mainly on those, not on what you already know.
Review your summary sheets: irregular verbs and past tense forms, adjective endings, word order after conjunctions, question words, and the layout of each text type. Rewrite each text-type skeleton from memory once.
Rehearse the oral or speaking component aloud if your syllabus includes one: a short self-introduction, describing a picture or a familiar topic, and giving an opinion with reasons. Record yourself once and note repeated errors. Confirm with the provider how speaking is scheduled and assessed.
Do one more half-paper focusing on reading comprehension: practise skimming for gist, scanning for detail, and answering in your own words rather than copying whole sentences unless the question allows it.
Stop learning new material. Reread only your summary sheets and vocabulary lists. Pack your bag: pens, pencil, eraser, ID, candidate number, timetable, water, watch. Lay out clothes and plan transport.
Check the start time and venue one last time and set two alarms. Eat a normal meal, avoid late-night cramming, and aim for a full night's sleep; memory recall is stronger after sleep than after an extra hour of revision.
Eat breakfast, arrive early, and skim only your one-page summary of connectives, text-type layouts, and common errors. Do not start a new past paper and do not compare preparation with classmates in the corridor.
Fill in your candidate details exactly as registered. Read the instructions and check how many questions are compulsory and whether there is a choice. Read through the whole paper and plan your time by marks: roughly one minute per mark, plus a few minutes at the end to check.
Start with the sections you find easiest to build confidence and secure marks. For comprehension, read the questions first, then the passage, and answer in Afrikaans using the tense and person the question asks for. For writing, spend a few minutes planning structure and key vocabulary before drafting.
Check that every question number is answered and nothing is left blank. Proofread for the errors that cost easy marks: verb endings, subject-verb agreement, adjective endings, word order in subordinate clauses, capital letters, and punctuation. If time is short, write brief but complete answers rather than leaving gaps.
Rules to check
Bring and display the ID and candidate number your centre requires. If you are unsure what counts as acceptable identification, confirm with the provider before exam day; centres may refuse admission without it.
Do not bring phones, smartwatches, notes, or any unauthorised material into the venue. Hand devices in if instructed; possession during the exam can lead to the paper being cancelled.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on seating, reading time, and when you may start writing. Do not write during reading time if the centre forbids it.
Raise your hand and ask the invigilator if a question paper is defective, pages are missing, or you need to leave the room. Do not communicate with other candidates at any point.
Answer in Afrikaans as the paper requires. Where a question asks for your own words, do not copy long passages from the text; where it asks for a specific format, follow that format.
Breaks between papers are supervised or unsupervised according to centre policy. Do not discuss the content of a completed paper with candidates who have not yet sat it; confirm the specific rules with the provider.
Scoring follows the mark scheme for 6108, with marks awarded for content, structure, and language accuracy in writing tasks. Ask your teacher to show you how the marking criteria are applied so you know where marks are earned.
If you believe something went wrong during the exam, report it to the invigilator immediately and inform your school afterwards. Appeals and special-consideration procedures are set by the provider, so confirm the deadlines and process with them.