18 July 2026
31 May 2026
The Account Holder may apply to register a learner through Impaq’s online platform or via telephone. All supporting documentation, including a valid final report card, must be uploaded or submitted to Impaq via email. Impaq allows for early bird registration where the learner’s final report card is not yet available. However, this registration is considered a provisional registration, and a final passed report card must be submitted no later than 31 January 2026. Failure to submit a valid report card by this date will lead to the provisional registration being cancelled. The relevant Cancellation and Returns policies will apply. Impaq will not be liable for the costs incurred. To view the policies, please click on either Homeschool Cancellations and Returns or Online School Cancellations and Returns.
For more information on the registration process, please click here.
All Grade 10 to 12 Impaq learners are registered with the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), the assessment body for distance education. SACAI is accredited by Umalusi, which issues the National Senior Certificate (NSC) to all learners who successfully complete their high school careers. Even though the DBE and IEB are both assessment bodies that are accredited by Umalusi, SACAI does not always follow the same calendar or make the same changes to the curriculum. Registration with Impaq and SACAI means that you are enrolling for distance education.
It is possible to register with Impaq if you did not previously follow the CAPS. However, if you are registering for Grade 11, you may need to write an entrance examination or provide Impaq with a certificate from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), confirming the equivalency of the report from the previous institution.
Grade 12 applications will only be considered if the learner meets the necessary requirements. Alternatively, the learner may be required to register for Grade 11 (and must complete the entrance exam).
The application remains subject to approval by Impaq and SACAI.
Learners need a minimum of seven (7) subjects to successfully pass Grade 10, 11 and 12 (FET Phase).
Compulsory subjects:
Choose at least three elective subjects. A complete list of subjects along with their criteria and special requirements can be found at this link.
When changing a subject, the learner is cancelling a subject that they have already registered for and, therefore, needs to register for a new subject in its place. In the FET Phase, subject changes are dependent on statutory regulations and approval from the assessment body, SACAI.
Changing the language medium for a subject still constitutes a subject change as the lesson material (where applicable), online platform and assessments must be amended and changed to the newly chosen language medium. All terms related to subject changes apply to language medium changes. The Cancellations and Returns policy relevant to the package chosen applies.
If the learner does not register for a new subject, they may not meet the pass requirements to successfully complete their academic year.
Please refer to the Impaq calendar available on OLP for the subject change deadlines per grade.
Requests received after the first term deadline will only be effective as of the second term, and no new subject change requests will be accepted after the final deadline.
Please keep the following in mind:
Grade 10 learners can apply for subject changes on or before the Term 1 and Term 2 subject change deadlines, respectively, and Grade 11 learners can apply on or before the Term 1 subject change deadline. The subject change deadlines are available on the Impaq calendar.
The learner must have met all assessment requirements for the subject being cancelled up to the date of the subject change. If these requirements are not met, the learner may receive a zero (0), which will impact both their report and final mark in the new subject.
If no required response (such as approval, confirmation, documentation or payment) is received by the deadline, the subject change request will be cancelled. A new application must then be submitted. If accepted, the change will only take effect from the following term or may be declined entirely for the rest of the academic year.
A 999 (weight withdrawn – therefore, no negative effect on the learner’s assessment report) will be applied to all first-term tests as well as second-term examinations, subject to the following conditions:
The marks achieved for the Term 1 and 2 tests and exams (where applicable) will not have a negative effect on the learner’s final mark for the year.
If a learner would like to take more than the seven (7) required subjects, they must complete all the required work (including portfolio work) from Grade 10. Only two (2) additional subjects are permitted.
Learners may not register for an additional subject for the first time in Grade 11 or 12. However, if they have already sat for the National Senior Certificate examination (Grade 12), they are allowed two additional subjects.
The Grade 10 and 11 materials for the subjects must be acquired and worked through to provide the learner with an understanding of each subject’s fundamental principles. Only Grade 12 assessments and SBA components need to be completed.
It is possible to take a subject through another institution, but we strongly advise against this for practical reasons:
Therefore, ensure that the institution selected for an alternative subject follows CAPS and is registered with SACAI. It is the Account Holders’ responsibility to make the necessary arrangements with SACAI.
Learners are required to successfully complete one grade before progressing to the next. It is also not possible to progress to the next grade while completing a subject (or subjects) from the previous grade. A complete pass report card is needed to progress in the FET Phase.
All Grade 10 to 12 tests and examinations, except for the final Grade 12 NSC examination which is administered by SACAI, must be written according to the set timetables provided by Impaq. Grades 10 and 11 learners must complete a test series per term as well as the mid-year (June) and end-of-year (November) examinations. Grade 12 learners must complete a test series per term, as well as the mid-year (June), preliminary and final NSC examinations. All tests and examinations, except for the final Grade 12 NSC examination, can be written by homeschool learners at the venue of the certified invigilator or at home, provided that the below rules are followed:
Online School invigilation takes place via the Invigilator App with support from the online school teachers via MS Teams.
Any deviation from/non-adherence to the rules and regulations will lead to a zero (0) mark and/or an investigation per the Impaq irregularity policy. No consultation will be permitted during the investigation process. Should the Impaq Irregularity Committee decide (with the relevant proof) that an irregularity has occurred, a zero mark will be awarded. The committee’s decision is final.
The Life Orientation examination (Task 4), scheduled to be written during the Preliminary Examination period, is subject to the above conditions. It should be noted that it is a national examination. All Grade 12 candidates must write this exam to pass at the end of Grade 12 for Life Orientation.
Should a learner miss a test and/or examination, a declaration with a valid reason must be submitted to Impaq for consideration by the SACAI assessment committee. Valid reasons are restricted to, among others, serious illness (with proof of a medical certificate) and a death in the direct family. Power outages, loadshedding, late registration, oversleeping, late linking of an invigilator by homeschool learners, failure to download tests and/or examinations on time, the failure of online school learners to follow the specific invigilation and invigilator app requirements, and more do not qualify as valid reasons. For a comprehensive list of possible valid reasons, please contact Impaq.
SACAI, the assessment body for distance education, administers the final examination at the end of the Grade 12 year. The National Senior Certificate (NSC) is issued by Umalusi.
The following documentation is needed:
A birth certificate will not be accepted.
SACAI establishes examination centres, subject to approval by Umalusi. Centre allocation is dependent on a candidate’s residential address, the capacity of the venue, candidates’ subject choices, and any approved academic accommodations.
Although Impaq assists with allocations as close as possible to the learner’s residential address, depending on the established venues, the learner may still be required to write the final exam out of town. This may require accommodation and additional travelling costs.
The learner’s full name, ID number, date of birth and residential address must be correct and updated on my.Impaq no later than 31 May of each year. The GPS coordinates for the candidate’s residential address should correspond with the address provided on the system.
The registration fee includes costs for the registration and administration of the NSC final examination for candidates. However, additional costs for Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, Hospitality Studies, Consumer Studies, and approved academic accommodations may apply.
Candidates residing abroad will be required to write the NSC examination in South Africa. To allow for centre allocation, a physical address within South Africa must be provided for the candidate.
Once the final examination has been completed successfully, learners can collect their Certificate in person or via courier from Impaq’s head office. Certificates are usually available from June/July of the year following the final examinations. Impaq informs guardians and account holders once the certificates are available.
Additional costs apply to learners with barriers to learning.
All online school learners must have access to a laptop or PC meeting the minimum requirements with their camera and microphone always in a good working condition. Continuous internet access is required, and power outages and/or load shedding is not accepted as valid reasons to miss class time or assessments. Please ensure the necessary back-up equipment and access.
It is highly recommended that all homeschool learners have access to a laptop or PC to enjoy the full benefits of the Optimi Learning Portal.
If you have any questions, please give us a call on 087 405 2233 or send an email to info@impaq.cdns.co.za.