A recognised Grade 12 equivalent — then a one-year NQF 5 Higher Certificate. For many families this is faster and cheaper than three years of FET (Grade 10–12) CAPS.
The General Educational Development tests are an American high-school equivalency. In South Africa they are written at Pearson VUE centres (including Boston City Campus sites). Alberton families can typically test in Alberton, Bedfordview, Germiston or Johannesburg.
SAQA evaluates a completed GED® as comparable to a National Senior Certificate (matric) at NQF Level 4. You apply for a Certificate of Evaluation after you pass all four tests.
Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts (including an essay), Science and Social Studies. There is no second language and no seven-subject CAPS load.
GED Testing Service reports that the credential is accepted by the large majority of US colleges. In South Africa it is widely used for work, TVET/private colleges and, after an NQF 5 Higher Certificate, as a stepping stone toward degree study.
St. Ronald's Homeschool Tutor Centre is not a GED® testing centre and does not issue the diploma. We support learners who register with a GED preparation provider (for example Think Digital Academy or Pass High School / Pass GED Academy) and write the official tests themselves.
FET (Further Education and Training) in the CAPS system is Grade 10, 11 and 12 — three full years, seven subjects, SACAI or IEB exam fees, and a heavy Grade 12 cost spike.
| CAPS FET (Grade 10–12) | GED® then NQF 5 Higher Certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time | 3 academic years, fixed terms | GED® often 6–18 months once the learner is 17, then ±12 months for a Higher Certificate |
| Subjects | 7 NSC subjects including a first additional language | 4 GED® tests. No Afrikaans requirement |
| Exit level after the first credential | NQF 4 (NSC / matric) | NQF 4 (GED® + SAQA evaluation) |
| After the next step | Still NQF 4 unless the learner starts college | NQF 5 Higher Certificate (120 credits) — one level above matric |
| Exam style | Year-end NSC papers, SACAI registration, invigilation, portfolios | Book each computer-based test when ready at a Pearson VUE centre |
| Direct public-university degree | Possible with a Bachelor’s pass and faculty APS | Not automatic. Usual local route is GED® → NQF 5 Higher Certificate → apply for USAf exemption / college degree |
Provider fees change. The CAPS column uses Think Digital Academy’s published CAPS prices (tuition page updated September 2026). Exam and college figures are rounded so families can see the shape of the two pathways — always confirm before you register.
| Item | CAPS FET via Think Digital (without their online tutor add-on) | GED® pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 10 curriculum | R 16,850 + SACAI exam fee R 990 | Not required. Learner prepares for four GED® tests instead. |
| Grade 11 curriculum | R 18,200 + SACAI exam fee R 990 | |
| Grade 12 curriculum | R 21,050 | |
| Grade 12 external exam body | SACAI: about R 2,035 registration + R 1,045 placement per subject, plus candidate registration R 935 and courier ± R 660. Seven subjects commonly total R 20,000–R 24,000. | Official GED® tests: $90 per subject from 1 April 2026 (GED Testing Service / GED Africa). Four subjects ≈ $360. GED Ready® practice tests $7.99 each or about $26 as a bundle. |
| Preparation programme | Included in the CAPS annual fees above | Think Digital GED: R 2,600 / year without tutor support or R 3,650 with tutor support (plus R 500 TDA registration). Pass High School / Pass GED Academy: R 3,300 for 12 months’ platform access. |
| SAQA evaluation | Not needed for a South African NSC | Typically about R 2,200–R 2,500 for a Certificate of Evaluation |
| Indicative academic cost to NQF 4 | ± R 78,000–R 85,000 over three years (TDA CAPS + SACAI, before books extras) | ± R 12,000–R 16,000 if the four tests are passed first time (prep + exams + SAQA, exchange rate on the dollar fees will move) |
| Next credential (NQF 5) | A separate college year after matric | One-year Higher Certificate: published examples include about R 19,800 (BMT College business HC), ± R 23,000–R 32,000 (IIE Rosebank College HCs), ± R 30,000 (MANCOSA-type HCs). Specialist creative/engineering HCs cost more. |
| Indicative total to NQF 5 | FET cost above plus a further college year | ± R 32,000–R 50,000 academic fees for GED® + a typical business/admin Higher Certificate |
On top of either pathway you still pay the St. Ronald's Tutor Centre fee if you use daily support here (R 3,200 per month for 2027, plus the once-off registration fee). A GED® learner who is ready in one year pays that centre fee for far fewer months than a learner who stays for the full three-year FET phase.
Figures rounded. Dollar amounts converted at roughly R 18 = $1; confirm the rate when you book.
Think Digital CAPS Gr 10–12 without their extra tutor package ≈ R 56,100.
SACAI Gr 10–11 + full Gr 12 subject package ≈ R 22,000–R 26,000.
St. Ronald's centre fee × 11 months × 3 years = R 105,600.
Ballpark family outlay over three years: ± R 185,000–R 195,000.
Outcome: South African NSC (NQF 4). Direct public-university applications possible if the Bachelor’s pass and APS are met.
GED prep R 2,600–R 3,650 + exams ≈ R 6,500–R 7,200 + SAQA ≈ R 2,500.
Typical one-year Higher Certificate R 20,000–R 35,000.
St. Ronald's centre fee for one focused GED year = R 35,200 (learner may then move to college).
Ballpark family outlay to NQF 5: ± R 65,000–R 85,000.
Outcome: GED® (NQF 4 equivalent) plus a completed NQF 5 Higher Certificate — often 18–30 months, not three FET years.
With a SAQA Certificate of Evaluation, many employers treat the GED® as a Grade 12 equivalent for jobs that ask for matric.
Pass High School and other GED partners list acceptances at institutions such as Boston City Campus, Varsity College / IIE (Higher Certificates), Eduvos, STADIO, Rosebank College, AFDA, Open Window, SACAP, Northlink and other TVETs — always confirm the current policy with the college.
The reliable South African degree path is: pass the four GED® tests → SAQA evaluation → one-year Higher Certificate (NQF 5, 120 credits) → apply to the college or, where relevant, to USAf for exemption. That Higher Certificate is itself a marketable qualification.
GED Testing Service states that most US colleges accept the credential. Open University (UK) and University of the People are among the online options GED graduates use. Each faculty still sets its own rules.
In South Africa you must be 17 or older to sit the official tests and hold acceptable photo ID (Smart ID or passport). Younger learners can prepare at the centre first.
You do not receive an Umalusi National Senior Certificate. You receive an American GED® diploma, then a SAQA evaluation that compares it to NQF 4.
USAf does not treat a GED® earned in South Africa as a straight matric exemption for degree study. The documented local workaround is an NQF 5 Higher Certificate (and sometimes NBTs). Public universities decide case by case.
Each subject is scored 100–200. 145 is the pass mark. GED Ready® practice tests are required before you book. Failed subjects are paid for again ($90 from April 2026).
Henter Kriel, Tutor Centre Head, will talk this through honestly. If your child needs a South African Bachelor’s pass for a specific public-university degree next year, CAPS or Cambridge may still be the better fit. If the goal is a recognised Grade 12 equivalent, college, a trade or a faster route onto NQF 5, GED® is often the cheaper plan.
Daily structure at 11 Vermooten Street, Brackenhurst — while the parent remains the legal home educator and the learner stays registered with their GED provider.
Academic programme 08:00–12:30, early drop-off from 06:30, aftercare to 18:00. Useful when a self-paced GED platform needs adult accountability.
The four GED® papers reward reasoning, data and extended writing. We support the weak spots — especially Mathematical Reasoning and the Language Arts essay.
We help families understand provider registration, GED Ready®, Pearson VUE booking, SAQA evaluation and the later Higher Certificate conversation. Official tests and the diploma remain between the learner and GED Testing Service.