Glossary

An online school teaches students online through the use of technology. TDA offers a student-centered approach which is personalized and self-paced. TDA is the first virtual school in South Africa providing the GED, British International and South African curricula.

The International A level is the common name for the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level certificate (GCE A level). To complete an A level, students sit an examination at the end of each academic year.

The Advanced Certificate of Education (ACE) is an internationally recognized diploma awarded to students for the successful completion and mastering of a broader range of skills critical for success in university study and employment.

The International Advanced Subsidiary level (AS level) is an independent qualification encompassing the first year of an A Level qualification’s content.

Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) is a national policy set out by the South African Department of Education that states what should be included in the curricula of schools for each grade and how it will be tested/assessed.

One of the forms of payment accepted by us is an electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a your bank account to ours, that instantly gets confirmed.

Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) is an additional CAPS subject for students in Grades 7 to 9.

A Further Education and Training (FET) institute refers to education and training that is provided from Grade 10 to Grade 12.

The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high school diploma, HiSET, and TASC test.

The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications that awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries confer on students.

The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification, generally taken in a number of subjects by pupils in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Schooling runs from grade 0 (the reception year also known as grade R) through to grade 12 (known as matric). Grades 1 to 9 are compulsory and are classified as General Education and Training. Grades 10 to 12 are considered to be Further Education and Training.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) is an International GCSE subject.

International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) qualifications are based on individual subjects of study, which means that one receives an “IGCSE” qualification for each subject one takes.

The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) is the largest and oldest membership organisation for private schools in the region. ISASA serves over 850 member schools across a broad range of socio-economic and cultural communities and religious affiliations.

Maths Buddy is a high quality, independent online maths tutoring programme.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free online courses available for anyone to enroll.

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is a set of principles and guidelines by which records of student achievement are registered to enable national recognition of acquired skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages life-long learning.

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) is a high school diploma and is the school-leaving certificate in South Africa. This certificate is commonly known as the matriculation (matric) certificate, as grade 12 is the matriculation grade. Think Digital Academy is registered with SACAI, an Umalusi-accredited examination board offering the NSC. After successful completion of your grade 12 examination, you will receive an official NSC from Umalusi – exactly the same certificate obtained by students attending traditional schools. If university exception is obtained, the NSC allows admission to any South Africa university and is internationally accepted, with certain restrictions.

The Personal Power Programme (PPP) is a British International Curriculum subject taken in Stages R – 8.

A stage encompasses a year of the British International Curriculum syllabus school education.

Think Digital Academy (TDA) is the first virtual school providing the GED, British International and South African curricula.