NSC Afrikaans Past Papers — Home Language and First Additional Language
Afrikaans is one of South Africa's 11 official languages and is taken as Home Language (HL) or First Additional Language (FAL) by hundreds of thousands of NSC learners. Both levels consist of three papers: Paper 1 (Taalkunde en begrip — language and comprehension), Paper 2 (Letterkunde — literature), and Paper 3 (Skryf — writing). This guide explains each paper and how to prepare using past papers.
Paper 1 — Taalkunde en Begrip (Language and Comprehension)
Paper 1 tests reading comprehension, language knowledge, and summary writing. You will be given unseen texts (sometimes with images or advertisements) and asked questions that test both literal and inferential understanding.
- Answer comprehension questions using evidence from the text — direct quotation is encouraged.
- Summary writing: identify the required number of points and write them in your own words.
- Language questions test grammar (byvoeglike naamwoorde, werkwoorde, sinsbou), punctuation, and stylistic devices.
- Figures of speech (vergelyking, metafoor, personifikasie) appear regularly — revise them all.
- Vocabulary questions may ask for synonyms, antonyms, or contextual meaning.
Paper 2 — Letterkunde (Literature)
Paper 2 tests your knowledge of prescribed literary works — typically a novel (roman), drama, poetry (poësie), and short stories (kortverhale). The specific prescribed texts are set by the DBE for each year and may differ from year to year.
- Study all prescribed texts thoroughly — read each one at least twice.
- For poetry: identify the theme, tone, mood, and structural features of each poem.
- For drama and novels: know the plot, character analysis, conflict, and themes.
- Contextual questions require short answers about an extract — reference it directly.
- Essay questions require an argument supported by evidence from the text.
Paper 3 — Skryf (Writing)
Paper 3 is a writing paper with transactional and creative writing tasks. You choose from options in each section. Transactional writing includes formal letters, reports, and speeches. Creative writing includes opstelle (essays) and verhalende of beskrywende skryfwerk (narrative or descriptive writing).
Marks are awarded for inhoud (content), taal (language accuracy), struktuur (structure), and formaat (format). Proofread your work and correct errors before the time is up.
Afrikaans HL vs FAL Differences
| Aspect | Afrikaans HL | Afrikaans FAL |
|---|---|---|
| Language register expected | High register, sophisticated vocabulary | Standard register acceptable |
| Paper 1 difficulty | Harder comprehension, more nuanced questions | More straightforward comprehension |
| Paper 2 literary works | More complex texts | Simpler texts |
| Mark impact | Counts as HL (full subject) | Counts as FAL (full subject) |