The short answer
Assessments run through Canvas — four formal assessments a term, marked and moderated, with a termly report. From Grade 9 upwards, formal assessments must be written using the Invigilator App, and final SACAI matric exams are written in person at an approved SACAI centre.
Self-paced does not mean unassessed. The pacing is flexible; the assessment calendar is not.
What is assessed
Assessments follow SACAI guidelines and come in three shapes:
- Tasks — practical and applied work: projects, experiments, problem-solving.
- Orals — presentations and discussions where a learner explains their understanding out loud.
- Assignments — written work involving research and analysis.
There are four formal assessments per term, delivered through Canvas, with marking and moderation included and a report at the end of each term.
Invigilation
This is the part to get right. Every learner from Grade 9 to Grade 12 must use the Invigilator App for formal assessments — school-based assessments, tests, exams and rewrites alike. Work written without it may be disqualified. Install it and test it well before an assessment, not on the morning of one.
Final SACAI examinations are different: those are written in person, at an approved SACAI examination centre, under in-person invigilation.
Practical subjects
Practical work is assessed by video. Learners film themselves doing the work and upload it, following step-by-step instructions and a rubric supplied with the task.
Deadlines
Learners work at their own pace day to day, but are expected to follow a structured term calendar and meet the deadlines for formal assessments and exams. If you have fallen behind, say so early — the academic team offers catch-up support and revised plans, but formal assessment deadlines still stand.
Feedback
Weekly and termly academic feedback, with detailed memos and comments on each assessment.
This article was written from the assessments page on the Saving Grace website in August 2026. Figures and dates change — check the assessments page before you rely on them, or ask in the forums and a member of the team will confirm.