This is the Physical Sciences CAPS Document (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) for the Further Education and Training Phase, Grades 10-12, issued by the South African Department of Basic Education. It sets out what must be taught and assessed in Physical Sciences across Grades 10, 11 and 12, and is relevant for the 2026 and 2027 school years. The document covers six main knowledge areas: Mechanics, Waves Sound and Light, Electricity and Magnetism, Matter and Materials, Chemical Systems, and Chemical Change, taught over 4 hours per week across 40 weeks per grade.
The following document, Physical Sciences CAPS Document Grades 10-12.pdf, is the full document.
CAPS Document Brief
Physical Sciences CAPS Document Grades 10-12 kavo-006
Key knowledge areas defined in the document include Mechanics, Waves, Sound and Light, Electricity and Magnetism, Matter and Materials, Chemical Systems, and Chemical Change. It also distinguishes informal assessment tasks (homework, class work, practical investigations, experiments, informal tests) from formal assessment tasks (control tests, examinations, experiments, projects), and defines terms such as “practical activities”, “experiment” and “practical investigations”.
The document runs to 170 pages across four sections plus appendices: Section 1 covers background, overview, general curriculum aims and time allocation; Section 2 defines Physical Sciences, its specific aims, time allocation, topic overview, practical work overview, and weighting of topics; Section 3 (the bulk of the document) sets out the Physical Sciences content for Grades 10-12 term by term; and Section 4 covers assessment, including informal and formal assessment, the programme of assessment, and recording and reporting.
By working through this CAPS document, teachers are equipped to help learners investigate physical and chemical phenomena through scientific inquiry; apply scientific models, theories and laws to explain and predict events; develop skills such as classifying, measuring, designing investigations, hypothesising and problem-solving; and understand the relationship between science, technology, society and the environment, preparing learners for further study, employment and citizenship.
Grade
10-12
Subject
Physical Sciences
Phase
Further Education and Training (FET)
Curriculum
South African (CAPS)
School Years
2026 and 2027