In preparation for the November 2012 NSC Examination, the directorate responsible for Examinations and Assessment in the Northern Cape underwent a self-evaluation process, followed by the annual "Monitoring of the State of Readiness 2012" visit by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) conducted from 20 - 21 August 2012. The DBE declared that the Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDOE) was ready to administer the NSC Examination in November 2012.