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Life Orientation MP Task Term 1 2026

19 questions answered · 90 marks · Mpumalanga DoE

Life Orientation Grade 11 MP Task Term 1 2026 Questions and Answers

Provincial Task February 2026 19 answered

Every question from the Provincial Task (Mpumalanga DoE, February 2026), with a full answer written from the Grade 11 Life Orientation textbook and the official marking approach. Open a question to see its answer, or use Hide answers to practise first.

Instructions

A source-based task in two activities of 45 marks each. Read each source, then answer all the questions in full sentences, matching the length of each answer to its mark allocation.

Tip: hide the answers and try each question first Hide answers Expand all

Activity 1

9 questions
Goal setting and how it can help Grade 11 learners realise their dreams

Goal setting is a powerful tool that can significantly benefit learners by providing clarity, motivation, and a framework for measuring progress. Goal setting can present challenges, such as setting unrealistic goals or failing to maintain motivation. However, it also offers significant benefits for learners. Importantly, everybody must set life goals for achievement of their calling in life.

This is not easy, as goals are inherently difficult to achieve. That is why one may be required to persevere and persist for things to happen. But that is also not enough, there are certain things that need to be done. For example, setting SMART goals, i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound goals. Essentially, you may not persist and achieve your goals if you did not set them with the SMART principle in mind.

Additionally, people are always in relationships. These relationships may either support or discourage them from attaining their goals in life. For example, if you relate with people who do not share your vision and mission about your future, your goals may not be easily attained. It may take time before you may successfully go back to your tracks. Others can't retrace their steps and they eventually vanish in obscurity. This may happen for various reasons; for example, there could be bad intentions or you may be relating to people who are going through some challenges in their lives. For instance, a physically sick person may not always be an ideal person to communicate with about your goals. The same could be said about an emotionally overwhelmed person. They may be going through a rough patch in their lives, making it difficult for them to objectively guide you. They may have the intention, but their situation may not permit. Their wellbeing may be at stake to give you a correct view about your goals. That may lower your motivation and effort to realise your goals.

In this way, there are good and detrimental relationships out there. It is actually a mixed bag of challenges. It depends on the people involved in a relationship. Grade 11 learners must always be vigilant because it is their responsibility to ensure that their goals in life are reached. Therefore, the challenges are many; unfortunately, grade 11 learners must pursue their educational goals, i.e., learning for success, in spite of the challenges.

Glossary: inherently difficult: naturally hard to do, understand or deal with; pursue: to work towards something with effort and determination. [Adapted from https://positivepsychology.com/]

Life Goals and Relationships (1 x 2)
Answer

Goal setting is the process of deciding what you really want to achieve in life and then drawing up a clear plan of action that guides your daily choices towards reaching it.

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Life Goals and Relationships (5 x 1)
Answer

Five ways in which the inability to set realistic goals may impact your wellbeing as a Grade 11 learner are:

  1. It can make you doubt your ability to achieve your life plans.
  2. It can cause stress, anxiety and regret because you did not plan properly.
  3. It can leave you feeling overwhelmed and constantly worried about not reaching your goals.
  4. It can lower your self-worth because you feel you lack the skills you thought you had.
  5. It can make you lose interest in schoolwork because you see no clear progress or purpose.
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Life Goals and Relationships (2 x 2)
Answer

Two differences between perseverance and persistence are:

  1. Perseverance is the ability to keep on doing what is important to you even when you face setbacks, whereas persistence is continuing to put in more effort until your goal is actually achieved.
  2. Perseverance is a long-term commitment and endurance in which you do not give up over time, whereas persistence is making repeated attempts, trying again and again after failure or discouragement.
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Life Goals and Relationships (2 x 2)
Answer

Two ways in which personal values may help you with goal setting are:

  1. Personal values help you to choose goals that are meaningful to you, and goals that matter to you motivate you to work hard to achieve them.
  2. Your values help you decide which goals are most important, so you can prioritise the activities that will move you closer to achieving them.
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Life Goals and Relationships (4 x 2)
Answer

Four ways in which nurturing relationships with family members may enable you to prioritise life goals are:

  1. If you put energy into building healthy relationships with your family, they are more likely to help you openly to set and clarify your life goals.
  2. If you show trust in your family members, it creates a natural system of accountability, because they will check that you are working on what you planned to achieve.
  3. If you help to create a peaceful home environment, you can concentrate better, organise yourself and focus on your most important goals.
  4. If you build a strong, caring bond with family members, they are more likely to support you emotionally when you suffer setbacks, so you can keep moving towards your goals.
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Life Goals and Relationships (4 x 2)
Answer

Four ways in which your wellbeing may influence how you relate with others are:

  1. If you are physically healthy, you have the energy and a positive attitude to engage with others and to cope with difficult social situations.
  2. If you are emotionally stable, you are more likely to communicate calmly, listen actively and handle conflict constructively instead of becoming aggressive.
  3. If you have high self-esteem, you relate to others with confidence, set healthy boundaries and are less likely to take things personally.
  4. If your stress levels are low, you are more patient with others and emotionally available to support them when they need you.
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Life Goals and Relationships (1 x 2)
Answer

When communication in a relationship is dishonest, unclear or avoided, trust slowly breaks down, which creates emotional strain and harms how you feel about yourself.

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Life Goals and Relationships (2 x 4)
Answer

The impact of the media on beliefs about relationships can be discussed as follows:

  1. Negative: The media often shows relationships as perfect, romantic and effortless through movies and social media posts. Viewers feel pressure to copy what they see, and they then compare their own real relationships to these unrealistic standards, which leaves them frustrated and dissatisfied with normal imperfections.
  2. Positive: The media can educate people about healthy relationships by promoting good communication, consent, respect and emotional intelligence through awareness campaigns and storylines. This challenges harmful social norms, encourages empathy and gives young people role models of respectful behaviour.
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Life Goals and Relationships (2 x 2)
Answer

Two practical strategies that could ensure successful achievement of relationship goals are:

  1. People should communicate openly and honestly, for example by checking in regularly, expressing feelings without blaming and listening without interrupting, because this lets everyone play their part and shows commitment to the relationship, which helps you keep healthy friendships with your school mates.
  2. People should respect each other's boundaries by giving one another personal space and being clear about what behaviour is acceptable, because healthy boundaries create a safe environment in which friendships with school mates can grow.
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Activity 2

10 questions
Admission requirements, career portfolio and Khetha document

Recently, it has been discovered that most grade 11 learners are clueless about what they should do when making career decisions. This happens amidst the availability of information in schools and online. Online sources may have various platforms that young people could use to be assisted with their careers, but they don't use them for that purpose. As a result, each year, most grade 12s are found struggling for admission to higher education institutions and this is partly because some did not make the necessary arrangements while still in grade 11. It is even worse for some learners who may secure space at tertiary institutions but lacked the required funds for that education.

Every year, the system is faced with the same challenge and learners do not learn from the mistakes of others. The problem is now even bigger, as the number of learners passing grade 12 with bachelor endorsement far exceeds the available spaces in tertiary education institutions. To complicate issues even worse, most still want to pursue education at Universities, as if that is the only option available to them. They overlook options such as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA). Additionally, they are also reluctant to consider learnerships offered by many companies in South Africa. This could be due to various factors and grade 11 learners are unfortunately at the receiving end of this challenge.

Simple initiatives like using the Khetha document for purposes of applying to tertiary education and collating evidence for the compilation of their career portfolio are not being considered by many learners. Instead of using their smartphones for educational purpose, most are more inclined to using them for recreational activities. That is not a problem, but there has to be a balance between using smartphones for recreational purposes and using them for education. Actually, there has to be increased usage of these gadgets for educational purposes.

That is not as simple as it is put, grade 11 learners must have prepared for their career aspirations by exploring various options, early. Life does not always go as planned and it is, therefore, important for learners to have option 1, 2 and 3, so that if one option fails, there is a backup plan. However, there are considerations when the different options are worked out.

On the other hand, those who are successful in their applications to tertiary education institutions may find themselves unprepared to pass the test for attainment of the minimum mark for the Admission Point Score (APS) and the National Benchmark Test that some institutions may require prospective students to write.

With all these challenges, being in grade 11 is really not a walk in the park. It requires careful planning and thorough execution of appropriate post school initiatives.

Glossary: collating evidence: collecting and organising information from different places; gadgets: small electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets; aspirations: hopes, goals or dreams for the future; backup plan: an alternative plan in case the original fails (Plan B). [Adapted from https://www.researchgate.net]

Careers: Future Choices (1 x 2)
Answer

Admission requirements are the set of criteria, such as minimum subject levels and an Admission Point Score, that a learner must meet in order to be accepted into a university, college or other post-school institution.

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Careers: Future Choices (4 x 1)
Answer

Four reasons why learners find it difficult to be admitted to higher education institutions are:

  1. Many learners do not achieve the marks or subject levels required for specific programmes.
  2. Institutions have fewer spaces than applicants, so admission is highly competitive.
  3. Some learners submit late, incomplete or poorly prepared applications.
  4. Some learners cannot afford application fees or meet the financial requirements.
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Careers: Future Choices (2 x 2)
Answer

Two differences between the National Benchmark Test (NBT) and the Admission Point Score (APS) are:

  1. The NBT is a standardised test that measures a prospective student's academic literacy, quantitative literacy and mathematics skills, whereas the APS is a points system that universities use to evaluate a learner's Grade 12 subject results.
  2. The NBT helps institutions decide whether a student is ready for university or needs extra support, such as an extended programme, whereas the APS shows whether a learner meets the minimum entry requirements for a specific course.
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Careers: Future Choices (1 x 2)
Answer

A career portfolio lets a Grade 11 learner keep all their academic results, certificates, awards and evidence of leadership and community service in one organised place, so it is ready and up to date when they apply to universities, bursaries or internships in Grade 12.

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Careers: Future Choices (3 x 2)
Answer

Three reasons why Grade 11 learners should use the Khetha document for career pathing are:

  1. It explains the different pathways after Grade 12, such as university, TVET colleges, learnerships and apprenticeships, which helps learners make informed decisions before entering Grade 12.
  2. It shows the admission requirements for different programmes, so learners can check the subjects and marks needed and improve their performance before their final year.
  3. It helps learners start preparing for tertiary and bursary applications early, which avoids last-minute decisions and increases their chances of being admitted.
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Careers: Future Choices (4 x 2)
Answer

Four reasons why Grade 11 learners should have more than one career option are:

  1. If a learner does not meet the required APS, subject levels or NBT scores for the first choice, a backup option lets them follow a similar field without delaying their studies.
  2. Popular programmes such as Medicine, Engineering and Law receive far more applications than there are places, so having other choices increases the learner's chance of being admitted somewhere.
  3. Interests and strengths can change, so having several options gives learners room to adjust their career path if they discover a new passion.
  4. The world of work keeps changing, so having more than one option helps learners stay adaptable if their first-choice field becomes oversaturated or less in demand.
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Careers: Future Choices (2 x 2)
Answer

Two negative effects of an inability to explore tertiary education financial assistance while still in Grade 11 are:

  1. Learners may miss bursary deadlines or fail to meet requirements that needed early preparation, which reduces their chances of getting financial support for the course they want.
  2. Learners may be forced to enrol in any course they can afford instead of the one they really want, because they did not plan for the costs of their chosen field.
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Careers: Future Choices (2 x 4)
Answer

Two reasons why most Grade 11 learners may not be interested in studying at TVET colleges are:

  1. Learners are influenced by the social stigma that TVET colleges offer inferior education. Many people believe a TVET qualification will not make a person attractive to employers, so learners avoid these colleges even though many vocational fields are in high demand.
  2. Many learners receive limited career guidance, so they do not know about the wide range of programmes that TVET colleges offer. Without this information they overlook TVET options and simply default to the more familiar university system, even when a TVET course would suit them better.
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Careers: Future Choices (1 x 4)
Answer

Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) offer learnerships that combine theory with real workplace experience, so young people gain practical, work-ready skills. Because they can show proven experience, employers are more willing to hire them, which makes SETA programmes a strong route into employment for the youth.

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Careers: Future Choices (1 x 3)
Answer

Grade 11 learners can form career planning study groups that meet weekly to discuss different careers, admission requirements and subject choices. Sharing this information keeps members accountable for their chosen career paths, and knowing what marks they need motivates them to study harder so that their academic performance improves.

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