Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus
GRADE 12 TOURISM
2026 PRELIM STUDY PACK
Scope-based revision notes + high-probability exam focus
This pack is based on the supplied 2026 preliminary examination scope and the supplied 2023-2024
preliminary/NSC papers and memorandums. It is a study guide, not a claim that exact questions are
known.
1. Official 2026 Prelim Scope
The preliminary examination is 3 hours, 200 marks, and assesses the full curriculum. The official
scope divides the paper as follows:
Section Topics Marks
A Contextual questions - all topics 40
B Map work and tour planning; 50
Foreign exchange
C Tourist attractions; Cultural and 50
heritage tourism; Marketing
D Tourism sectors; Sustainable 30
and responsible tourism
E Domestic, regional and 30
international tourism;
Communication and customer
care
Study priority: Sections B and C together account for 100/200 marks, but Section A can test
terminology from the entire curriculum.
Priority 1 — Mapwork, Tour Planning, Time Zones & Foreign Exchange
This is the area I would master first. Your June scope allocates about ±70 marks to Units 3–9
& 12 and specifically names tour planning, itineraries, budgets, health and safety, travel
documentation, world time calculations and foreign exchange.
Very likely question styles:
• Calculate world times between countries.
• Work across the International Date Line.
• Calculate arrival/departure times using flight duration.
• Interpret a map/route.
• Compile or interpret a day-by-day itinerary.
1
MA’AM JAY
,Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
• Calculate a tour budget.
• Identify appropriate travel documents.
• Apply health/safety information to a tourist scenario.
• Convert rand foreign currency.
• Interpret an exchange-rate table.
Study focus: Do calculations repeatedly. Knowing definitions won't be enough if the
question gives you a scenario.
2. SECTION B - Map Work and Tour Planning
World time zones
South Africa uses UTC +2. Greenwich is UTC 0. Places east of Greenwich are generally ahead of UTC;
places west are generally behind.
Here’s that section rewritten as clear study notes you can actually
learn from:
World Time Calculations — Study Notes
Find the UTC position of both destinations.
Example: South Africa = UTC +2, New York = UTC -5.
Calculate the time difference.
Compare the two UTC positions.
Example: +2 to -5 = 7 hours difference.
Decide whether to add or subtract time.
If the destination is ahead, add the time difference.
If the destination is behind, subtract the time difference.
Check for Daylight Saving Time (DST).
If the question says DST applies, adjust the destination’s time by 1 hour before completing the
calculation.
For flight-time questions:
First work out the correct local time at the destination, then add the flight duration for an arrival
question.
For a departure-time question, you may need to work backwards from the arrival time.
Always check the date.
If your answer passes 24:00, move to the next day.
If it goes before 00:00, move to the previous day.
International Date Line (IDL).
It is located at approximately 180° longitude and is linked to a change in calendar date.
2
MA’AM JAY
,Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
Easy rule to remember
UTC → Difference → Ahead/Behind → DST → Flight time → Date
Example
South Africa = UTC +2
New York = UTC -5
Departure from SA = 08:00
Flight time = 12 hours
Time difference = 7 hours
New York is behind SA:
08:00 − 7 hours = 01:00
Add flight time:
01:00 + 12 hours = 13:00
Arrival time: 13:00
That is the exact type of method you should practise repeatedly for prelim calculations.
DST, jet lag and flight fatigue
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
DST means that clocks are adjusted by one hour during part of the year in countries that use it.
For your exam:
• Always check whether the question says DST applies.
• Adjust the relevant time zone before doing the final calculation.
• South Africa does not use DST in the supplied Tourism material.
• A DST mistake can make your entire calculation one hour incorrect.
Remember:
See DST → adjust time → then calculate.
Jet Lag
Jet lag happens when a tourist travels across multiple time zones, disrupting the body's internal
clock.
Possible effects include:
• Difficulty sleeping
• Tiredness
3
MA’AM JAY
, Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
• Difficulty concentrating
• Body taking time to adjust to the destination's local time
The supplied 2024 memorandum identifies jet lag in its New York–South Africa scenario and
motivates it by travelling across multiple lines of longitude/time zones.
Remember:
Time zones → body clock → JET LAG
Flight Fatigue
Flight fatigue is tiredness associated with the long journey/flight itself.
The key distinction for exam questions is:
Jet lag Flight fatigue
Linked to crossing time zones Linked to the journey/long flight
Body clock disrupted Traveller becomes physically tired
Adjustment to local time is involved Not primarily caused by a change in time zone
Likely exam question
A tourist flies from New York to Johannesburg and experiences a travel-related condition. Identify
the condition and give a reason.
Answer:
Jet lag ✓✓
Reason: The tourist travelled across multiple time zones/lines of longitude. ✓✓
That identify + motivate format is exactly what you need to practise for the prelim.
Travel documents, health and safety
Travel Documents, Health & Tourist Safety — Study Notes
Passport
A passport is an official identification document used for international travel.
Remember: Passport = WHO you are
Visa
A visa gives a traveller permission to enter/stay in a foreign country, according to that country's
requirements.
Remember: Visa = PERMISSION to enter
In the supplied 2024 prelim scenario, passport and visa were the two expected compulsory travel
documents for the Protea team's trip to New York.
4
MA’AM JAY
Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus
GRADE 12 TOURISM
2026 PRELIM STUDY PACK
Scope-based revision notes + high-probability exam focus
This pack is based on the supplied 2026 preliminary examination scope and the supplied 2023-2024
preliminary/NSC papers and memorandums. It is a study guide, not a claim that exact questions are
known.
1. Official 2026 Prelim Scope
The preliminary examination is 3 hours, 200 marks, and assesses the full curriculum. The official
scope divides the paper as follows:
Section Topics Marks
A Contextual questions - all topics 40
B Map work and tour planning; 50
Foreign exchange
C Tourist attractions; Cultural and 50
heritage tourism; Marketing
D Tourism sectors; Sustainable 30
and responsible tourism
E Domestic, regional and 30
international tourism;
Communication and customer
care
Study priority: Sections B and C together account for 100/200 marks, but Section A can test
terminology from the entire curriculum.
Priority 1 — Mapwork, Tour Planning, Time Zones & Foreign Exchange
This is the area I would master first. Your June scope allocates about ±70 marks to Units 3–9
& 12 and specifically names tour planning, itineraries, budgets, health and safety, travel
documentation, world time calculations and foreign exchange.
Very likely question styles:
• Calculate world times between countries.
• Work across the International Date Line.
• Calculate arrival/departure times using flight duration.
• Interpret a map/route.
• Compile or interpret a day-by-day itinerary.
1
MA’AM JAY
,Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
• Calculate a tour budget.
• Identify appropriate travel documents.
• Apply health/safety information to a tourist scenario.
• Convert rand foreign currency.
• Interpret an exchange-rate table.
Study focus: Do calculations repeatedly. Knowing definitions won't be enough if the
question gives you a scenario.
2. SECTION B - Map Work and Tour Planning
World time zones
South Africa uses UTC +2. Greenwich is UTC 0. Places east of Greenwich are generally ahead of UTC;
places west are generally behind.
Here’s that section rewritten as clear study notes you can actually
learn from:
World Time Calculations — Study Notes
Find the UTC position of both destinations.
Example: South Africa = UTC +2, New York = UTC -5.
Calculate the time difference.
Compare the two UTC positions.
Example: +2 to -5 = 7 hours difference.
Decide whether to add or subtract time.
If the destination is ahead, add the time difference.
If the destination is behind, subtract the time difference.
Check for Daylight Saving Time (DST).
If the question says DST applies, adjust the destination’s time by 1 hour before completing the
calculation.
For flight-time questions:
First work out the correct local time at the destination, then add the flight duration for an arrival
question.
For a departure-time question, you may need to work backwards from the arrival time.
Always check the date.
If your answer passes 24:00, move to the next day.
If it goes before 00:00, move to the previous day.
International Date Line (IDL).
It is located at approximately 180° longitude and is linked to a change in calendar date.
2
MA’AM JAY
,Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
Easy rule to remember
UTC → Difference → Ahead/Behind → DST → Flight time → Date
Example
South Africa = UTC +2
New York = UTC -5
Departure from SA = 08:00
Flight time = 12 hours
Time difference = 7 hours
New York is behind SA:
08:00 − 7 hours = 01:00
Add flight time:
01:00 + 12 hours = 13:00
Arrival time: 13:00
That is the exact type of method you should practise repeatedly for prelim calculations.
DST, jet lag and flight fatigue
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
DST means that clocks are adjusted by one hour during part of the year in countries that use it.
For your exam:
• Always check whether the question says DST applies.
• Adjust the relevant time zone before doing the final calculation.
• South Africa does not use DST in the supplied Tourism material.
• A DST mistake can make your entire calculation one hour incorrect.
Remember:
See DST → adjust time → then calculate.
Jet Lag
Jet lag happens when a tourist travels across multiple time zones, disrupting the body's internal
clock.
Possible effects include:
• Difficulty sleeping
• Tiredness
3
MA’AM JAY
, Grade 12 Tourism Prelims: Prediction & Study Focus 2026 NSC
• Difficulty concentrating
• Body taking time to adjust to the destination's local time
The supplied 2024 memorandum identifies jet lag in its New York–South Africa scenario and
motivates it by travelling across multiple lines of longitude/time zones.
Remember:
Time zones → body clock → JET LAG
Flight Fatigue
Flight fatigue is tiredness associated with the long journey/flight itself.
The key distinction for exam questions is:
Jet lag Flight fatigue
Linked to crossing time zones Linked to the journey/long flight
Body clock disrupted Traveller becomes physically tired
Adjustment to local time is involved Not primarily caused by a change in time zone
Likely exam question
A tourist flies from New York to Johannesburg and experiences a travel-related condition. Identify
the condition and give a reason.
Answer:
Jet lag ✓✓
Reason: The tourist travelled across multiple time zones/lines of longitude. ✓✓
That identify + motivate format is exactly what you need to practise for the prelim.
Travel documents, health and safety
Travel Documents, Health & Tourist Safety — Study Notes
Passport
A passport is an official identification document used for international travel.
Remember: Passport = WHO you are
Visa
A visa gives a traveller permission to enter/stay in a foreign country, according to that country's
requirements.
Remember: Visa = PERMISSION to enter
In the supplied 2024 prelim scenario, passport and visa were the two expected compulsory travel
documents for the Protea team's trip to New York.
4
MA’AM JAY
