“You have to write the test yourself?!” American student shocked by SA schools

Updated | By Skyye Ndlovu

This viral TikTok sparked a SA vs US education showdown. Is school in SA harder than USA?

South Africa’s schooling system is not simple. It’s layered, intense, and depending on where you went to school… mildly traumatic.

While South Africa ranks lower than many developed countries in average literacy, maths, and science scores; our curriculum is highly structured, exam-driven, and academically rigorous, especially in high school.

Now, thanks to TikTok, South Africans are debating whether our schools are secretly tougher than America’s.

ALSO READ: Study: Nearly quarter of Grade 3s can’t read in their home language

It all started when an American student studying in SA took to TikTok to vent about how difficult school is here.

What did he say?

Mal complained that:

There are too many assignments.
Teachers “barely teach.”
Students get work they have to figure out at home. Uhm… sir. That’s called homework.

It didn’t stop there, though. He also complained that tests in South Africa are harder because “you have to write the whole test yourself.”

As opposed to… outsourcing it?

To make matters worse, in his first four weeks, he’s already had four assignments with another due soon.

For many South African students, that’s just… February.

Take a look at his frustrated rant here:

@mal_be_trippin Man I’m read to graduate #fyp #southafrica #school #mal ♬ original sound - Boofpaxkmooky

The comments section quickly turned into an international education summit.

One user wrote: “We have real school. You learn the concepts so you can apply them.”

Another joked: “So you’re telling me I could get into Harvard?”

And then the question everyone was thinking: “‘You have to write the test yourself’… who else is supposed to write it?”

One commenter delivered the ultimate warning: “It’s only Term 1. This is the easiest term.”

ALSO READ: SA vs USA: Top 3 things South Africa does better than America

Brutal, but beyond the jokes, it raised an interesting question:

Is South Africa’s schooling system actually tougher than America’s?

Or is it just… different?

Let’s compare...

Assignments - Who gets more?

South African schools give structured assignments that usually count toward your final mark. They’re formal, graded, and taken seriously.

American students also get assignments, but many are graded as classwork, quizzes, or participation, rather than big formal tasks.

So it’s not that Americans don’t get work. Ours just feels more official and high-pressure.

Tests - Do we write more?

Yes. South African tests generally lean heavily on written answers. You explain. You motivate. You show your thinking.

American tests are often a mix of multiple choice, short answers, and essays. Multiple choice is more common, but writing is still required in subjects like English, history, and science.

So no, Americans don’t just colour in bubbles all day. SA just expects more written responses overall.