Abstract
Mathematics is an essential course in the study of engineering. It can be argued that mathematics is the
backbone of engineering. It is important for educators to have an understanding of the varying backgrounds of
students and the way in which this affects their learning. This information will have an impact on teaching methods
in the classroom which will ensure that they are inclusive and not exclusive. This is especially true in South Africa
where we have a range of schools with different standards even though the final examination is the same. There
seems to be a gap that exists between high school and first year engineering mathematics programs. First year
engineering mathematics programs seem to present school learners joining the program with significant problems.
This article attempted to identify whether there is a mathematics knowledge gap in South Africa. What the impact
of this gap on engineering students was and who was responsible to address this problem. This study evaluated the
differences between matric mathematics and university engineering mathematics 1. BTech and first year students
interviewed and their opinion solicited with regard to the existence of a knowledge gap between matric
mathematics and engineering mathematics 1. The pass rate for engineering mathematics 1 was compared over the
past four years (2014 to 2017) to determine influence of CAPS on the engineering mathematics 1 results.