In FocusHSC

2019-2020

HSC awards HSC Testamur HSC Record of Achievement

Record Of Achievement

School based assessment

mark

HSC Examination mark

HSC Mark

Performance Band

• Assessment mark - school-based assessment. Schools submit an HSC assessment mark based on performance in assessment tasks for every student in every course.

• Examination mark - the examination mark for each course shows the student's performance in the HSC examination for that course.

• HSC mark - the HSC mark is a 50:50 combination of a student's external examination mark and school-based assessment mark for each course.

• Performance band - a student's HSC mark for each course will fall within one of six performance bands, where the highest achievement is Band 6 (90 - 100) and where the minimum standard expected is 50.

Record Of Achievement

The following steps are involved in producing the HSC results for students for each course they study:

=HSC MARK

ASSESSMENTS The importance of assessment ranking

• Students complete a number of assessment tasks (4) including the Trial Examination.

• Each task is weighted as outlined in the assessment calendar

• Schools submit the assessment mark to NESA –students are not informed of their mark, only their RANK.

• NESA moderates the marks to allow comparison of marks across different schools.

Asssessment Mark

For each course the procedure adjusts the

• mean school assessments the mean examination marks

• top school assessment mark top examination mark

• bottom assessment mark bottom examination mark

• All other assessment marks are adjusted accordingly.

* not always

Moderation By NESA

ExampleThe following table (with figures rounded for simplicity) shows the school assessment marks, the examination marks and the moderated assessment marks obtained by a hypothetical group of six students who studied Modern History at Example High School. The rank order of the students on each set of marks is also given:

• When marks are moderated the RANKINGS do not change.

• If you are ranked No. 1 in the school assessment you will always gain the highest moderated assessment mark regardless of how you perform in the exam.

The Importance of Ranking

• Your assessment results could ultimately decide whether you achieve a band 5 or 6

• Failing to complete an assessment task or late submission could mean a significant drop in your ranking

• Always doing your best at assessment tasks can make all the difference to your final HSC mark (and your ATAR)

NESA RegulationsYear 12 In Focus

Adapted from NESA 2020 Higher School Certificate Rules and Procedures

To satisfactorily complete a course you must:

1. Follow the course

2. Apply yourself with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences that the school provided in the course

3. Achieve some or all of the outcomes

Completion Requirements

• When tasks are not submitted by the due date an N award warning letter will be sent home.

• The task MUST be completed satisfactorily to clear the N award.

• The task may receive a zero mark

• An N award that is not resolved may lead to unsatisfactory completion of that subject and ultimately the non award of a HSC

N Awards

• You must be entirely honest when completing all your assessment tasks, exams and submitted works.

• Always acknowledge any part of your work that is written, created or developed by someone else.

Failure to do so may result in zero marks being awarded.

Honesty And Integrity

• Any form of malpractice including plagiarism is unacceptable and must be reported to NESA.

• This may limit your marks and jeopardise your HSC. For example;• using information from internet without acknowledging the source

• Buying, stealing or borrowing someone else’s work• Paying someone to complete your work• Cheating in an exam

• You may be required to explain your work and answer questions about your task.

Malpractice

• If you have a disability that would, in a normal exam situation prevent you from:• Reading the exam questions• Communicating responses

• Disability provisions may provide you with• Extra time• Rest breaks• Scribe• Separate supervision

• Application is a lengthy process and must be completed by the end of Term 1

Disability Provisions

• You must certify that the work is your own

• Teachers must:

• monitor and record your progress on your submitted work and certify that:

• it is your work

• you did the work under the supervision of the teacher

• it was finished by the due date

Performance and Submitted Works

ALL ABOUT ATAR!!??!!!

• ATAR – Australian Tertiary Admission Rank

• The ATAR is a rank calculated by UAC (Universities Admission Centre) that allows the comparison of students who have completed different combinations of HSC courses.

• a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position relative to all the students in their age group. So, an ATAR of 80.00 means that you are 20 per cent from the top of your age group

• The ATAR is calculated solely for use by institutions to rank and select school leavers for admission to tertiary courses.

• The ATAR is not a mark but a number that indicates position in relation to other students solely used to allocate university placements.

• UAC releases the ATAR the day after the NESA releases the HSC results.

What is the ATAR?

• UAC calculates the university admission ranks each year using students’:• moderated assessment marks and• total exam marks

• The ATAR is based on an aggregate of scaled marks in 10 units of ATAR courses comprising: • two units of English and • best eight units from the remaining units. No more than two units of Category B courses can be included.

• The calculation of the ATAR is a complex process that begins with scaling the raw HSC marks and ends with ranking against the entire cohort.

How is ATAR calculated?

• Most HSC marks lie between 50 and 100 so the middle students will receive a mark between 70-80. The middle students in most courses will be likely to receive an ATAR of approx. 70.

• So, for your ATAR position is what counts not your HSC mark.

• You cannot calculate the ATAR from the HSC marks.

Why is my ATAR low in comparison to my HSC mark?

Fred and Laura’s results

FRED LAURASUBJECT UNITS MARK PERCENTILE MARK PERCENTILE

Biology 2 70 38 80 70

Business Studies 2 70 35 80 66

English 2 70 9 80 47

Mathematics 2 70 27 80 55

Modern History 2 70 25 80 62

Visual Arts 2 70 15 80 54

ATAR 57.05 80.15

An Example

• So...... HSC results start NOW!!!!

• Every assessment task is contributing to the HSC mark and ATAR (if required)

• START NOW!!

• NESA ( NSW Education Standards Authority)

www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au

• Syllabus• Past HSC papers

• Study tips

• https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/results-certificates/understanding-results

• ARC - Assessment resource centre

https://arc.bostes.nsw.edu.au

• Standards packages• On line multiple choice quiz• Work samples

• UAC - University Admissions centre

www.uac.edu.au

• University websites