Assessment Information for Preliminary and HSC Courses 2003

The information has been prepared to assist in understanding the procedure used in the Preliminary and HSC Courses for the award of the Higher School Certificate.

• Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students' learning.
• The key purpose of assessment in the new HSC are to provide information on student achievement and progress in each course in relation to the syllabus standards and to report on the standard of performance attained at the end of the course.
• The award of a Higher School Certificate recognizes the achievement of the students at the end of Stage 6.
• Formal assessment and certification of students' achievements include the:
  
  • Determination of satisfactory achievement and completion of the Preliminary Course.
  • Provision of internal assessment mark for Board Developed Higher School Certificate courses.
  • Provision of an examination mark from Higher School Certificate external examination.
  • Reporting in Higher School Certificate documents of specific descriptions of student performance.
    
• The new HSC is a standards-reference approach to assessment and reporting. A standards reference approach means that the achievements of student are assessed and reported against specific standards that are established for each course:

  In the new HSC these standards are:

  • The knowledge, skills and understandings expected to be learnt by students as a result of studying the course
  • The syllabus standard
  • The levels of achievement of the knowledge, skills and understanding (reported in 6 bands)
  • The performance standard

  Together they specify what is to be learned and how well it is to be achieved.

• In addition, VET course assessments are ongoing and students will be deemed competent or not yet competent. Students have many opportunities to demonstrate achievement of units of competency over the 240 hours course.
• Assessment tasks in the VET course follow the same rules and procedures as other preliminary HSC course. However, assessment marks are only used in the course of illness or misadventure for the optional HSC exam.
• Assessments measure students' achievements over a wider range of each HSC course than the area which can be tested in an examination.
• Students will be evaluated throughout the course rather than just at the end of the course. Assessment measure performance in the whole course.
• The final assessment must cover all the course objectives including those objectives measured by the HSC examination. Assessments are required for both Board Developed and Board Endorsed courses. All students are expected to carry out all the assessments tasks in each course studied.
• For each course the Board of Studies produces a syllabus, a statement of subject rules, an Assessment guide and a list of prescribed texts, works and projects (where applicable). Copies are provided to school libraries to give easy access by students, parents and other interested persons.
• Students must satisfy the assessments requirements for the preliminary course before commencing the HSC course. Assessment for the HSC course must not commence until the completion of the preliminary Course.

  In the Case of the VET courses, assessment can span over the preliminary and HSC course without distinction between the two courses of study.

Assessment Requirements

• Each Subject department is required to design an assessment program in each course taught within the school
• The combined set of assessments tasks in each Board Determined course must comply with the components and weightings as laid down in the subject guides provided by the Board.
• Students are to be informed of the assessment for each course before the commencement of the assessment program. This information can include:
  
  1. The specified components and their weightings.
  2. The nature of each assessment task (eg written test, assignment, field trip, lecturette project, practical work etc).
  3. The time when each assessment task will occur.
  4. the mark value of each task in relation to the total number of marks for the course.
  5. Where the assessment will take place eg classroom, workplacement.
• Each assessment task must assess the students' actual performance, not potential performance. The assessment cannot be modified to take into account possible effects of illness, domestic situations or misadventure, except in the case of Life Skill candidates.
• Access program options recognise that these students may require additional time to achieve competence, but they are not separate courses. They allow students to undertake fewer units of competency/modules within an approved course and timeframe (as identified in students ITP) than would normally be required. Students may undertake access program option:
  • School Delivered VET - In all 8 Industry Curriculum Frameworks
  • TAFE Delivered VET - in all TVET Courses
• Assessment tasks for different subjects will be due or done in class on selected days nominated on the school calendar. Students may have more than one assessment task on one day
• Variation of assessment tasks schedule needs to be approved by the Principal.
• Application for variation needs to be made in writing to Head Teacher, who will forward it to the Principal for endorsement.

  Written or hand in assigned work:

  1. Will not be accepted after the date due. In the case of illness or misadventure the circumstances (supported by medical or other evidence) should be brought to the notice of Head Teachers
  2. No assignment is to be re-submitted for assessment.