2002 HSC Update Parents and Carers Newsletter 1
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND CARERS – NEWSLETTER 1
This Newsletter is available in Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc/
THE 2002 HSC EXAMINATIONS
The New HSC at a glance
The changes to the Higher School Certificate introduced in 2000 after extensive consultation are the most significant in senior secondary schooling in over 30 years.
The new HSC has retained strong features of the previous system, including the equal contribution of both school-based assessments and public examinations to students’ final HSC results. At the same time, it now has a fully revised and updated curriculum and a much fairer method of assessing and reporting student achievement.
In the previous HSC, a limit was placed on the numbers of students who could receive high marks in a course and there were fixed numbers of students placed in each mark range according to a statistical model.
This is no longer the case. Students now get the marks they earn. In the HSC, results are now reported in terms of the knowledge and skills students demonstrate. The report for each course shows the mark obtained, the description of the standard demonstrated in getting that mark and the statewide results for that course.
How are the examinations different?
HSC examination papers now contain extra features to give students a better understanding of what they are expected to do:
- instructions and questions are clearer
- the demands of the questions are explicit
- a variety of question types allow students to show what they know and can do
- students know the number of marks allocated to each question
- students have a clearer sense of what they need to show in their answers in order to earn high marks.
Setting the 2002 HSC examinations
The process of setting an HSC examination paper begins in October of the previous year when examination committees of experienced teachers and expert academics are established for each course.
These committees write a draft HSC exam paper and then prepare guidelines for marking each question.
Once the draft exam is developed many checks are made. Some examples include:
- an experienced HSC teacher who is expert in the subject ‘sits’ the examination to check that students will be able to complete it in the time allowed
- the teacher also comments on how well the paper covers the syllabus and whether the language used is clear
- checking the exam questions and marking guidelines to ensure they are testing the syllabus fairly and allow for fair marking.
Additional steps in 2002
Following a review of the 2001 HSC examination more steps have been included from this year:
- examination committees receive extra help to make sure that exams cover appropriate syllabus content and outcomes
- extra checks are made to optional exam questions to get them to a similar level of difficulty
- a check is made to identify and amend questions that are too narrow or too broad
- marking guidelines are checked to make sure they are flexible enough to reward a variety of student responses.
After these quality checks have been completed, the papers are finalised and printed.
Marking the 2002 HSC examinations
The Higher School Certificate examinations are marked by several thousand highly experienced teachers in marking centres across NSW.
Careful procedures are followed so that every student’s examination answer is awarded a correct and appropriate mark.
Marking Guidelines
Marking guidelines for each question are prepared by the examination committee at the time of setting the examination paper. At the marking centre, the supervisor of marking, the chair of the examination committee and senior markers check the appropriateness of the marking guidelines by reading a wide range of responses. If necessary the marking guidelines are modified or examples that illustrate different ways that students can earn a particular mark are added.
Briefing and pilot (practice) marking
All markers are carefully briefed on the criteria for awarding marks for the questions they are marking. They then begin practice marking in small groups, discussing the marks they are awarding. Actual marking does not commence until markers show that they understand the marking standards.
Check marking
Throughout marking, an experienced senior marker examines a significant proportion of marked answers and checks the accuracy of the marks awarded by each marker.
Double marking
All answers that involve a long written response are marked twice and each marker is unaware of the other mark given. These two marks are averaged to give the final mark. If the two marks are too far apart the response is re-marked by a third marker before the final mark is agreed on.
Control scripts
Each day, each marker in the marking team marks the same student response to a question. These markings are compared and any difference is explored. This process maintains consistency throughout the marking.
Improvements in 2002
This year:
- all supervisors of marking have undergone extra training in how to check and adjust marking guidelines
- the chair of the examination committee will be at the marking
centre to explain the marking guidelines to the markers and to
change them if necessary.
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