2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – Hospitality
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Hospitality course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2014 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Hospitality Curriculum Framework Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2014 Higher School Certificate Hospitality examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for students sitting for HSC VET examinations
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Hospitality in Stage 6.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- knowing the role of the Environmental Health Officer (Q.16 (a))
- understanding chemical storage and usage (Q.16 (b))
- listing the features of effective written communication (Q.17 (a))
- understanding factors that influence the selection of communication media (Q.17 (b))
- referring to both customers and colleagues (Q.17 (b))
- identifying hazards and their associated risks (Q.18 (a))
- demonstrating understanding of risk control measures in relation to using electrical equipment (Q.18 (b))
- linking the communication skills with the provision of good customer service (Q.19 (b))
- identifying the benefits of good customer service (Q.19 (c))
- linking the concepts of self-reflection and ongoing learning, clearly indicating the consequences of both (Q.20)
- supporting answers with industry-specific examples (Q.16, Q.17 and Q.18).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- differentiating between the role of an Environmental Health Officer and the role of the Food Act (Q.16 (a))
- outlining rather than listing (Q.17 (a))
- demonstrating understanding of the hierarchy of risk control (Q.18 (b))
- differentiating between safety and hygiene issues (Q.18)
- describing or explaining where required, instead of just listing (Q.19)
- addressing all aspects of the question (Q.20).
Section III
Question 21
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- demonstrating knowledge of a range of strategies for establishments to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner
- demonstrating knowledge of current issues of concern.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- understanding the key term in the question – for example, many students described strategies, rather than assessing
- incorporating relevant hospitality industry examples and industry terminology.
Section IV
Question 22 – Commercial Cookery
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying the features of a standard recipe card and linking its importance to preparing food items in a hospitality establishment (part (a))
- identifying a range of relevant problems associated with a variety of methods of cookery (part (b))
- providing indicators of how problems could be identified and explaining how each problem could be solved (part (b))
- using relevant industry examples, terminology and evidence in their responses (parts (a) and (b)).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- demonstrating understanding of the importance of standardising features of a recipe used in the preparation of food items in a hospitality establishment (part (a))
- demonstrating knowledge of the common indicators, such as appearance, texture and aroma, used to assess the quality of cooked items (part (b))
- identifying problems linked to indicators, rather than problems associated with safety and HACCP (part (b))
- integrating relevant examples and the use of industry terminology to illustrate their response (part (b)).
Question 23 – Food and Beverage
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- identifying common delays and deficiencies of service in a restaurant, such as staffing issues and problems relating to technology (part (a))
- outlining how delays in the front-of-house operations may influence service in a restaurant (part (a))
- identifying a variety of procedures necessary to plan and prepare for service in a restaurant (part (b))
- providing reasons for the need to follow plans and procedures to ensure efficient daily operations in a restaurant (part (b)).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing clear explanations of a range of delays and deficiencies and the specific effects on service in a restaurant (part (a))
- focusing on the plans and procedures related to the front-of-house operations (part (b))
- linking setting up and planning procedures to enable the efficient flow of service throughout the front of house (part (b)).
Question 24 – Accommodation Services
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing relevant examples of product knowledge associated with hotel reservations (part (a))
- identifying products and services in accommodation services (part (b))
- identifying the needs and/or expectations of customers in accommodation services (part (b)).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- identifying the different types of bookings, eg corporate, inbound, group package (part (a))
- demonstrating knowledge of receiving and processing reservations (part (a))
- explaining why product knowledge is required by hotel employees who receive and process reservations (part (a))
- demonstrating knowledge of selling techniques
- linking the selling technique, the service or product example, and the needs and expectations of the customer (part (b)).
NSW Government