2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Financial Services
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Financial Services course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2015 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 Financial Services Curriculum Framework Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2015 Higher School Certificate Financial Services examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for candidates attempting 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 Financial Services in Stage 6.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- explaining how to calculate the break-even point (Q17b)
- describing strategies to prevent bullying in the workplace (Q19a)
- calculating straight line depreciation (Q20b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- explaining why a calculation is needed (Q16a)
- understanding the rationale behind accounting practices (Q16a)
- calculating debits and credits (Q20C).
Section III
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using industry terminology
- understanding various legal issues that affect the financial services industry
- providing relevant examples.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- analysing the effects of legislation on the financial services industry
- incorporating relevant examples within the analysis.
Section IV
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the effects of bad and doubtful debts on the company (Q22b)
- understanding paper and electronic document storage (Q23a).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- linking the security measures to the conversion process (Q23b)
- understanding the nature of the short-term money market (Q24c)
- providing sufficient detail and depth to responses.
NSW Government