Port Hacking High School Higher School Certificate Information Night Monday 24 February 2014

What does ‘satisfactory completion’ mean? To satisfactorily complete a course, students must: follow the course developed or endorsed by the Board –apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort –achieve the course outcomes. –Satisfactory completion can be judged by; level of involvement in class, class assignments and tasks completed formal assessment tasks and level of achievement. Failure to meet one or more of these requirements may lead to an 'N' or 'Non-completion' determination. An 'N' determination for a course may make a student ineligible for the HSC.

Special Provisions Students who need additional time, access to computers or special examinations papers – i.e. large print, can apply for special provisions. The application form is available from the school counsellor.

Illness/ Misadventure. If a student is unable to sit an examination then they may apply for illness/misadventure at the time of the examinations.

How is the HSC mark calculated ? The HSC mark for each subject is a 50:50 combination of a student’s examination mark and school-based assessment mark for each course. There is no overall mark for the HSC.

Assessment Marks School-based assessment tasks measure performance in a wider range of course outcomes than can be tested in an external examination. Students are required to complete a number of assessment tasks for most courses which may include tests, written or oral assignments, practical activities, oral tasks, fieldwork and projects. Schools submit an HSC assessment mark based on performance in these tasks for every student in every course. This mark ranks the students. The Board puts the marks through a process of moderation to allow a fair comparison of marks in each course across different schools.

Moderation of Marks. The assessment marks for each school/course group are moderated according to the same group’s examination performance. This process maintains both the rank order of students within the school group and the relative gaps between them.

The moderation process adjusts submitted assessment marks using three points: 1.The mean of the school group’s assessments is adjusted to equal to the mean of the examination marks obtained by the students in that group. 2.The top assessment mark is adjusted to equal to the highest examination mark obtained by any student in the group. 3.Where possible, the bottom moderated assessment is equal to the lowest examination mark obtained by any student in the group.

What is scaling? Scaling is the first step in calculating the ATAR and scaled marks (not HSC marks) are used in the ATAR calculation. Scaling is necessary because HSC students take all kinds of different courses, and scaling allows courses to be compared fairly. The same HSC marks in different courses are not necessarily equal.

What is scaling? “The scaling process is designed to encourage students to take the courses for which they are best suited and which best prepare them for their future studies…The scaling algorithm estimates what students’ marks would have been if all courses had been studied by all students.” UAC Report on the Scaling of 2012 NSW HSC p6

Can I work out what my ATAR will be from my HSC marks? No you can't. Remember that your scaled marks (not your HSC marks) are used to calculate your ATAR. Your ATAR isn't an average mark, it is a rank that indicates your position. However, as a general rule, if you are in the middle group of students enrolled in your courses (with marks in the 70s) you are likely to get an ATAR in the upper-60s. But sometimes marks in the 70s can mean a much lower ATAR depending on your courses and your position in your courses.

Are certain courses ‘scaled up’ or ‘scaled down’? No, scaling is carried out each year. If the quality of the candidature changes, the scaled mean will also change. Is it true that if I study certain courses I can’t get a high ATAR? No, there are students in every course who achieve high ATARs.

More Information? Board of Studies website HSC Online : UAC