Talanoa Volume 3

The Australian Scaling Test and University Entrance A number of parents have asked about the AST exam that is coming up for our Year 12 students who are completing the Australian Capital Territories Senior Secondary Certificate. This is particularly as the students have received their Student Information Bulletin this week.

The AST (ACT Scaling Test) is sat in September by all students doing a T package (getting ready for university entrance next year). It is a means of comparison between schools as all schools sit the same examinations and allows the students to attain an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) which is used for entrance cut-offs by many universities around the world.

The students will sit three tests which are set by ACER (the Australian Council for Educational Research).

There is the Multiple Choice Test (2 hours and 15 minutes), the Short Response Test (1 hour and 45 minutes) and the Writing Task (2 hours and 30 minutes). The tests are designed to be accessible to all students and students must make what is deemed a ‘serious attempt’ for all three tests. Should you wish to sight an example of the types of questions, please go to http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/__data/ assets/pdf_file/0008/313874/ACT_Scaling_Test_Sample_Questions_2013.pdf Once you have a look at some of the questions, I am sure you will join me in deciding that this is not an easy test!

At ISS students start to prepare for this exam in Year 11 and continue in Year 12 by completing a number of mock AST exams (held at the start of term or, in some cases, where extra practice may be deemed necessary, during term-time). We also dedicate class time each week to reviewing questions and have recently sent Year 12 Mock Writing Task scripts to Canberra for external marking. Teachers are also incorporating tasks into classroom learning and assessment that are very similar to the types of questions found in the AST exams which help to build student skills. This process is proving to be invaluable.

It isn’t easy to prepare for this examination as we are not allowed to supply students with past papers except as Mock Examinations. The best preparation is for students to read Australian newspapers online, ensure that they keep abreast with World news and key topical events or ideas. Discussing such issues with your child is really important as students are expected to think critically, formulate their own opinions and effectively express their ideas in the exams. Similarly, being able to write logically with clear arguments is a skill that helps with the writing task.

Should you need any further information the BSSS website is the best source, this is http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/information_for_students/act_scaling_test. Once students have an ATAR they can then use this ranking to apply for universities around the world. Just so you are aware, if a student gets an ATAR of 88 then this means they are in the top 12% compared to students eligible to be in Year 12. Many university websites will cite a cut-off rank for entrance for a program and in some cases universities also allow ‘bonus points’ which can build ATARs as well. Normally this would be published on the university’s website under admissions. Often parents question how universal the ATAR is and in answer, ISS students have entered undergraduate degree programs at Edinburgh University, Oxford University, New York University, McMasters University and of course, universities across Australia and New Zealand to name a few. In 2015, a student obtained a scholarship to a nursing program in Norway based on her ATAR. It is a universally recognized means of tertiary entrance!

Megan Navunisaravi