Year 11 | 2025 Assessment Handbook
Version 2.0
Year 11 | 2025 Assessment Handbook
9 Drama AT1
Food Technology AT1
History Modern AT1
VET Hospitality AT1
Studies of Religion AT1
PVDI AT1
Earth & Environ AT1
Mathematics Adv AT1
VET Outdoor Rec AT3
Chemistry AT1
10 VET Construction AT1
English Studies AT1
Physics AT1
PVDI AT2
Music 1 AT1
English Standard AT1
English Advanced AT1
Legal Studies AT1
Mathematics Ext AT1
VET Outdoor Rec AT4,5,6,7
Drama AT2
English Standard AT2
English Advanced AT2
History Ancient AT2
History Modern AT2
Society & Culture AT2
Preliminary Exams
VET Construction AT2
PVDI AT3
Biology AT2
Investigating Science AT2
Chemistry AT2
Preliminary Exams
* NOTE: Scheduling of tasks in this handbook may change due to unforeseen circumstances. In this event, students will be given a minimum of two weeks’ notice of a change in due date.
Assessment Policy
Overview of Assessment
During the school year teachers will give students feedback on their progress in the courses that are being studied. This feedback will take many forms, for example, a comment in class, a written comment on a piece of work corrected by the teacher, the result of a topic test, a mark or grade given for a piece of work, a discussion about a practical task. This type of assessment and its results help students form an impression about how they are progressing in each course.
However, at various times during Years 10-12 teachers are required by NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) to formalise their assessment of students’ progress. To do this, teachers administer what are referred to as ‘Assessment tasks’. Performance on these Assessment tasks is one of the factors that determine whether a student satisfactorily completes the requirements for the ROSA or HSC courses. The results of the Assessment tasks administered during the HSC course are reported on the Higher School Certificate with the HSC exam mark
This booklet provides details of the formal Assessment tasks that will be administered in the various subjects and of the procedures that teachers and students will be asked to follow in the administration of these Assessment tasks. The Assessment tasks are based on the guidelines issued to schools by NESA. Each school must follow the components contained in the guidelines, although schools will differ in how they assess the components.
Why use Assessments?
Assessment tasks assist teachers in measuring student achievement in a course. Many tasks assess aspects of the course that cannot be measured in a formal examination, for example, practical skills oral skills, and performance on fieldwork.
A variety of assessment tasks lessen the pressure of examinations and increase the accuracy of the final ROSA or HSC result by reporting on a number of outcomes of the course. Students who do not always do well in examinations have other means of demonstrating success and may acquire more confidence in their ability to achieve outcomes.
To cope with Assessment tasks, students are encouraged to be organised in their study routine and to work consistently throughout the year.
When does Assessment begin and end?
Year 10 and Year 11 Assessment begins in Term 1. HSC course Assessment begins during Term Four of Year 11 and ends towards the end of Term 3 of Year 12. HSC course Assessment will only commence if the Preliminary course has been completed.
How often will Assessment occur?
NESA says that schools are to set sufficient Assessment tasks to obtain a reliable indication of the relative achievement of each student. They ask that schools do not over-asses and thereby overwhelm students with Assessment tasks.
Stage 6 assessment requirements
From Term 4, 2018, schools started teaching the new school-based assessment requirements for all Stage 6 (Year 11 and 12) Board Developed Courses (excluding VET, Life Skills and Content Endorsed Courses).
Part of the Stronger HSC Standards reforms, the changes to each course include:
mandatory components and weightings for both Year 11 and Year 12 courses
capping the maximum number of formal assessment tasks to three in Year 11 and four in Year 12
capping the number of formal written examination tasks that mimic the HSC examination to one per course, with a maximum weighting of 30% for the Year 12 course
Assessment does not :
1. measure attitude or values,
2. take conduct into account.
Note, however, that students must apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort for satisfactory completion of the HSC courses.
What should students be told about Assessment?
Students should be aware of the assessment requirements in each course that they undertake. Students are not told the assessment mark that is submitted to NESA by the College at the end of year 12. However, details of the position a student has obtained in a course (the rank order) are available at the time of the HSC.
Each school has a responsibility to tell the student the following information about each course:
1. the components and weighting as specified by the NESA,
2. the general nature of each Assessment task,
3. a schedule of when Assessment tasks are planned to take place,
4. the importance or weight of each task (Stage 6 only)
5. details of administrative arrangements associated with each task (e.g. absence, late submission),
6. details of the school’s policy on malpractice,
7. details of the procedure to be implemented if tasks produce invalid or unreliable results, and
8. details of the procedures for dealing with student appeals arising from Assessment tasks.
The information that follows outlines the College’s policies and procedures in relation to Assessment in Years 10-12. It is the student’s responsibility to familiarise themselves with the detail of these procedures. Ignorance is no excuse for not correctly following these procedures.
Assessment Policies and Procedures
Timing of Assessment
Prior to commencement of Assessment in any given term, Assessment tasks will be published to Canvas at least two weeks prior to when each task is due.
Prior to the assessment task, the class teacher will go through the notice of assessment with their class. It is the responsibility of any student who is absent from school when assessment information is given out to check the portal information for the class they missed and to obtain the appropriate details from their teacher upon their return to school.
Tasks Completed Outside the Classroom
Tasks such as major works, research projects, and assignments are to be entirely the student’s own work, or students will be considered guilty of malpractice and will probably be given a mark of zero (see later in this booklet for details of malpractice).
Submission of Tasks
Tasks are to be submitted per the instructions given on the Assessment task notification. Students who are completing assessment tasks using technology, are encouraged to make regular backup copies of their work. Problems with technology will not be accepted as an excuse for non-submission, substandard or incomplete work. If there is a problem with technology, students must be able to show evidence of their progress on a task.
If a teacher is absent on the day an Assessment task is due and the task is a hardcopy hand-in, students will be expected to submit their work either by arrangement with the teacher beforehand or via the Leader of Learning for that subject. Assessment tasks are not to be given to clerical or ancillary staff or to visiting teachers. If a student is on an excursion on the day an Assessment task is due, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for the task to be submitted on time, or prior to the due date.
All students studying VET courses are to ensure that they meet with the class teacher to make arrangements for the submission of a task that is due while the student is on work placement. It is also the responsibility of VET students to ensure that they find out any information about an assessment task that may have been set while the student is on work placement.
Appropriate documentation must be a legitimate original or an authentic copy satisfying the following:
1. Medical certificates must contain the specific dates for which the illness applied as well as the how the illness prevents the student from sitting the assessment task.
2. Medical certificates cannot cover a broad period of time in general terms. For example, "X is unfit for schoolwork during Term 2" or "X is unfit to sit examinations" are not adequate.
3. Medical certificates during the HSC Trial examination period can only cover the day of the missed examination. Certificates covering multiple examinations over multiple days will not be accepted.
4. Medical certificates will not cover an assessment task held outside the dates to which it refers.
5. Medical certificates must be written by a qualified medical practitioner and will not be accepted if written by medical practitioners who are family members of the student.
6. A student who becomes unwell during an examination in the HSC Year must ensure that they notify the Examination supervisor and the Director of Curriculum. They should follow this up, on the day, with an illness/misadventure form and medical certificate.
7. An appropriate agent's report (e.g. police report) must include the reason for inability to sit the assessment task as well as the date, time and location of any incident that caused the student to miss the assessment task.
Note that for Stage 6, NESA instructs schools that the final school Assessment mark is not able to be used to compensate for factors such as extended illness, misadventure or domestic difficulties which may have affected a student’s overall achievement in the course.
Non-serious and non-attempts
NESA defines a non-serious attempt as including frivolous or objectionable material in an answer.
NESA defines a non-attempt in an HSC exam as including only completing multiple-choice questions.
Teachers/markers who consider a student’s answer in an assessment task to be either a non-serious or non-attempt should consult with their Leader of Learning. The Leader of Learning may then refer the issue to the Director of Curriculum.
Students must make a genuine attempt at all Assessment tasks that, taken together, contribute in excess of 50 per cent of the available Assessment marks for the HSC course. If an attempt at a particular task in the HSC scores zero, it is a matter for the teacher’s professional judgement whether the attempt is a genuine one.
Students who do not comply with the Assessment requirements in any HSC course will have neither a moderated Assessment mark nor an Examination mark awarded for that course. In the case of extension courses, students who fail to meet the Assessment requirements for the common part of the course will not receive a result in the course at all.
Malpractice in Tasks
Malpractice/misconduct may include (but is not restricted to):
1. carrying notes or other unauthorised material (e.g., mobile phone or other technology not permitted in an exam) into a task, whether used or not
2. assisting someone in the task by passing notes or communicating with them in some way
3. having someone else sit the task
4. including frivolous or objectionable material in the task
5. soliciting or leaking inside information regarding the task with the view to gaining an unfair advantage for oneself or another student
6. plagiarism
7. generating answers or other parts of a task using artificial intelligence (e.g. ChatGTP) which are not acknowledged and referenced
The usual penalty for malpractice in Assessment tasks will be a mark of zero for that section of the task. This also applies to students who assist others in any way whatsoever to engage in malpractice. With the increase in use of the internet as a source of information in the completion of Assessment tasks, students must ensure that any work that they submit has been adequately referenced. Plagiarism will be deemed as malpractice and students who plagiarise another person’s work may receive a mark of zero for that section of the task.
Referencing of AI tools in assessment tasks
Students should note that the College does not regard any work produced by AI as belonging to the student (as in “All My Own Work”). As such, any text produced by AI must be acknowledged clearly (see below). That is, the use of AI should be acknowledged within your response, and it should be referenced in the bibliography. As with other forms of academic malpractice, a response which is predominantly based on text generated by AI will be subject to penalty (including the possibility of a zero mark being recorded). Use quotation marks to show work directly taken from AI, and acknowledge borrowed ideas as well as words used.
Students should speak to their class teacher about how best to acknowledge any ideas or text borrowed from AI, as different subjects may use different referencing systems.
Example for a bibliography:
Form that an AI bibliography entry should take: “Title of source” prompt. Name of AI Tool, version, Company, Date content was generated, General web address of tool.
Example of a bibliography entry for AI: “Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 June. chat.openai.com/chat
Note: Mandatory reporting of student malpractice in the HSC year is required by NESA
In VET courses, students will be informed of their progress in achieving units of competency by the system, 'competent' or 'not yet competent'. The student's logbook will be completed when competencies are achieved. An estimated mark will be submitted to NESA at the completion of the course. This mark will be obtained from students’ performance in the Trial HSC examination. This mark will only be used in the event of illness or misadventure on the day of the HSC exam.
“N” Determination Procedures
If it appears that a student is at risk of not meeting the assessment requirements of a course, a warning must be given. This warning will be given by the Director of Curriculum and involves advising the student and parent in writing and alerting them to the possible consequences of an 'N' determination. In Years 11 and 12, if a student is to be given an 'N' determination because of failure to complete Assessment tasks totalling more than 50 per cent of the final course Assessment marks, the Principal must advise the student of the determination, its consequences, and the student’s right to a school review and subsequent appeal to NESA.
Note that an “N” determination may be made in a course for reasons other than not meeting assessment requirements, e.g., students who do not attend work placement at the scheduled time, and students who do not apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the teacher. A warning letter will be issued in these cases.
Procedure for appealing an assessment mark
“The teacher must assess the student’s actual performance, not potential performance. Assessment marks must not be modified to take into account possible effects of illness or domestic situations.”
(ACE Manual, https://ace.nesa.nsw.edu.au/ace-8072)
Once a student sits a task, an appeal cannot be made on the basis of illness or other similar issues as outlined in the quote above.
Students may only appeal the result awarded in an assessment task within three (3) school days of the task being returned. Students may not appeal the results of multiple-choice or short answer questions once the assessment task has been returned to the student permanently (e.g. taken home).
Level 1 Appeal
The student immediately informs the class teacher, who consults with the marker or marking team. They may make an adjustment if necessary, based on the specific criteria of the assessment task.
Level 2 Appeal
Should the student not be satisfied with the result of the Level 1 Appeal then they may appeal, but within three (3) school days of the decision of the Level 1 Appeal, to the Leader of Learning of that subject.
English Advanced | 2 Unit
Task # and Name
AT1: Imaginative Response + Justification H/I T1/W10 30%
AT2: Multimodal Speech H T2/W9 30%
AT3: Preliminary Examination E T3/W9 & 10 40%
English Extension 1
Task # and Name
AT1: Extended Response: Texts, Culture and Value I T2/W4 30%
AT2: Independent Research Project H T3/W4 30%
AT3: Preliminary Examination E T3/W9 & 10 40%
Part A Imaginative Response & Justification ‘Reading to Write’
Speech and visual representation on ‘Narratives that Shape Our World’
Examination: Reading Paper Extended Response- Critical Study of Literature Discursive Response
Comparative essay which demonstrates an understanding of the texts and ideas studied in ‘Texts, Culture and Value’
Independent Research Project, which can be presented in a variety of formats.
Examination will assess students’ knowledge and skills in: -Imaginative Writing -Discursive Writing -Literary Theory
English Studies | 2 Unit
Task # and Name
AT1: Workplace Task H T1/W10 30%
Workplace task: resume and letter writing
AT2: Digital Brochure H T2/W8 30% Digital travel brochure and itinerary
AT3: Preliminary Examination H T3/W9 & 10 40%
Portfolio writing task. This will include an extended response and various writing tasks from throughout the term.
Entertainment | VET
Task # and Name
AT1: Industry research task H T1/W7 N/A
AT2: Radio program & PA set up I/H T2/W6 N/A
AT3: Staging simulation I/H T3/W5 N/A
Financial Services | VET
Task
and Name
AT1: Working effectively with others & contribute to the health and safety of self and others I/H T2/W4 NA
AT2: Perform financial calculations I/H T2/W8 NA
AT3: Process financial transactions and extract interim reports I/H T3/W7 NA
Preliminary Examination E T3W/9 & 10 100%
Food Technology | 2 Unit
Task # and Name
AT1: Nutrition Task I, H T1/W9 30
AT2: Food Quality Task I, H T2/W8 30
AT3: Preliminary Examination E T3/W9 & 10 40
Part A - Competency based research task on the Entertainment Industry practices.
Part B - Competency based written & practical task: Applying WH&S
Competency based task with scripting and live show delivery, including set up of PA and audio mixing.
Competency based including practical staging task
Students will complete short answer questions, Case Study, Workplace Simulation - Policy and Procedure Induction.
Students will complete short answer questions and structured tasks such as financial calculations and spreadsheets.
Students will answer research questions, complete basic accounting applications along with creating reports.
Formal examination on topics studied.
Nutrition Research Task and Meal Design Practical dates TBA
Written Task and Food Styling Practical Practical dates TBA
Formal Examination on Topics studied
Health and Movement Science (HMS) | 2 Unit
Task # and Name
AT1: Depth Study - The body and mind in motion
AT2: Collaborative Investigation Presentation
AT3: Preliminary Examination
History Ancient | 2 Unit
Task
and Name
AT1: Source Analysis Task
AT2: Historical Investigation
AT3: Preliminary Examination
History Modern | 2 Unit
Task
and Name
AT1: Constructing History Project
AT2: Historical Investigation
AT3: Preliminary Examination
Hospitality – Cookery | VET
Task
and Name
Preliminary Examination
HMS AT1 Depth study – The Body and Mind in Motion
HMS AT2 Collaborative investigation Presentation –Health for Individuals & Communities OR The Body & Mind in Motion
HMS AT3 Preliminary examination – multiple choice & extended response
Source based in-class task
Research project on an aspect of Ancient History
Examination on the topics studied
Online Discussion Forum – historiographical debate
Historical Investigation Project
Examination on the topics studied
Competency Based Task – Hygiene and Safe Food Handling Equipment
Competency Based Task – Work Health and Safety and Food Preparation
Competency Based Task – Simple Dishes and Clean Kitchen Premises
Preliminary Examination
Music Course 1 | 2 Unit
Task # and Name
AT1 Viva Voce & Aural analysis
AT2 Composition Task & aural task
AT3 Performance & Viva Preliminary Examination
Outdoor Recreation | VET
Task # and Name
T1/W10
Viva voce including aural response analysis task
Composition including process diary and aural task
Performance of piece representative of one topic studied with accompanying Viva Voce based on performance piece.
AT1: Work placement Year 7 Camp I T1/W4 N/A
AT1: Work placement Year 9 Camp I T1/W6 N/A
AT2: Paddle a craft I T1/W8 N/A
AT3: First Aid practical assessment
AT4: Camp
AT5: Surfing
Work placement Year 7 Camp
Work placement Year 9 Camp
Paddle a craft
T1/W9 N/A First Aid practical assessment
AT6: Bike riding I T1/W10 N/A Bike riding
AT7: Abseiling I T1/W10 N/A
Abseiling fundamental skills
AT8: Bushwalking I T2/W5 N/A Bushwalking
AT9: Student workbook due I T3/W7 N/A Student workbook due
Physics | 2 Unit
Task
and Name
AT1: Review of T1 HWK Sheets
AT2: Depth Study
AT3: Preliminary Examination
&
of Homework Sheets completed during Term 1
Firsthand Investigation and Scientific Report
Preliminary Examination on Modules 1-4
St Joseph College Subjects Assessment Details
Chemistry | 2 Unit
Task # and Name
Firsthand Investigation (Unit 1)
AT2: Depth Study (Unit 1 and 2)
AT3: Preliminary Examination
Earth and Environmental | 2 Unit
Task
and Name
In Class Practical
Geography | 2 Unit
Task
and Name
In class task
Geographical Investigation
AT3: End of Preliminary Course Examination
Society & Culture | 2 Unit
Task
and Name
AT1: Social and Cultural World: Personal Reflection/ Secondary Research and In Class Task
AT2: Personal and Social Identity: Primary research task and in class task
Preliminary Examination