Year 12 Assessment Booklet

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide students and their families with the HSC Assessment policy and procedures which includes an assessment schedule, task weightings and due dates*.

Executive

Principal

Deputy Principal

Head of Senior School

Dean of Studies – Senior School

Heads of Department

CAPA

Digital Technology

English

HSIE

Learning Support

Mathematics

PDHPE

Science

TAS

Heads of House

Hoffman

Kelton

Kimball

Lankaster

Petts

Rosborough

Dr Adrian Johnson

Mrs Kathy Fletcher

Mr David Smith

Mrs Stephanie Davis

Mrs Sarah Bradbury

Mrs Tahlia Dahmes

Mrs Jessica Alvey

Mr Mark Fagan

Mrs Kate Robertson

Mr Tristan Patralakis

Mrs Carissa Furze

Ms Beth Yarker

Mrs Tanya Mortimer

Mr James Toohey

Mrs Davina Gibb

Mrs Karen Ennis

Mrs Alison Barrett (acting)

Ms Kimberley Graetz

Mrs Elizabeth Williams

*All information is correct at the time of distribution and is subject to change. Any changes to the assessment schedule will be provided in writing to students and families at least two weeks prior to the original date with an updated Notification of Assessment.

Welcome to the HSC Year

Congratulations on reaching this milestone! You are about to embark on a journey into your final year of school to attain the Higher School Certificate (HSC), and we are proud and excited to be able to support you to achieve your goal.

The HSC Year comprises of studies in Term 4 of Year 11 and Terms 1, 2 and 3 in Year 12. During these terms students will complete several designated assessment tasks that counts toward determining the final school-based result in the HSC Year. These tasks will generally, but not always, include a Final Exam early in Term 4. The rules and procedures for completing the HSC Course at Trinity Anglican College are outlined below and should be read in conjunction with the 2024 Higher School Certificate Rules and Procedures booklet published by NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the highest educational credential that can be gained by students in NSW schools. The HSC is an internationally recognised qualification that provides a strong foundation for students wishing to pursue tertiary qualifications, vocational training, or employment. To qualify for the HSC, students must satisfactorily complete a Year 11 pattern of study comprising at least 12 units and a Year 12 pattern of study comprising at least 10 units.

Both patterns must include:

at least six units from Board Developed Courses

at least two units of a Board Developed Course in English

at least three courses of two units value or greater (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses)

at least four subjects

Students' results in Board Developed courses are reported in the following way:

1.

2.

An examination mark in the external HSC examination

A moderated school assessment mark - derived from the assessment mark provided by the school, moderated by NESA to make fair comparisons with different schools' assessment tasks

3.

A percentile band is shown - indicates the level of achievement of a student in a subject.

An ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is provided separately by the Universities Admission Centre (UAC). This is a rank for those students who have applied for university admission. To be eligible for an ATAR in NSW, you must satisfactorily complete at least 10 units of ATAR courses. These ATAR courses must include at least:

10 units of Board Developed Courses

two units of English

three courses of two units value or greater

four subject areas

An ATAR is then calculated from:

best two units of English

best eight units from the remaining units

Student Responsibilities

The completion of Year 12 and the HSC year involves several responsibilities on the part of students. To maximise their HSC potential, students should note the following responsibilities:

Genuine engagement with class and homework tasks, and holiday homework. Students should view all learning experiences as opportunities to hone their skills and knowledge; all tasks should be attempted to the best of their ability.

Genuine engagement in study lessons. Students should understand that studying in the library or the Year 12 study space, during lessons where they are not required to attend a scheduled class, is a privilege. Inappropriate behaviour will result in students losing this privilege; identified students will be required to attend supervised classes as designated by senior staff.

The maintenance of meaningful dialogue with their teachers. Students should ensure that they engage in informed questioning within the classroom to clarify any material of which they are unsure. They should submit drafts, in a timely fashion, to their teachers for consideration and feedback.

Taking responsibility to catch up on work that has been missed. Students should take the active role in liaising with their teachers, often outside of timetabled class time, to determine the specific work that needs to be completed. It is imperative that students seek out material, particularly assessment task notifications, which might have been distributed in class when they have been absent.

The provision of documentation to verify all absences from scheduled classes, including classes that are conducted off-line, such as extension courses.

HSC Assessment Program

Schools set individual assessment tasks and decide due dates and weightings for each. These tasks measure knowledge, skills and understanding for a wide range of outcomes. They may include tests, written assignments, practical activities, fieldwork, and projects. When students start their HSC courses, we are obliged to provide details of your assessment schedule, including weightings and due dates. Please note that the information in this booklet is correct at the time of distribution and maybe subject to change. Any changes to the assessment schedule will be provided in writing to students and families at least two weeks prior to the original date and an updated Notification of Assessment will be provided.

A student will be considered to have satisfactorily completed a course if there is sufficient evidence to prove that the student has: followed the course developed or endorsed by NESA applied themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school achieved some or all course outcomes.

All work that you present in any HSC school-based assessment task or exam must be your own. Malpractice, including plagiarism, could mean that you receive zero marks for that task or exam.

A student who does not comply with the assessment requirements and receives a non-completion determination in a course will have neither an assessment mark nor an examination mark awarded for that course. Until a student has satisfactorily completed at least 12 units of Preliminary courses and 10 units of HSC courses, that satisfy NESA’s pattern of study requirements, the student will not be eligible to receive the HSC.

In the case of Extension courses, students who do not comply with the minimum assessment requirements for any co-requisite course will not receive a result in either course.

Attendance and application are not to be considered in either the final assessment mark or in any individual assessment task.

HSC Assessment Tasks

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has indicated the assessment requirements and components for each subject, so to ensure that students meet these assessment requirements, there are several guidelines must be followed. These guidelines are the same as the guidelines used for Year 11.

1. Notification of Tasks

Year 12 students will be provided an Assessment Information Booklet at the beginning of their courses, which contains details of the proposed assessment program for each course, including:

1

The practical and written tasks, such as tests, assignments or projects, on which their assessments are to be based

2. The number of tasks

The weightings to be allocated to each task

3

4.

The scheduling of tasks (subject to change)

The dates are accurate at the time of printing, but if changed during the year, students will be made aware via the Assessment Task Criteria Sheets that are specific to each assessment task.

Students will be issued with a Notification of Assessment at least two weeks prior to the sitting or submission of an assessment task.

These notifications will be available on SEQTA Learn and will outline:

1 The components and their weightings

The general nature of each assessment task

2. Adequate notice of the precise timing of each assessment task – at least two weeks.

3. The weight value of each task in relation to the total weighted mark for the course

4 Instructions for submission

5. Administrative arrangements (e.g., How the College will deal with absence, late submission of tasks, illness/misadventure immediately before or during the task, etc)

7

6 Details of the College’s policy on malpractice in assessment tasks

Details of the procedures to be implemented if tasks produce invalid or unreliable results

9.

8 Details of the procedures for dealing with student appeals arising from assessment tasks

2. Completing Assessment Tasks

Students are responsible for organising and managing their studies and their assessment workload around their classes and other commitments. Assessment tasks are to be prepared for and completed:

Before school, during break times or after school

During dedicated timetabled independent Study lessons

During classes of that specific course, under teacher direction.

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

Preparing for assessment tasks during time allocated to other courses or College activities would give students an unfair advantage and would likely be considered malpractice. Please refer to information regarding Malpractice in school-based assessment.

Students who have acted deliberately and obtained an actual or perceived advantage by working on assessment tasks at inappropriate times could be subject to receiving a ‘0’ mark for the task.

Students must attempt all parts of each assessment task and produce original work, acknowledging any sources used. All tasks must be attempted, even if a due date is past and a ‘0’ mark will be awarded. It will be at the teacher’s discretion, in consultation with the Head of Department, whether a task will be accepted as a ‘reasonable attempt’ or deemed a ‘non-serious attempt’ at the set task.

Non-serious attempts can include:

Not attempting large sections of a task

Answering only multiple-choice questions

Frivolous material – silly answers

Objectionable material – offensive writing or drawing

Students will likely use computers to prepare assessment tasks. Computer hardware, software or network issues are not acceptable grounds for non-completion or non-submission of assessment tasks. If any such IT issue arises, a student must be able to show the class teacher hard copy evidence of the task during its construction; students should save work in multiple locations and print out copies of work regularly to use as evidence of having completed the task.

3. Word Limits

Word limits are given on assessment tasks to guide students as to the volume of work required, to promote parity amongst candidates and to encourage concise and effective written communication.

Often a piece of work that falls short of the word count by more than 10% will have missed addressing some of the requirements of the assessment task. Pieces of work significantly smaller than the word count face a risk of not adequately addressing the learning outcomes. Student work will be assessed on its academic merits, and this will be reflected in the mark awarded and the feedback on the task. Not attempting all parts of the task may be deemed a non-serious attempt at the task. Please refer to information regarding Completing Assessment Tasks which outlines the penalties for a non-serious attempt.

If the submission exceeds the word limit by up to 10%, there will be no penalty. Pieces of student work that exceed the word limit by more than 10% will only be marked up to point where the word count is equal to the published word limit plus 10%.

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

4. Submitting Assessment Tasks

Each teacher will explain the procedure for submitting an assessment task in a particular course. Information will also be available on the Notification of Assessment, published on SEQTA Learn. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they understand the submission requirements for each task. Please ask your teacher if you are unsure.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the appropriate teacher receives the completed task in the prescribed manner and by the deadline.

Tasks may be required to be submitted:

SEQTA Learn portal (e.g. written hand-in tasks) during class time (e.g., tests or practical submissions) at the beginning of the day or class(e.g., practical works)

Students submitting a task electronically are expected to keep a record of their work as evidence of their submission. A ‘read receipt’ should be requested from the teacher if the student is submitting the assessment via email.

5. Submitting Assessment Task Process

Viewing and submitting a task through SEQTA Learn: Log into SEQTA Learn

1. Click on ‘Assessments’ on the right

2 Select ‘Upcoming’ or the relevant semester

3. Select the subject and/or task that you are submitting

4 Use the ‘overview’ and ‘details’ tabs at the top of the screen

5 To submit the task, use the ‘submissions’ tab at the top of the screen

7

6. Upload your file by dragging and dropping (box will turn orange) OR by clicking ‘add files’ and selecting the file

8 Repeat to add another file

After the file is uploaded, you will see your file listed under ‘submissions’

9.

Assessments that have been received late without an approved Variation to Assessment will receive a ‘0’ result for the task.

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

6. Student absence when information is received

It is the student's responsibility to contact the subject teacher within a reasonable time of an absence on the day the assessment information was given out. The teacher can then ensure that the student receives the assessment information and has adequate time to complete the task. The information will generally be available on SEQTA Learn. Absence at the time of a task being released is not considered grounds for an extension of time to complete the task. Please refer to Variation to Assessment.

7. Student absence immediately before a task is due

To maintain parity and prevent unfair advantage, actual or perceived, any student who is absent from lessons the day before or the day of an assessment task, should provide a medical certificate or other explanatory documentation to the teacher.

Unsubstantiated absence the day before or the day of a task is due would likely be considered malpractice. Please refer to information regarding Malpractice in school-based assessment.

Students who have obtained an actual or perceived advantage due to unsubstantiated absences from school on the school days immediately before an assessment task is due could be subject to a ‘0’ mark for the task.

8. Variation to Assessment Tasks

Students are required to submit a Variation to Assessment application to request an assessment reschedule due to illness/misadventure or an extension of time.

Illness/Misadventure

Applications must relate to illness or misadventure suffered immediately before or during assessment task/s that has directly affected the student’s performance. Applications may relate to:

illness or injury – illness or physical injuries suffered directly by the student which allegedly affected the student’s performance in the examination/s (e.g., serious illness, hospitalisation, a physical injury preventing writing/typing)

misadventure – an event beyond the student’s control which allegedly affected the student’s performance (e.g., death of a friend or family member, natural disaster).

Students are responsible for completing a Variation to Assessment application within two days of the absence, including supporting documentary evidence. The College may offer substitute tasks or, in exceptional circumstances, estimates, based on other tasks if students have valid reasons for not completing individual tasks.

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

Extension of Time

A student may apply for extra time to complete an assessment task by completing a Variation to Assessment at least five days before a task due date, including supporting documentary evidence.

Acceptable grounds for application for extension include:

Family emergency

Serious illness or injury

Principal approved sporting or cultural commitments

Other reasons will be evaluated by the Head of Department, in consultation with the Dean of Studies, on a case-by-case basis.

Non-acceptable reasons for applying for an extension of time include:

Concerts

Driving tests

Family or work commitments

Misreading instructions

IT difficulties

Holidays during term without Principal permission

Non-College related sport or cultural activities for which permission has not been sought

Non-compulsory school-based events that clash with in class preparation in the lead up to an assessment

School-based events (assessments should be completed and submitted prior to participating in schoolbased events)

Variation to Assessment - Approved

Students who have had a Variation to Assessment approved for an in-class assessment will be required to complete the assessment task on Wednesdays from 3.20pm or at the teacher’s discretion. For tasks that require submission, a new date will be negotiated with the teacher, in consultation with the Head of Department.

Variation to Assessment - Not Approved

Students who do not have Variation to Assessment approval are required to submit the task by the published due date or ‘0’ mark will be received.

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

9. Variation to Assessment Application Process

* To be completed within two days of absence if an unplanned absence from assessment

* To be completed at least five days prior to the due date if known absence from assessment

1

Log onto SEQTA Home Page

2.

Click on ‘Variation’ icon

3.

Complete your details and the details for the application

4 Submit5.

6

Upload supporting evidence eg medical certificate

If you have not received a reply within two business days, email Dean of Studies – Senior School

10. Malpractice

Behaving dishonestly to gain an unfair advantage in assessments or exams is malpractice or cheating. Any form of malpractice, including plagiarism, is unacceptable. NESA treats allegations of malpractice very seriously. Identified malpractice may result in a penalty such as a reduction in marks, cancellation of your results in the course, or cancellation of your HSC. Should malpractice be suspected, students will be required to demonstrate that all unacknowledged work is entirely their own. Serious and deliberate acts of malpractice amount to corrupt conduct and, where appropriate, NESA will report matters to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Examples of malpractice include:

Copying part or submitting work that belongs to someone else and presenting it as their own

Using parts of students’ own work that has been submitted as part of another assessment task

Using material directly from a source without acknowledging the source including material from Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources such as ChatGPT and Grammarly

Buying, stealing, or borrowing someone else’s work and presenting it as your own

Submitting work that someone else, for example, a parent, tutor, or subject expert, substantially contributed to

Using someone else’s words, ideas, designs, or work in projects and performance tasks without giving their source

Breaching school exam rules

Using non-approved aids in an assessment task

Giving false reasons for not handing in work by the due date

Helping another student to engage in malpractice

Bringing unauthorised materials into an examination hall

Use of an unauthorised electronic device under examination conditions

Taking a day off school to work on an assessment

Working on an assessment during a different class

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

Substantiated instances of cheating will result in a ‘0’ mark for the assessment task. Aiding and abetting cheating may also result in a ‘0’ mark for the assessment task for all students involved. In such cases students will be made to re-sit the assessment task at a time convenient to the College. Students who have engaged in malpractice in the form of plagiarism could have previous tasks scrutinised. If further plagiarism is then detected, a full review will be conducted to determine if a further breach has occurred and to apply further penalties.

11. Tasks that produce invalid or unreliable results

If the results of a task are believed to be either invalidated by issues such as equipment failure or widespread malpractice, or unreliable as the results conflict dramatically with expected performances, the task may be partially or completely re-sat, likely as an alternative version of the original task.

The decision to re-sit a task and the nature of the replacement task will be at the discretion of the relevant teacher and Head of Department, in consultation with the Dean of Studies – Senior School.

12. Appeals and Reviews

Should a student receive a ‘0’ mark or any other penalty for an assessment task, the student and their parents/guardians will be notified. A review of the procedures relevant to the determination may be requested.

The review should be requested in writing by email to the Dean of Studies – Senior School within two days of the student being notified of the decision.

The review will be conducted by the College Review Committee (Deputy Principal, Dean of Studies – Senior School, Head of Department, Academic Administration Officer, and another teacher not directly involved in the assessment task in question). The assessment policy of the College and the rules of NESA will be the basis for the review.

An assessment review should focus on the College’s procedures for determining the final assessment mark. Students are not entitled to seek a review of a teacher’s judgements of the worth of individual performance items in assessment tasks. The marks or grades awarded will not be subject to review as part of this process. Any disputes over the marking of an individual task must be resolved at the time a task is returned.

An ‘N’ determination is the decision made by the Principal at the end of the course, under delegated authority from NESA, that a student has not satisfactorily completed a course. Students who have not complied with the course completion criteria and who have received at least two written warnings can be regarded as not having satisfactorily completed the course at the time of finalising grades. The Principal may then apply the ‘N’ determination. A student has the right to appeal against the principal’s determination.

HSC Assessment Tasks cont.

Students who consider that their placement in the rank order for any course is not correct based on feedback on their performance during the course may seek a College review. If a student is not satisfied by the College review, provision has been made for subsequent appeals to NESA. There is no provision for appeal against the marks awarded for individual assessment tasks. If the appeal is upheld, NESA will refer the matter back to the school for further review. The results of that review may affect the assessment of the student making the appeal and/or the assessments of other students. This may then be reflected in the moderated assessment marks for all students affected. NESA will not consider further appeals from other students whose assessments or ranking may be affected by reviews or appeals.

Homework Guidelines Year 7 - 12

Homework is an important school routine that provides an opportunity for students to reinforce and practice what has been learned in class, and to create positive study habits. Our focus is to develop a life-long love of learning therefore homework should be perceived as a positive experience that is valued by both students and parents.

Homework tasks can be set to:

Consolidate concepts from the lesson which involves reading over the work completed and summarising key points or creating a summary page

Continue the work from the lesson by completing questions or skills that are similar to what was completed in class

Challenge their understanding by completing an extension ask that applies the skills that have been learned and practised during class time

Catch up on work that was missed or work that did not get completed in the lesson

Complete assessment tasks

To establish an effective homework routine, it is recommended that students allocate time for homework each week according to their year level. The following table provides a guide for homework in the Senior School.

Homework Guidelines cont.

Our students will always have some form of homework whether it be tasks explicitly set by their teacher or choosing from a range of subject specific activities listed on each subject cover page on SEQTA. Year 7-9 students can expect homework from core subjects (all subjects except CAPA, TAS and elective subjects) and Year 10-12 students can expect homework from all subject areas.

Compulsory homework tasks set by the teacher are written on the SEQTA lesson on the day it is given with a due date. Students will be expected to submit the homework by the due date and will be reported in semester reports. Students who find the tasks too challenging or are taking an excessive amount of time to complete, should seek assistance from their teacher. Students may also consider attending the Homework Club/Study Group every Thursday after school in the College Library to seek additional support and advice.

At times, teachers may elect not to set homework but rather suggest that students choose from other activities listed on the subject cover page. These alternate activities are designed to improve general subject-specific skills to provide students with greater confidence to engage in their classes. These activities may also be extension and enrichment activities that prepare students for future topics.

Assessment Schedules

Assessment Schedules

Ancient History

Natureoftask

BacterialGrowth

PracticalDepth Study Inclass Infectious Diseases GeneticsTask Inclass Heredity Biotechnologies Task Inclass GeneticChange AllModules FinalExamination

Business Studies

TaskNo. Task1 Task2 Task3 Task4

Natureof task Operations

Stimulus Extended Response InClass.2 unsightedessay topics,1 chosen ontheday

Finance Business Report

Inclass Marketing Business scenario stimulus response. Sighted stimulus intimed conditions: In-Class

AllModules

FinalExamination

Chemistry

Construction

Construction is a VET course and is competency-based (see information from NESA below). There will be an end-of-year Examination during the Examination period.

Competency-based assessment

The courses within the Construction Curriculum Framework are competency-based courses. The courses can only be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). NESA and the VET Quality Framework require that a competency-based approach to assessment is used. Assessment must meet the requirements of the CPC Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package

In a competency-based course, the assessment of competencies is standards-referenced. This means that a participant’s performance is judged against a prescribed standard contained in each unit of competency, not against the performance of other participants.

The purpose of assessment is to judge competence based on the performance criteria set out under each element of competency. A participant is judged either ‘competent’ or ‘not yet competent’. This judgement is made based on a range of evidence, which may be in a variety of forms.

Natureof task

Individual Project or Presentation ofIndividual Project: Performance

Hand–in/present workinprogress includinglogbook withongoing drafts,research, investigationof ideasand reflection

Extended ResponseEssay &Workshopped Performance: Studies in Drama andTheatre Topic

In-classextended response essay andperformance based on workshops relatedtocurrent StudiesinDrama andTheatretopic

Presentation Group Performance

Presentationof Group Performance under development, logbookincluding preliminaryscript development, research, planning and reflection

Written and Performed Assessment

2x Extended Written Responses Group Performance, interview, and logbook

Engineering Studies

English Advanced

Nature oftask

Commonmodule:

Texts and Human Experiences

MultimodalTask

ModuleA: Textual Conversations

Critical response

Module C: The Craft of Writing

Creative writing All Modules

Final Examination

English Extension 1

Task No.

Nature oftask

Task1

Common Module

Literary Worlds

Imaginative Response andReflection

Task 2

Worlds ofUpheaval

CriticalResponse with Related Text

Task 3

Trial HSC Examination

Imaginative/ reflection and essay

English Extension 2

* The Extension 2 Process Diary/ Journal must be submitted with each assessment task so that it can be monitored by the teacher (i e , submitted three times throughout the course)

English Standard

Nature oftask

Commonmodule:

Texts and Human Experiences

MultimodalTask

ModuleB: StudyofaText Critical response

Module C: The Craft of Writing

Creative writing All Modules

Final Examination

Food Technology

Nature oftask

Aspectsof the Australian Food Industry

Research and Practical task

Case Study: Food Manufacturing Processes

Written and Practicaltask

Food Product Development

Research and Practical task

All Modules

Final Examination

History Extension

Task No.

Nature of task

Task 1

Historical Process

·Proposal

·Process Log

·Annotated Sources

Hand in

Task 2

Task 3

Major Project Essay Hand in Final Examination

Information Processes and Technology

Legal Studies

Natureoftask

CorePartII:Human Rights

SightedHuman Rightsresearchtask andextended responseintimed conditions.

In-class

CorePartI:Crime Research Task

Essay:Crime

Sightedessaytopic completedintimed conditions.

3topicssighted,1 chosenforthe task.

In-class

OptionsPartIII: Family

ResearchTask

Essay:Family Sightedessay topiccompletedin timed conditions.

3topicssighted,1 chosenforthe task.

In-class

AllModules

Final Examination

Mathematics Advanced

Mathematics Extension 1

Mathematics Extension 2

Mathematics Standard

Modern History

Nature of task

Core StudyPower and Authority in the ModernWorld

1919-1946

Source Analysis

Short Answer

Responses Inclass

National StudyRussiaandthe Soviet Union

1917-1941

Essay Inclass

Peace and Conflict- The Cold War 19451991 Essay In class

AllModules, includingChange inthe Modern World-Apartheid inSouth Africa

1960-1994

Final Examination

PDHPE

Society and Culture

Visual Arts

Task No. Task 1 Task 2

Nature of task

VAPD Body of Works Proposal

Case Study & BOW/VAPD Progress

Task 3

Submission of VAPD and BOW progress:

Evaluation of the conceptual and material aspects of the BOW.

Critical evaluation of works and practice.

Task 4

Examination

Short answer question and extended response essay

Final Examination