Port Hacking High School Higher School Certificate Information Night Monday 23 rd February 2015

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 some or all of the course outcomes. ◦Satisfactory completion can be judged by attendance, level of involvement in class, assignments and tasks completed, 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.

How is the HSC mark calculated ? The HSC mark is a 50:50 combination of a student’s examination mark and school-based assessment mark for each course.

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, fieldwork and projects.

Schools submit an HSC assessment mark based on performance in these tasks for every student in every course. 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.

ModerationModeration takes account of how your assessment marks compare with marks given to students doing the same courses in a different school.

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 marks in different courses are not necessarily equal.

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 Mr Papangelis – Head Teacher Student Welfare

Illness/ Misadventure. If a student is unable to sit an examination then they may apply for illness/misadventure at the time of the examinations. Half Yearly and Trial HSC – from Ms van Dulst HSC Examinations – including practical exams – from Mr McGrath.

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