Tertiary Entrance Exam
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Students are enrolled with the Curriculum Council through their school/college to register for the achievement of a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and to sit for the Tertiary Entrance Examinations.
Schools/colleges enrol students in Curriculum Council subjects during Term 2. Enrolments in WACE course units are collected from schools each semester.
Schools/colleges submit to the Curriculum Council results for students in these subjects/WACE courses.
[edit] Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)
Students who meet the requirements will be issued with a Western Australian Certificate of Education by the Curriculum Council.
During 2006, students will be able to enrol in a mix of subjects and WACE courses. As 2006 is a transitional year, the new WACE courses will count towards the existing WACE.
[edit] Eligibility for a WACE
To qualify for a WACE a student must:
complete at least 10 full-year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council subjects; Up to 40% (i.e. four out of 10 full-year subjects) may comprise stand-alone Vocational Education and Training (VET) subject equivalents. Any two units from one of the new courses will count as a subject. A single unit will count as a half-subject equivalent.
achieve an average of at least a C in a least eight full-year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council subjects; Up to 25% (i.e. two out of eight full-year subjects) may comprise stand-alone VET subject equivalents. At least four of these subjects must be at Year 12 level. Any two different new course units, for which at least a Level 4 is achieved, will count as a C equivalent and can be counted as the equivalent of one of the eight subjects.
ibility to sit an examination;
missing results.
Any two different new course units, for which at least an average Level 4 is achieved and which are studied during Year 12, can be counted as one of the four subjects at Year 12 level.
achieve Curriculum Council English language competence.
Subject completion is defined as achievement of a letter grade of A, B, C, D or E. WACE course completion is defined as achieving a level and rating for each of the course outcomes.
A subject can be repeated but it will only count once towards the WACE. A course unit can be counted as a half-subject equivalent as many times as it is completed.
Results in subjects can be accumulated for up to six years. Achievement in new courses may be accumulated towards the WACE throughout a person’s lifetime.
[edit] Calculation of Grade Average
The grade average is calculated by converting grades to points as follows:
For a full-year subject, an A = 5; a B = 4; a C = 3; a D = 2, and an E = 1. To calculate a grade average, the total points of eight grades are divided by eight. The final average of three equals an average C grade. For a subject that runs for a semester rather than a full year, the grade points are halved; for example, an A is converted to 2.5. An average Level 4 from two WACE course units will count as a C grade equivalent. In converting levels to grades, a Curriculum Council Special Provisions Committee will review borderline cases. VET subject equivalents are not used in the calculation of the grade average but do affect the number of Year 12 subjects included in the average. This is illustrated in the following table:
Stand-alone units of competence completed (hours) Subject equivalent Number of subjects used in C grade calculation Minimum number of Year 12 Subjects included in calculation Less than 55 0 8 4 55 to 109 0.5 7½ 4 110 to 164 1 7 4 165 to 219 1.5 6½ 4 Greater than 219 2 6 3
[edit] Curriculum Council English Language Competence
Students must achieve Curriculum Council English language competence to be eligible for a WACE. To achieve Curriculum Council English language competence students must:
achieve a C grade or better in one of the following Year 12 Curriculum Council subjects: English, English as a Second Language, English Literature, Senior English, Vocational English, or
achieve an average Level 4 or better across all of the outcomes in two units of the new English course, or
achieve a pass in the Curriculum Council English Language Competence Test.
The Curriculum Council English Language Competence Test will be held on Friday 3 November 2006.
A student awarded a notation of U in any of the above subjects is not eligible to sit the test.
Students who have achieved a grade of A, B or C in any of the above subjects should not sit the test as they have already met the Curriculum Council English Language Competence requirement for the WACE.
A pass satisfies the English language competence requirement for the WACE.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) subject equivalents
A stand-alone unit of competency is one where a student studies a unit of competency in addition to a Curriculum Council subject. Students who successfully complete 110 hours of stand-alone units of competency will be credited with a full VET subject equivalent. (Successful completion of 55 hours is equivalent to half a VET subject equivalent).
Details of enrolments in units of competency will be collected directly from your school.
Units of competency successfully completed will be recorded on a student’s Statement of Results.
[edit] Study Overseas, Interstate or through TAFE
Schools/colleges may seek recognition for students who have Year 11 equivalent studies by completing the relevant form which can be downloaded from the Curriculum Council website.
In the case of a student having completed the equivalent of Year 11 overseas, interstate or through TAFE, a WACE is achieved by:
having completed at least five full year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council subjects*; obtaining an average grade of C or better in at least four full year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council subjects at Year 12 level**; and meeting the Curriculum Council English language competence requirement.
- Up to 40% of a student’s program of study (ie 2 out of 5 full year subjects) for meeting the subject completion requirement may comprise VET subject equivalents. Any two units from one of the new courses will count as a subject. A single unit will count as a half-subject equivalent.
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- Up to 25% (ie 1 out of 4 full year subjects) for meeting the C grade or better requirement may comprise VET subject equivalents.
[edit] Amendments to Enrolments
The last date for receipt of late entries or changes to existing enrolment information relating to subjects/WACE course units and units of competency is Friday 29 September 2006.
For TEE Drama Studies, Music, Languages Other Than English, Art or being a private candidate, the last date for late entries is Friday 18 August 2006.
[edit] Statement of Results
A Statement of Results will be issued to all Year 12 students who complete at least one Curriculum Council subject or at least one course unit or at least one unit of competency. The Statement of Results is a cumulative record which is issued at the end of each year of upper secondary study.
The Statement of Results will record:
grades achieved in Curriculum Council subjects (A, B, C, D or E); level of achievement for a course in the school and examination assessment; course units completed; achievement of the English language competence requirement; completion of requirements for secondary graduation for the awarding of the WACE; results achieved in Tertiary Entrance Examination subjects; VET Units of Competency successfully completed; Structured Workplace Learning programs completed; achievement of awards. It is a requirement that Year 12 students receive their Statements of Results at the beginning of January. As complete information about exhibitions and awards is not available at that time, students who receive an award (except the Certificate of Excellence) will be issued with an amended Statement of Results at the awards ceremony held in February.
[edit] Course Report
A Course Report is given to all students who complete at least one Curriculum Council-developed course.
The Course Report will record:
level of achievement for the course in the school assessment; level of achievement for the course in the examination; state distribution of the course level of achievement; level of achievement for each outcome for the school assessment and examinations; units completed; overarching outcomes achieved.
[edit] General Achievement Test (GAT)
Students enrolled in any new WACE course will sit the General Achievement Test (GAT). The new WACE courses for 2006 are:
English Media Production and Analysis Engineering Studies Aviation.
The GAT is to be administered on the morning of Wednesday 7 June 2006.
The GAT is a test of general knowledge and skills in written communication, mathematics, science and technology, humanities, the arts and social sciences.
Students located overseas and interstate are exempt from sitting the GAT. Details of other possible exemptions and/or waivers may be found on the Curriculum Council website.
Students who have not demonstrated achievement at Level 4 standard in the reading outcome of the English learning area are not required to sit the GAT.
The GAT is designed to be a 3-hour test (with 15 minutes reading time). The three parts to the test are printed in one booklet. It is therefore intended that students sit all parts of the test at one time.
Further information relating to the GAT can be found either on the Curriculum Council website at http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/student/gat.htm or on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority website at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/exams/gat/gat.html.
[edit] Enrolling in Curriculum Council Subjects/Courses
Number of subjects/courses in which students can enrol
In any one year the total number of full year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council subjects/courses for which a student can enrol is eight. Students wishing to enrol in more than eight full year (or equivalent) subjects/course or Tertiary Entrance Examinations/WACE examination may do so after gaining approval from the Manager Certification and Examinations. For subjects/course with a Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination students can enrol as a school candidate, a private candidate or a non-examination candidate.
[edit] Studying at more than one school
If a student is studying subjects/courses at more than one school or college, then each provider must submit the enrolment details of the subjects/courses studied at that school/college.
[edit] Enrolment of overseas full fee paying students
Overseas full fee paying students who are studying in Western Australia are required to pay $423.50 to enrol in one or more Curriculum Council subjects/courses. This fee must be paid at the time of enrolment.
[edit] Enrolling to sit Tertiary Entrance Examinations/WACE Examination
When the school/college provides students’ enrolments to the Curriculum Council, it will be assumed that students are intending to sit for the Tertiary Entrance Examinations/WACE examination as school candidates. If a student does not wish to sit for the TEE/Aviation WACE examination in a subject/course, he/she must complete the form Non-examination Candidate Enrolment Form - 2006 to become a non-examination candidate. This form is available from your school/college or can be downloaded from the Curriculum Council website. Completed forms must be received at the Curriculum Council by Wednesday 7 June 2006.
If a student wishes to sit the TEE/WACE examination as a private candidate, he/she must complete the form Private Candidate Enrolment Form - 2006 to become a private candidate. This form is available from your school/college or can be downloaded from the Curriculum Council website. Completed forms must be received at the Curriculum Council by Wednesday 7 June 2006.
A non-refundable fee of $35 is charged for each TEE subject/Aviation course enrolled in as a private candidate. Payment must be received at the time of enrolment, otherwise the enrolment as a private candidate will not be processed. Exemption from payment of the non-refundable private candidate fee is available, upon request in writing from schools, to full-time Year 12 school age students who can show that due to timetabling, the subject/course was not available to them at the school. This option is not available to students where the subject/course is not offered at the school.
Students wishing to sit any Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination must read the following section carefully.
[edit] The Tertiary Entrance Examinations (TEE)/Western Australia Certificate of Education (WACE) Examination
The purpose of the Tertiary Entrance Examinations/WACE examination is to rank students for entry to universities. If a student is not applying for admission to a university and does not wish to sit the examinations for any other purpose he/she may enrol as a non-examination candidate for a particular subject/course.
Tertiary Entrance Examinations are held annually for students seeking admission to a university. Thirty-three (33) Year 12 subjects have Tertiary Entrance Examination status.
In 2006 Aviation will be the first WACE course to be examined. In 2007, an additional three WACE courses (Media Production and Analysis, English and Engineering Studies) will be examined for the first time.
Students seeking admission to a university need to sit examinations in a selection of TEE subjects/WACE course in order to get a Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER).
If a student is applying for tertiary admission, he/she should check that the subject/course selection and type of enrolment (school/private) meet the entry requirements.
Students should also refer to the university admission requirements brochures. The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) has sent copies of these brochures to schools. Admission information is also available on the TISC website (www.tisc.edu.au).
Enrolment for the TEE/WACE examination as either a school candidate or a private candidate
[edit] School Candidate
School entry to a Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination means that a candidate receives a school assessment from his/her school which will contribute to his/her final scaled mark for the subject. (For the subject English as a Second Language a combined mark only will be calculated.)
For each subject studied as a school candidate the school/college will award a grade for inclusion on the Statement of Results. The grade could also contribute to a WACE.
For each course studied as a school candidate the school/college will award a level of achievement for inclusion on the Statement of Results. The levels of the units studied could also contribute to a WACE.
[edit] Private Candidate
Private entry to a Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination means that a candidate will not have a school assessment to contribute to his/her final scaled mark for the subject/course. That is, the scaled mark for the subject/course is calculated on the examination mark only.
[edit] Eligibility
Individuals may enrol to sit a TEE/WACE examination as a private candidate for the following reasons:
The school does not offer the subject/course. The student is unable to study the subject/course at school due to timetabling clashes/restrictions. The person is seeking entry to university as a mature aged applicant. The student has not been able to complete the full study load of the subject/course. This could be due to him/her transferring, after commencement of Term 2, from another school or interstate where the subject/course was not studied. The student was sick and not participating in an educational program for at least one term during the year.
A student is ineligible to enrol as a private candidate in a TEE subject/WACE course if he/she has been eligible to receive a grade, U notation, school assessment or level of achievement in that subject/course in the year of enrolment.
[edit] Rules Applying to Private Candidates
There is no age restriction on students wishing to sit a TEE subject/WACE course as a private candidate. Students cannot enrol to sit the same Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination both as a school candidate and as a private candidate. Students enrolled at a school to study Year 12 Applicable Mathematics and/or Calculus cannot enrol to sit Discrete Mathematics as a private candidate. The examinations in English as a Second Language, Japanese: Advanced and Modern Greek cannot be taken as private candidates.
[edit] Consequences of Enrolling as a Private Candidate
Subjects/courses entered, as a private candidate will not be considered for a sickness/misadventure claim. A student enrolled in a subject/course as a private candidate is ineligible for the award of a Subject Exhibition or Special Subject Award in that subject/course. Subjects/courses entered as a private candidate do not contribute towards a WACE. Those enrolling as private candidates for Chinese: Second Language, Indonesian: Second Language or Japanese: Second Language must satisfy the eligibility criteria. Application forms are available from the Curriculum Council. Those enrolling as private candidates for French, German or Italian are automatically classified as background candidates, unless they demonstrate otherwise by writing to the Manager, Certification and Examinations by Friday 18 August 2006.
[edit] Responsibilities of Schools Where Their Students Enrol as Private Candidates
Schools are required to sign the Private Candidate Enrolment Form - 2006. In signing the form the school is declaring that the student:
was unable to study the subject/course, for which he/she is enrolling as a private candidate, at the school during the current year; is eligible to enrol in the TEE/WACE examination for that subject/course as a private candidate; has been informed of the consequences of enrolling as a private candidate in an examination and understands the implication of these factors.
Schools are not required to complete the declaration for students who are applying as a Mature Age Applicant for university admission.
[edit] Enrolling in the Aviation Course
It will be assumed that Year 12 students who are enrolled in the Aviation course will sit for the WACE examination in this course. Students who are enrolled in the Aviation course but do not wish to sit the WACE examination must complete the Non-examination Candidate Enrolment Form – 2006. Students who wish to enrol as a private candidate in the Aviation course must complete the Private Candidate Enrolment Form – 2006.
Verification of Your Enrolment
Schools/colleges will receive a verification of students’ enrolments in D (Year 11) and E (Year 12) code Curriculum Council subjects from the Curriculum Council. These details will be listed on several printouts which will be received in schools by Monday 24 July 2006. Also at this time, schools will receive Enrolment Advice Forms which will need to be distributed to students for checking. These forms will have pre-printed details for students who are enrolled in D (Year 11) code subjects, E (Year 12) code subjects and Semester 1 course units. Specifically, the Enrolment Advice Forms will have the following information printed on them:
the name and address of the student; the student's Curriculum Council Student Number; the list of subjects/courses being studied for reporting on the Statement of Results; the list of subjects/course enrolled in for the TEE/WACE examination (where applicable); the type of entry, being either school candidate or private candidate, for each TEE subject/WACE course (where applicable).
For private candidates and students from the School of Isolated and Distance Education or TAFE, the Enrolment Advice Forms will be sent to the students’ home addresses.
If a student has not received an Enrolment Advice Form by Friday 4 August 2006 he/she is requested to contact the Curriculum Council immediately on 9273 6377.
[edit] Changing Your Enrolment
If any of the information pre-printed on the Enrolment Advice Form is found to be incorrect, the student will be able to make corrections according to the instructions given. The corrected forms must be returned to the Curriculum Council no later than Friday 18 August 2006.
There will be no fee for any change (except private candidates) that is received by the Curriculum Council on or before Friday 18 August 2006.
The fee for changing an enrolment after Friday 18 August 2006 and before Friday 29 September 2006 is $35.
The following changes will incur the $35 fee:
an incorrect subject/course or examination code that needs to be changed (rather than deleted); adding new subject(s)/course(s); adding Tertiary Entrance Examination(s)/WACE examination.
There is no fee for other changes (for example, subject/course or withdrawing from a Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination).
No changes (except change of address) will be accepted after Friday 29 September 2006, except in exceptional circumstances where a fee per subject/course may be levied.
[edit] Private Candidates
Enrolments as private candidates received after Wednesday 7 June 2006 and before Friday
18 August 2006 will incur a late fee of $35. Private candidates who add a subject/course to their enrolment or students who change from school candidates to private candidates will incur a $35 fee (per subject/course) in addition to the late fee.
Enrolments as a private candidate cannot be accepted after Friday 18 August 2006.
[edit] Personalised Examination Timetable
Personalised examination timetables for the written examinations will be sent to schools for distribution to their students. These timetables will be available in schools by Monday 25 September 2006. The timetables will include:
the date and time of each written examination; the examination centre the student should attend for each written examination.
Students sitting the examinations must sign the timetable and take it to each examination, including the Drama Studies practical, language oral and Music performance examinations.
[edit] Organisation of the Tertiary Entrance Examinations/WACE Examination
All Tertiary Entrance Rank subjects and the Aviation course have a written examination. Some subjects (most languages, Art, Music and Drama Studies) also have a practical examination.
[edit] Written Examinations
Examination centres are established throughout the State and candidates are notified at which centre they are to sit their examinations. These centres are usually established at recognised schools.
Candidates can normally expect to sit their examinations at the school at which they are studying. However, small centres with fewer than twenty candidates may be combined into one large centre. This applies to schools in the metropolitan area and large regional country centres. Private candidates will be accommodated at the nearest centre at which spare places are available.
A student wishing to sit for the examinations outside Western Australia may be permitted to do so providing the following criteria are satisfied:
the student must be a permanent resident of Western Australia; the student must be outside Western Australia for reasons beyond his/her control; the student must be studying his/her subjects/course through an approved Western Australian secondary educational institution.
The student must contact the Coordinator Examinations (Written) to request an application form as soon as possible.
To offset some of the costs associated with setting up an examination centre and the security despatch of examination papers, candidates sitting outside Western Australia are required to pay the following fees in advance:
Overseas $200 Interstate $50 per subject (Maximum: $200)
Please note that this fee is non-refundable if overseas examination arrangements are cancelled after Friday 29 September 2006.
The examinations (written papers) commence on Monday 6 November 2006 and conclude on Wednesday 22 November 2006. The final examination timetable will be available by Monday 24 July 2006.
All examination scripts remain the property of the Curriculum Council.
[edit] Practical Examinations
A schedule for the practical examinations will be published by August. The schedule will contain the examination dates and venues for each language subject, Music and Drama Studies.
Students will be advised through their schools of their specific examination details. Private candidates will be notified by mail of their examination arrangements.
Drama Studies practical timetables will be available in schools by Wednesday 20 September 2006. Music and LOTE practical timetables will be available in schools by Monday 25 September 2006.
Languages
The practical (oral interview) examinations for language subjects commence mid October, and may be conducted Monday – Saturday.
Music
The practical component will consist of one full elective or two half-electives. Half-electives will be examined in separate sessions. Students should refer to the Music syllabus for further information about the choice of electives.
The examinations for electives (Section II, Performance and Section III, Project) will be held in October/November, prior to the commencement of the written TEE.
Provided the project has been approved by the syllabus committee, students who select electives from Section III (approved Project, including composition) will be required to attend examinations to discuss their project/s. Projects need to be submitted through the school to the Curriculum Council by Monday 23 October 2006.
Private candidates may not enter a Project under Section III of the syllabus for the examination in Music.
Art
TEE Art candidates must submit their Visual Diary to the Curriculum Council by Tuesday 24 October 2006. Late entries cannot be accepted. School candidates must submit their Visual Diaries through their school.
Drama Studies
The practical component of the Drama Studies examination will be conducted during the October school holidays (ie weekdays, Tuesday 3 October – Friday 13 October 2006).
[edit] Special Examination Arrangements
Special arrangements may be made for Tertiary Entrance Examination/WACE examination candidates who have a permanent or temporary disability which may disadvantage them in the examinations. Special arrangements may include, for example, consumption of food (for medical reasons), use of medication, use of a scribe, extra time, private supervision, coloured papers or enlargement of papers. Any student seeking any type of variation to the standard examination conditions must submit an application.
A request for special examination arrangements should be made on the Application for Special Examination Arrangements form, available from schools or the Curriculum Council.
Applications should include supporting documentation as described on the application form. To ensure consideration, completed forms should be forwarded to the Executive Officer, Special Examination Arrangements at the Curriculum Council by Friday 30 June 2006.
[edit] Provisions for Sickness/Misadventure during the Tertiary Entrance Examinations/WACE Examination
Consideration may be given to students (except private candidates) suffering from a temporary sickness or misadventure close to or during the examinations, which they believe may have affected their performance in the examination.
Applications will only be considered if made on the correct form, available from examination centres, schools and the Curriculum Council. Completed forms must be received at the Curriculum Council no later than Friday 24 November 2006. Long term illness and language difficulty cannot be given consideration.
No supplementary examinations are set and students are encouraged to sit the examinations if they are able to do so. Practical examinations cannot be re-scheduled for candidates who suffer a temporary sickness or misadventure during the practical examination period.
Students who suffer an illness or disability during the school year should discuss the matter with the appropriate person/s at their school. It is a decision of the school as to what arrangements will be made with respect to school assessments in this situation.
Private candidates who suffer a sickness or misadventure prior to or during the TEE/WACE examination caused by them, a third party or the Curriculum Council are unable to receive consideration for their examination mark.
School Assessments in D (Year 11) and E (Year 12) Code Curriculum Council Subjects
[edit] Grades and Numerical School Assessments
Teachers of Year 11 and Year 12 students collect information on the achievement of their students from the beginning of the year. This information is based on assessments such as semester examinations, classroom tests, in-class work, assignments and practical work. At the end of the year teachers submit assessments based on this information to the Curriculum Council.
A grade of A, B, C, D or E will be submitted for each D code (Year 11) and E code (Year 12) subject completed at the school. The notation of ‘U’ for Unfinished may be submitted if the school’s structured educational assessment program for the subject has not been completed by the student.
For TEE subjects teachers will also be asked to submit a mark in the range 0 and 100 (regardless of whether the student intends sitting the TEE).
This mark is commonly referred to as the numerical school assessment, or sometimes simply as the school assessment. It is the numerical school assessment which, after adjustment (see the following page), is combined with the examination mark for each TEE subject. It is possible for schools to award a U notation and also submit a numerical assessment based on the student’s achievement.
Grade eligibility
To be eligible for a grade students need to complete the school’s structured educational and assessment program for the subject, unless there are exceptional circumstances acceptable to the school.
Typically this will mean that a student remains enrolled until Friday 3 November 2006 for E code (Year 12) subjects.
To be eligible for a D code (Year 11) subject grade a student will typically remain enrolled in the subject until Tuesday 5 December 2006.
Please note that typically Year 12 students studying D code (Year 11) subjects have completed their studies by Friday 3 November 2006.
Moderation of grades and adjustment of numerical school assessments
Moderation is the process of ensuring comparability of grading between schools. The aim of moderation is to ensure that a student will not be advantaged or disadvantaged when compared to a student from a different school who is studying the same subject.
Moderation of Grades: During the school year, several procedures are used to ensure that the grades awarded in subjects are comparable. Teachers assess student work in accordance with guidelines issued by the Curriculum Council. In addition, teachers meet in groups and/or are visited by Accreditation and Moderation Officers from the Curriculum Council to discuss assessment procedures and standards. The grades awarded by teachers at the end of the year will be adjusted by the Curriculum Council only in exceptional circumstances.
Students need to be aware that the grades awarded by the school are provisional as they are subject to the Council approval process. Schools are required to advise students in writing if any changes are made to provisional grades in the approval process.
Statistical Adjustment of Numerical School Assessments: The combined mark for a TEE subject is obtained by combining the standardised moderated numerical school assessment and the standardised TEE mark. It would be unfair to take the school assessment from all the different teachers in different schools and just add them, unadjusted, to the examination marks.
For this reason the Curriculum Council statistically adjusts the school assessments from all of the schools to ensure that students are treated fairly.
The procedures used for statistical adjustment are described in the pamphlet entitled Statistical Moderation. This is available on the Curriculum Council website. Students should note that the numerical assessments submitted by the school will be adjusted in the manner described in the publication. This includes those cases in which grading has been validated through moderation visits or meetings. It should be noted that neither moderation visits nor consensus meetings are used to adjust numerical school assessments.
[edit] Review of School Assessments
If a student believes the grade or the numerical school assessment awarded is incorrect, he/she may ask the school to review the assessment. Students are required to make written application, requesting a review, within five days of the release of assessments to students by the school. Schools have been requested to inform students of their school assessment, in writing, by Friday 3 November 2006 for Year 12 subjects and Tuesday 5 December 2006 for Year 11 subjects.
An assessment review does not require that the school re-mark a student's work. It is intended to determine whether:
the school’s assessment program for the subject does not conform with Curriculum Council requirements; implementation of the assessment program does not conform with the school’s stated assessment policy (based on Curriculum Council guidelines); there are any computational or clerical errors in the school’s determination of the final assessment.
A teacher's judgement about a student’s level of achievement in individual assessment tasks will not be subject to review.
If, after an assessment review has been completed at the school, a student still believes that the Curriculum Council assessment guidelines were not followed then the student may lodge an appeal with the Curriculum Council. An appeal should be made on the prescribed form, available from the school or the Curriculum Council, and forwarded to the Curriculum Council by Friday 17 November 2006 in the case of Year 12 subjects and Tuesday 5 December 2006 in the case of Year 11 subjects. A fee of $15 is payable for each subject named on the application form.
The Curriculum Council will request a school to redetermine assessments only if it can be shown that the Curriculum Council assessment guidelines were not followed by the school.
[edit] School Assessments in WACE Courses
Teachers of WACE courses assess and make judgements of student achievement of outcomes in each course being offered. Assessment decisions are based on evidence gathered for a minimum of two judgements about student achievement of each course outcome. At the end of a course unit teachers combine the judgements to derive an overall level and rating for each outcome and submit this information to the Curriculum Council.
[edit] Course Unit Completion
To be eligible for a level and rating for each course outcome students must complete the school’s structured educational and assessment program for the unit, unless there are exceptional circumstances acceptable to the school. If students do not complete the assessment requirements for one or more outcomes, schools will advise the Curriculum Council that the requirements have not been meet. This means that nothing will be recorded on the Curriculum Council database for that unit.
[edit] Moderation of School Assessment
The Curriculum Council is responsible for the moderation of school assessment. Moderation is the process of ensuring that student achievement is assessed against common standards in each course and against equivalent standards across all courses. The aim of moderation is to ensure that a student will not be advantaged or disadvantaged when compared to a student from a different school who is studying the same course.
During the school year, several procedures are used to ensure that the levels and ratings awarded in courses are comparable. Teachers assess student work in accordance with common scales of achievement issued by the Curriculum Council. In addition, teachers meet in groups or are visited by Curriculum Council Moderation Officers to discuss assessment procedures and standards. The Curriculum Council will use statistical procedures to monitor the comparability of judgements of student achievement. The Council is authorised to adjust school assessments if they contain unexplained anomalies. Adjustments would be made at the end of the school year and only in exceptional circumstances.
Students must be aware that school assessments are provisional until they have been confirmed through the Council’s approval process. Schools are required to advise students in writing if any changes are made to provisional school assessments during the approval process.
[edit] Review of School Assessments
If a student believes that his/her school assessment is incorrect, he/she may make written application to the school requesting a review, within five days of the release of assessment information to students by the school.
If the school’s assessment review does not satisfactorily resolve the matter, the student may lodge an appeal with the Curriculum Council if one or more of the following criteria apply:
the assessment program does not conform with Curriculum Council requirements; implementation of the assessment procedures do not conform to the school’s stated assessment policy (based on Curriculum Council guidelines); there are any procedural or computational errors in the determination of the assessment.
An appeal should be made on the prescribed form, available from the school or the Curriculum Council, and forwarded to the Curriculum Council by Friday 17 November 2006 in the case of Year 12 students and Tuesday 5 December 2006 in the case of Year 11 students. A fee of $15 is payable for each course named on the application form.
The Curriculum Council does not re-assess student work as part of the appeal process.
[edit] Exhibitions and Awards 2006 - 2007
The following Exhibitions and Awards are available to senior secondary students studying accredited Curriculum Council subjects and WACE courses in 2006 and 2007. The awards recognise individual excellence at the upper secondary level of schooling. General educational excellence as well as subject/course-specific excellence are recognised. They are granted by the Curriculum Council.
General Criteria for Eligibility for Exhibitions and Awards
In order to be eligible to receive a Beazley Medal: TEE, Beazley Medal: VET, a General Exhibition, a Subject Exhibition or a Certificate of Distinction, a student must:
be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia; be enrolled as a full-time student in a registered secondary school; have not previously completed a subject or course external assessment used in the determination of the award; and have satisfied the requirements for a WACE at the time of the determination of the awards.
Beazley Medal: TEE
The Beazley Medal: TEE is awarded for excellence in Tertiary Entrance Rank subjects or WACE course. It is awarded to the highest ranked eligible student with a General Exhibition.
Beazley Medal: VET
The Beazley Medal: VET is awarded for excellence in studies that include Structured Workplace Learning and VET. It is awarded to the eligible student who has demonstrated the best results in a vocational program.
Eligibility Criteria
Students eligible for this award will have:
at least five school-based assessments from E-code full-year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council subjects; and/or WACE courses in which at least two units have been completed in Year 12; and/or VET studies in a stand-alone mode, from which the number of E-code full-year subject equivalents will be calculated at the rate of half of one subject per 55 hours for a maximum of two subjects; at least two school-based assessments from Curriculum Council E-code Wholly School Assessed subjects (other than a SWL subject); and/or WACE courses in which at least two units have been completed in Year 12. at least one grade from an E-code Structured Workplace Learning subject studied during Year 12; and completed at least 110 hours of VET in a particular industry area (either completed in an embedded or stand-alone mode).
[edit] School Assessment Award Score
Students will be shortlisted according to the School Assessment Award Score. A student’s School Assessment Award Score will be calculated from achievement in E-code subjects and/or WACE courses studied in Year 12, and upon exhibitions and awards obtained in the year of the calculation or in the previous year. The calculation of this score will:
be based on the school-assessed grade for E-code subjects, and the final school assessment for WACE courses* studied in Year 12; and take account of the two different assessment scales from the two different types of assessments (E-code subjects and WACE courses studied in Year 12).
*The final assessment for a course will be calculated from an equally weighted average of the final assessment for each outcome of the course.
The accuracy of the database is paramount for the calculation of the School Assessment Award Score. Late or inaccurate submission of students’ results from schools will disadvantage students.
Selection Criteria
The Exhibitions and Awards Committee will determine the award winner from the shortlist according to the following criteria (listed in priority order):
Year 12 results in E-code subjects; Level of achievement and rating for all outcomes from two courses where at least two course units have been completed; Coherence of the VET program – the program has an industry focus; Contribution to a nationally recognised qualification; Number of other Curriculum Council awards. General Exhibitions
Forty awards known as General Exhibitions are awarded to the eligible students who obtain the highest Curriculum Council Award Scores based on the average of five TEE scaled marks/course scores, calculated to two decimal places, with at least two from each of List A and List B. The subjects must have been studied in the year of the award.
==List A and List B subjects==/courses used for the Curriculum Council Award Score are listed below:
List A (Humanities/Social Sciences) Ancient History Art Chinese: Advanced Chinese: Second Language Drama Studies Economics English/English course English Literature French Geography German History Indonesian: Advanced Indonesian: Second Language Italian Japanese: Advanced Japanese: Second Language Malay: Advanced Modern Greek Music Political and Legal Studies Media Production and Analysis course List B (Quantitative/Science) Accounting Applicable Mathematics Biology Calculus Chemistry Discrete Mathematics Geology Human Biology Information Systems Physical Science Physics Aviation course Engineering Studies course
The following subject/course combinations will not be permitted in determining the Curriculum Council Award Score. In cases where this arises, only the higher of the two scaled marks or course scores will count.
Biology and Human Biology
Malay: Advanced and Indonesian: Advanced
Chemistry and Physical Science
English and English Literature
English course and English Literature
Physics and Physical Science
Discrete Mathematics and Calculus
Discrete Mathematics and Applicable Mathematics
[edit] Subject/Course Exhibitions
Category One (Tertiary Entrance Examination Subjects/WACE Courses) A Subject Exhibition may be awarded to the eligible student obtaining the highest raw examination mark in the Tertiary Entrance Examination for each subject provided that at least one hundred students sat the examination. A Course Exhibition may be awarded to the eligible student obtaining the highest external assessment score for each WACE course provided that at least one hundred students sat the examination.
To be eligible for a Category One Subject Exhibition the student must have achieved a grade of “A” in that subject in the year of the award being granted. To be eligible for a Category One Course Exhibition the student must have completed at least two course units in the year of the award being granted.
Background candidates sitting a LOTE subject which includes both background and non-background candidates are not eligible for a Subject Exhibition in the respective subject.
No Course Exhibition will be available for students who have not sat the WACE examination in that course.
Category Two (Wholly School-assessed Subjects) A Subject Exhibition may be awarded to the eligible student who is the top student in each subject for the award of the Certificate of Distinction for wholly school-assessed subjects.
Certificates of Distinction
Category One (Tertiary Entrance Examination Subjects/WACE courses)
Certificates of Distinction are awarded to eligible students who are in the top 0.5 percent of candidates sitting the examination or the top two candidates (whichever is the greater) in a Tertiary Entrance Examination subject where there are at least one hundred students sitting the examination. The determination is based on the combined mark (being an equally weighted combination of the standardised moderated school assessment and the standardised examination mark).
For WACE courses, Certificates of Distinction are awarded to eligible students who are in the top 0.5 percent of candidates sitting the external assessment or the top two candidates (whichever is the greater) where there are at least one hundred candidates sitting the examination. The determination is based on the combined score (being an equally weighted combination of the statistically adjusted school assessment and the external assessment).
In the case of LOTE subjects which have background candidates, Certificates of Distinction will be granted to the top 0.5 percent of eligible candidates or to the two top non-background candidates (whichever is greater). Background candidates sitting a LOTE subject which includes both background and non-background candidates are not eligible for a Certificate of Distinction in the respective subject.
Category Two (Wholly School-assessed Subjects)
Certificates of Distinction may be awarded to eligible students who are in the top 0.5 percent of students in Year 12 Wholly School-assessed Subjects with a mean enrolment of one hundred or more in October of the previous two years.
If a Wholly School-assessed Subject has an enrolment of over one hundred as at the end of processing enrolments (mid-July) then Certificates of Distinction and a Subject Exhibition are to be available for awarding in this subject and that schools be informed accordingly.
Year 11 students enrolled in the above Year 12 (E code) subjects are eligible to be nominated for the Wholly School-assessed Subject Awards. Should a Year 11 student be nominated for an award, he or she would be granted either a Special Subject Award or a Special Certificate of Distinction.
The Year 12 Wholly School-assessed Subjects to be granted Subject Exhibitions, Special Subject Awards, Certificates of Distinction and Special Certificates of Distinction for 2006 are listed below:
Code Subject E230 Administrative Systems E260 Animal Production and Marketing E280 Applied Technology E631 Art and Design E713 Aspects of the Tourism Industry E289 Automotive Workshop E689 Beliefs and Values E270 Building and Construction E727 Business Financial Management E231 Business Information Technology E742 Child Care E734 Computer Assisted Drawing and Design E705 Computer Fundamentals E636 Dance Studies E634 Drama E656 Early Childhood Studies E709 Food Production E291 Food Technology E271 Furniture Design and Technology E717 General Workshop E286 Graphics Technology E664 Health Studies E665 Independent Living E234 Industry Information Technology E237 Interactive Media E232 Management and Marketing E012 Media Studies E272 Metals Technology E511 Modelling with Mathematics E633 Music in Society E608 Outdoor Education E600 Physical Education Studies E261 Plant Production and Marketing E914 Reception and Customer Service E007 Senior English E411 Senior Science E235 Small Business Management & Enterprise E817 SWL – Animal Care E802 SWL – Automotive E803 SWL - Building Construction and Services E804 SWL - Business and Clerical E807 SWL - Community Services, Health & Education E818 SWL – Design E812 SWL – Hospitality E808 SWL - Information Technology E809 SWL - Metals and Engineering E813 SWL - Primary Industries E814 SWL - Sales and Personal Service E801 SWL - Sport and Recreation E281 Systems Technology E282 Technical Graphics E283 Visual Communication – Photography E002 Vocational English E720 Wood Fabrication E686 Work Studies
No student will be eligible for a Course Certification of Distinction unless they have sat the WACE examination in that course.
Selection is by a panel appointed by the Curriculum Council. Syllabus committees will be involved in the process of elaborating the subject-specific details of the selection process. These committees will also be involved in the nomination of panel members. Panel members would be nominated by the school sectors and approved by the Curriculum Council.
The selection process will involve two stages.
School nomination – completion of a nomination form from the Principal highlighting the subject achievement for a student likely to be in the top 0.5% studying the subject.
Interview or similar – short listed students may be invited to demonstrate their understanding of, and achievements in, the subject through an interview, performance and/or submission of a portfolio of work, as determined by the selection panel.
Schools will be required to assist the student to attend the interview at Curriculum Council and will be responsible for meeting associated costs. Country nominees will be invited to attend an interview in person or through a video conference/teleconference as appropriate.
Details of the process for determining recipients of these the Category Two (Wholly School-assessed Subjects) awards will be available on the Curriculum Council website,
www.curriculum.wa.edu.au from the beginning of Term 2, 2006. Completed nomination forms must be received by the Curriculum Council by Monday 18 September 2006. Late entries cannot by accepted. Student presentations will be held during the week commencing Monday 23 October 2006.
Special General Award
A Special General Award is awarded to any student not eligible for the award of a General Exhibition because the General Criteria for Eligibility have not been satisfied, but who has otherwise achieved the requirements for the award of a General Exhibition and whose Curriculum Council Award Score is not below the lowest score for a General Exhibition.
Background candidates sitting a LOTE subject which includes both background and non-background candidates are not permitted to use that subject’s scaled mark in the calculation for a Special General Award.
Special Subject/Course Awards
A Special Subject/Course Award may be awarded to a student not eligible for the award of a Subject/Course Exhibition because the General Criteria for Eligibility have not been satisfied, but who has otherwise satisfied all the other requirements for the award of a Subject/Course Exhibition. At most, one only will be awarded in a particular subject.
Background candidates sitting a LOTE subject which includes both background and non-background candidates are not eligible for a Special Subject Award in the respective subject.
Special Certificate of Distinction
A Special Certificate of Distinction is awarded to any student not eligible for the award of a Certificate of Distinction because the General Criteria for Eligibility have not been satisfied, but who otherwise satisfies all the other requirements for the award of a Certificate of Distinction. It will be awarded only to candidates within the top 0.5 percent of candidates sitting the examination or students in the top 0.5 percent of students enrolled in the subject for wholly school-assessed subjects.
Background candidates sitting a LOTE subject which includes both background and non-background candidates are not eligible for a Special Certificate of Distinction in the respective subject.
Certificates of Excellence
A Certificate of Excellence is to be awarded to each eligible student who, in her/his last two consecutive years of post-compulsory education in Western Australia, obtains:
at least ten “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects, or nine “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects if they have completed two course units, or eight “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects if they have completed two units of two courses, or seven “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects if they have completed two units of three courses, or nine “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects if they have one VET subject equivalent, or eight “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects if they have two or more VET subject equivalents, or (students enrolled in a School-based Traineeship only) at least six “A” grades in year-long Curriculum Council subjects if they have four or more VET subject equivalents and have been engaged in a School-based Traineeship and have achieved a minimum of a Certificate II.
A subject cannot be used more than once in the determination of this award and two “A” grades in semester-length Curriculum Council subjects may be deemed equivalent to one “A” grade in a year-long Curriculum Council subject.
Completion of two course units may be deemed to be equivalent to a year-long Curriculum Council subject.
At the time of the determination of this award the student must have satisfied the requirements for Western Australian Certificate of Education.
General
Award Approval
The final decision on the granting of each award is made by the Curriculum Council Exhibitions and Awards Committee. For Subject Exhibitions (Category 1) the Chief Examiner or nominee is required to make the recommendation.
Certificates and Medallions
The winner of the Beazley Medal: TEE and the Beazley Medal: VET receives a medallion and cheque for $2000. In the event of a tie for either of the awards, each student in the tie is to be granted a medallion and $2000. Winners of General Exhibitions and Special General Awards receive a medallion, certificate and a prize. Winners of Subject/Course Exhibitions and Special Subject/Course Awards receive a medallion, certificate and a prize. All other award winners receive a certificate. All certificates are suitable for photocopying.
Wholly School-assessed Subject Awards
The selection criteria and other promotional material for the Wholly School-assessed Subject Awards to be posted on the web in place of sending packages to schools. Posters advertising these awards to be sent to schools during Term 1.
Full-time Student
A full-time student is one who is enrolled in at least four full-year or equivalent Curriculum Council subjects in a registered school.
Outstanding Achievement
Where the enrolment in a TEE subject/WACE course is below 100 the Exhibition and Awards Committee may decide to award a Subject/WACE Course Exhibition or Certificates of Distinction if the achievement is of an exceptionally high standard.
Sickness/Misadventure Claims
A derived examination mark resulting from a sickness/misadventure claim can be included in the determination of a Beazley Medal: TEE, General Exhibition, Certificate of Distinction, Special General Award, or Special Certificate of Distinction.
Release of Information
The name and school of award winners is published unless otherwise indicated by the candidate. In those cases the name of the school only will be published.
Sponsorship
The aim is that educational and business bodies will provide sponsorship for the exhibitions and awards, and that the prizes and presentation ceremony will be self-supporting through sponsorship.
The Secretariat of the Curriculum Council, in liaison with syllabus committees, will seek sponsorship for the exhibitions and awards. Sponsorship packages will be available for different levels of sponsorship.
Awards Ceremony
A presentation ceremony is held in February. The ceremony is inclusive of all Curriculum Council exhibitions and awards.
