Assessment
Course standards
Course standards are comprised of syllabus standards and performance standards. Syllabus outcomes and content form the syllabus standards that describe what students are expected to know, understand and do. Performance standards, including the Common Grade Scale for Preliminary courses, HSC Performance Band Descriptions and Achievement Level Descriptions (for HSC courses with grades only) describe how well students have achieved in relation to syllabus standards. Performance standards are used to report student achievement on NESA credentials.
Common Grade Scale for Preliminary courses
The Loading provides generic, holistic descriptions for performance at each of the 5 grade levels. It is used to report student achievement in Year 11 courses in all NSW schools.
Performance Band Descriptions for Music 2
HSC performance band descriptions summarise the knowledge, understanding and skills typically demonstrated by students at each band level in a particular course. NESA uses these holistic descriptions to report a student's overall level of achievement in an HSC course.
Band 6
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of how meaning and expressive intent are communicated through musical works
demonstrates highly developed skills in consistently using Music context and Music language to shape meaning and expressive intent in a range of styles
demonstrates highly developed, refined stylistic interpretation and skilful technical control through performance
demonstrates insightful understanding of compositional language and style to skilfully compose music with refined expressive intent
skilfully communicates ideas and perspectives through sophisticated analysis of musical evidence.
Band 5
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of how meaning and expressive intent are communicated through musical works
demonstrates well-developed skills in using Music context and Music language to shape meaning and expressive intent in a range of styles
demonstrates well-developed stylistic interpretation and effective technical control through performance
demonstrates informed understanding of compositional language and style to effectively compose music with clear expressive intent
effectively communicates ideas and perspectives through informed analysis of musical evidence.
Band 4
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of how meaning and expressive intent are communicated through musical works
demonstrates sound skills in using Music context and Music language to shape meaning and expressive intent in a range of styles
demonstrates sound stylistic interpretation and technical control through performance
demonstrates sound understanding of compositional language and style to compose music with expressive intent
clearly communicates ideas and perspectives through sound analysis of musical evidence.
Band 3
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of how meaning is communicated through musical works
demonstrates basic skills in using Music context and Music language to present meaning
demonstrates some stylistic interpretation through performance
demonstrates basic understanding of compositional language and style to compose music
communicates ideas and/or perspectives through description of musical evidence.
Band 2
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates elementary knowledge and understanding of how meaning is communicated through musical works
demonstrates limited skills in using Music context and Music language
demonstrates limited skills in performing and composing music
communicates ideas or perspectives using some musical evidence.
Band 1
Performance reported as Band 1 indicates that the minimum standard expected was not demonstrated.