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 English EAL/D
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 comprehensive knowledge and insightful understanding of the ways meaning is shaped by purpose, audience, context and culture in and between texts
demonstrates highly developed skills in analysing and evaluating language forms, features and structures of a range of texts
composes highly developed critical and creative responses that demonstrate refined understanding of ideas, perspectives, values and arguments in texts
sustains clear, fluent communication of ideas, perspectives, values and arguments, using language forms and features appropriate to purpose, audience and context.
Band 5
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates thorough knowledge and considered understanding of the ways meaning is shaped by purpose, audience, context and culture in and between texts
demonstrates well-developed skills in analysing and evaluating language forms, features and structures of a range of texts
composes well-developed critical and creative responses that demonstrate considered understanding of ideas, perspectives and values in texts
sustains clear communication of ideas, information, values and arguments, using language forms and features appropriate to purpose, audience and context.
Band 4
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of the ways meaning is shaped by purpose, audience, context and culture in and between texts
demonstrates sound skills in describing and explaining language forms, features and structures of a range of texts
composes developed critical and creative responses, showing broad understanding of ideas and perspectives in texts
communicates ideas and information clearly, using language forms and features appropriate to purpose, audience and context.
Band 3
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of the ways meaning is shaped by purpose, audience, context and culture in texts
identifies and describes language forms, features and structures of texts
composes responses showing evidence of literal interpretation and a basic understanding of the ideas and perspectives in texts
communicates ideas and information with some variable control of language.
Band 2
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates elementary knowledge and understanding of the ways meaning is shaped by purpose, audience and context in texts
identifies and comments on some language forms, features and structures of texts
composes simple, undeveloped responses showing awareness of the main ideas in texts
communicates ideas and information with limited control of language.
Band 1
Performance reported as Band 1 indicates that the minimum standard expected was not demonstrated.