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NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

11–12English EAL/D 11–12 Syllabus (2024)

Implementation from 2026
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Assessment

School-based assessment

Schools are required to develop an assessment program for each Year 11 and Year 12 course. NESA provides information about the responsibilities of schools in developing assessment programs in course-specific assessment requirements and in the Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) rules and requirements.

Year 11 English EAL/D school-based assessment

Stage 6 - Year 11

Schools are required to submit to NESA a grade for each student based on their achievement at the end of the course.

Teachers use professional, on-balance judgement to allocate grades based on the Common Grade Scale for Preliminary courses.

Teachers consider all available assessment information, including formal and informal assessment, to determine the grade that best matches each student’s achievement at the end of the course.

See Assessment Certification and Examination (ACE) rules and requirements for further information.

Assessment programs must reflect course components and weightings

The course components and component weightings for Year 11 are mandatory.

Course componentWeighting %
Knowledge and understanding of course content50
Skills in responding to texts and communication of ideas appropriate to purpose, audience and context across modes50
Schools may determine specific elements of their assessment program

Schools have authority to determine the number, type of task and the weighting allocated to an assessment task. Schools may also follow the sample assessment programs provided by NESA.

Sample assessment program

NESA's sample Year 11 formal school-based assessment program for English EAL/D is:

  • 3 assessment tasks, including:
    • a task with a listening component
    • a formal written examination
    • a weighting for any individual task of 20% to 40%.

Some students with disability may require adjustments in order to access assessment opportunities and demonstrate achievement of outcomes.

Year 12 English EAL/D school-based assessment

Stage 6 - Year 12

NESA requires schools to submit a school-based assessment mark for each Year 12 student who completes this course. Formal school-based assessment tasks should reflect the syllabus outcomes and content. The mark submitted by the school provides a summation of each student’s achievement measured at several points throughout the course.

A school’s program of school-based assessment includes both mandatory and non-mandatory elements.

See Assessment Certification and Examination (ACE) rules and requirements for further information.

Assessment programs must reflect course components and weightings

The course components and component weightings for Year 12 are mandatory.

Course componentWeighting %
Knowledge and understanding of course content50
Skills in responding to texts and communication of ideas appropriate to purpose, audience and context across modes50
Schools may determine specific elements of their assessment program

Schools have authority to determine the number, type of task and the weighting allocated to an assessment task. Schools may also follow the sample assessment programs provided by NESA.

Sample assessment program

NESA's sample Year 12 formal school-based assessment program for English EAL/D is:

  • 4 assessment tasks, including:
    • a task assessing the focus area Writing
    • a task with a listening component
    • a formal written examination
    • a weighting for any individual task of 10% to 40%.

Some students with disability may require adjustments in order to access assessment opportunities and demonstrate achievement of outcomes.

Writing

Assessment in this focus area gives students the opportunity to:

  • demonstrate the knowledge, understanding and skills in writing they have developed across the other focus areas studied
  • write in a range of forms not limited to analytical or critical responses to literature.

This focus area may be assessed in a variety of ways, such as through more than one short piece of writing, and through a range of modes. A portfolio of work is not a requirement for this assessment task.

Sample assessment schedules

Stage 6

Further information

Stage 6 - Year 12