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 Extension school-based assessment
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.
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 Extension is:
- 3 assessment tasks, including:
- a task assessing the Related research project
- 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.
Related research project
The Related research project provides students with the opportunity to develop independent research skills and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of and skills in Texts, culture and value.
Year 12 English Extension 1 school-based assessment
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.
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 Extension 1 is:
- 3 assessment tasks, including:
- a creative response
- a task integrating student-selected related material
- 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.
Creative responses
Assessment in this course provides students with the opportunity to experiment with voice, form and style in creative compositions to demonstrate the knowledge, understanding and skills of the course. Creative compositions may be realised in various forms, modes and media.
Year 12 English Extension 2 school-based assessment
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.
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 Extension 2 is:
- 3 assessment tasks, including:
- a viva voce on the Major work
- a literature review on the Major work
- a formal written examination
- a weighting for any individual task of 20% to 40%.
The Major work journal should be submitted for monitoring with all tasks related to the Major work.
Some students with disability may require adjustments in order to access assessment opportunities and demonstrate achievement of outcomes.
Viva voce
The Viva Voce addresses the written proposal for the Major work. Students present information on the central concept(s), scope, emphases and form of their proposed Major work. Students also explain how their proposal is based on the knowledge, understanding and skills of English Advanced and Extension courses.
Features of the Viva Voce:
- students acknowledge and reflect on the ways significant texts generate ideas to develop their proposal
- the task is conducted and assessed using a panel format
- the process supports students in clarifying the direction of their work and provides opportunity for meaningful and constructive feedback
- time allocation for the Viva Voce is approximately 15 to 20 minutes with an additional 15 minutes preparation time with the questions
- the journal is used as part of the presentation and must be submitted for monitoring purposes.
The Major work journal along with the Viva Voce may include:
- concept mapping for generating ideas
- an original inquiry question
- evidence of investigation into a variety of composers in the chosen form
- an action plan with milestones.
Literature review
In the literature review, students apply knowledge and understanding from Author and authority. Students select 2 to 4 examples of related literature to evaluate and critically examine how their Major work supports or extends the field of texts in their chosen form. A literature review is evaluative and assists students in the development and refinement of their Major work at this stage. It expresses the student’s perspective of the literature in relation to their work.
In total, the literature review should not exceed 1200 words.
The Major work journal along with the literature review may include:
- evaluative and reflective annotations of extracts from various texts that relate to the concept and form
- annotated extracts from various texts with notes and evaluative reflection
- examples and evaluation of experimentation with style and structure
- summaries and notes about the exploration of the concept and connections to Author and Authority
- extracts of the student’s drafts with reasons for changes and critical questions from peers and/or teachers.
Sample assessment schedules
Further information
- Loading
- Loading
- Loading
- Loading
- Adjustments to assessment for students with disability
- Life Skills
- Assessment Certification Examination (ACE)