11–12English Studies 11–12 Syllabus (2024)

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.

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

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 Studies is:

• 3 assessment tasks, including:
  • 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.

NESA requires schools to submit a school-based assessment grade for each Year 12 student who completes this course. Formal school-based assessment tasks should reflect the syllabus outcomes and content. The grade 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.

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

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 Studies is:

• 4 assessment tasks, including:
  • a critical response
  • a creative response
  • 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.

Critical response

Assessment in this course provides students with the opportunity to develop their critical writing in a composition that explains and analyses ideas and perspectives from at least one substantial text from a focus area or elective. Critical compositions may be written in various forms, modes and media.

Creative response

Assessment in this course provides students with the opportunity to develop their creative writing in a composition that represents ideas and perspectives from a focus area or elective. Creative compositions may be written in various forms, modes and media.

At the end of the course, schools will use the Achievement Level Descriptions for English Studies to determine grades for school-based assessment. NESA monitors these grades and conducts work sample reviews to ensure the grades reported on NESA credentials are comparable. Information on retaining and submitting student work samples is available under Loading .

NESA requires schools to submit an estimated examination mark for students entered for the optional HSC examination in English Studies. This mark is an estimate of likely performance in the HSC examination. The estimated examination mark should reflect the student’s achievement on a task or tasks similar to the HSC examination, such as a trial HSC examination. This examination does not need to be part of the formal school assessment program.

The estimated examination mark that is submitted to NESA should not be revealed to students. In the case of a successful illness/misadventure application, NESA will refer to the estimated mark when determining the HSC examination mark for the student. Teachers are still able to provide students with results and marking comments for all assessment tasks.

All students studying English Studies for the HSC will have their school-based assessment reported on NESA credentials as a grade (A to E).

Students studying English Studies who sit for the optional HSC examination will have an HSC mark and performance band derived from the HSC examination only. The HSC mark and performance band will be reported on a separate line to the school-based assessment grade on the NESA credential.

Student performance in the English Studies optional examination is reported on standards on a course report. The course report contains:

• a level of achievement
• an HSC mark
• an examination mark.

The course report also shows graphically the statewide distribution of HSC marks of all students who sit the optional HSC examination in the course. The distribution of marks is determined by students’ performances in relation to the Performance Band Descriptions. It does not reflect a predetermined pattern of marks.

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• Adjustments to assessment for students with disability
• Life Skills
• Assessment Certification Examination (ACE)