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 Modern History
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 a range of forces, ideas, events, individuals and groups, and their significance
demonstrates comprehensive understanding of continuity and change
demonstrates comprehensive understanding of different perspectives of individuals and groups in their historical context
evaluates sources for evidence to support historical accounts and arguments
evaluates differing interpretations and representations of the past
communicates sophisticated understanding through highly developed and sustained arguments and integration of historical concepts and terms.
Band 5
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of a range of forces, ideas, events, individuals and groups, and their significance
demonstrates a well-developed understanding of continuity and change
demonstrates a well-developed understanding of different perspectives of individuals and groups in their historical context
analyses sources for evidence to support historical accounts and arguments
analyses differing interpretations and representations of the past
communicates thorough understanding through sustained arguments and integration of historical concepts and terms.
Band 4
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of a range of forces, ideas, events, individuals and groups, and their significance
demonstrates a sound understanding of continuity and change
demonstrates a sound understanding of different perspectives of individuals and groups in their historical context
uses sources for evidence in historical accounts or arguments
discusses interpretations and representations of the past
communicates understanding through generalised arguments and sound use of historical concepts and terms.
Band 3
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates basic understanding of forces, ideas, events, individuals and groups, and their significance
identifies features of continuity and change
demonstrates basic understanding of different perspectives of individuals and groups in their historical context
makes reference to sources in historical accounts
identifies interpretations and representations of the past
communicates basic information through descriptive texts with basic use of historical concepts and terms.
Band 2
A student who performs at this level typically:
describes historical forces, ideas, events, individuals and groups
recognises aspects of continuity and/or change
demonstrates limited understanding of different perspectives of individuals and/or groups in their historical context
communicates limited information with limited use of historical concepts and terms.
Band 1
Performance reported as Band 1 indicates that the minimum standard expected was not demonstrated.