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.
Achievement level descriptions
Achievement Level Descriptions are the standards used when reporting student achievement on school-based assessment at the end of the Mathematics Standard 1 course. All students who complete the course receive a grade representing their overall achievement on school-based assessment. This grade is reported on the HSC credential.
Mathematics Standard 1 Year 12: Achievement Level Descriptions
These Achievement Level Descriptions provide the standards to be used when reporting student achievement on school-based assessment in Mathematics Standard 1 for the HSC.
All students who complete the course receive a grade representing their overall achievement on school-based assessment. This grade is reported on the HSC credential.
Grade A
A student performing at this grade typically:
selects and uses appropriate mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts
uses a variety of problem-solving strategies to solve mathematical problems
applies thorough reasoning to construct mathematical arguments
uses symbols, numbers, words, diagrams and graphs to communicate mathematical ideas, relationships and results
applies and interprets information in symbolic, tabular or graphical form to make predictions and inferences, and draw conclusions
carries out stated statistical processes to interpret and compare data
solves problems involving statistical analysis
identifies and uses appropriate formulae to solve problems in financial mathematics.
Grade B
A student performing at this grade typically:
selects and uses mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
uses problem-solving strategies to solve mathematical problems
applies reasoning to construct mathematical arguments
uses symbols, numbers, words, diagrams and graphs to communicate mathematical results
applies information in diagrammatic, tabular or graphical form to make some predictions and inferences, and draw conclusions
calculates summary statistics of a dataset
solves some problems involving statistical analysis
performs calculations in financial mathematics that involve substitution into a given formula.
Grade C
A student performing at this grade typically:
uses mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in familiar contexts
uses some problem-solving strategies to solve problems with limited accuracy
presents steps in sequence in the construction of simple mathematical arguments
uses numbers, words, diagrams and graphs to communicate mathematical results
uses information in diagrammatic, tabular or graphical form to assist in solving problems
identifies the type of correlation between two datasets
performs calculations involving statistics
performs calculations in financial mathematics.
Grade D
A student performing at this grade typically:
uses some mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in familiar contexts
presents two steps in the correct order in the construction of a simple mathematical argument
uses numbers, words, simple diagrams and graphs to communicate mathematical results
uses information in a simple diagrammatic, tabular or graphical form to assist in solving problems
identifies correlation between two datasets
performs simple probability calculations
performs some basic calculations in financial mathematics with limited accuracy.
Grade E
A student performing at this grade typically:
uses some mathematical concepts, skills and/or techniques in some familiar contexts
identifies a step in the construction of a simple mathematical argument
uses numbers and simple diagrams to communicate mathematical information
uses information from a simple diagram or table to assist in solving problems
displays elementary skills in performing calculations in financial mathematics.
Performance Band Descriptions for Mathematics Standard 1
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, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
applies appropriate mathematical concepts, skills and techniques consistently and accurately in familiar and unfamiliar situations
selects and uses a variety of strategies to solve mathematical problems
interprets mathematical models to solve problems
communicates reasoning effectively, using appropriate mathematical language, notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 5
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates thorough knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
applies appropriate mathematical concepts, skills and techniques consistently in familiar situations
selects and uses strategies to solve mathematical problems
interprets familiar mathematical models to solve problems
communicates reasoning using appropriate mathematical notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 4
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates sound knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
uses mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in familiar situations
selects and uses some strategies to solve mathematical problems with limited success
interprets some familiar mathematical models
communicates reasoning using mathematical notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 3
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates basic knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
uses some mathematical concepts, skills and techniques
uses some mathematical problem-solving strategies
communicates reasoning using some mathematical notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 2
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates elementary knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
uses some mathematical techniques
uses some simple mathematical notation or diagrams.
Band 1
Performance reported as Band 1 indicates that the minimum standard expected was not demonstrated.
Performance Band Descriptions for Mathematics Standard 2
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, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
applies appropriate mathematical concepts, skills and techniques consistently and accurately in a range of familiar and unfamiliar situations
selects and uses a wide range of strategies to solve a variety of mathematical problems
constructs and analyses mathematical models to solve problems
communicates reasoning and justification effectively, using appropriate mathematical language, notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 5
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates thorough knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
applies appropriate mathematical concepts, skills and techniques accurately in familiar and unfamiliar situations
selects and uses a range of strategies to solve a variety of mathematical problems
analyses mathematical models to solve problems
communicates reasoning using appropriate mathematical language, notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 4
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates sound knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
uses mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in familiar and some unfamiliar situations
selects and uses strategies to solve mathematical problems
interprets mathematical models to solve problems
communicates reasoning using some appropriate mathematical language, notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 3
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates basic knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
uses mathematical concepts, skills and techniques in familiar situations
solves some simple problems
communicates reasoning using some mathematical language, notation, diagrams and graphs.
Band 2
A student who performs at this level typically:
demonstrates elementary knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the course
uses basic mathematical concepts, skills and techniques to solve some simple problems with limited accuracy
uses some mathematical language and simple diagrams.
Band 1
Performance reported as Band 1 indicates that the minimum standard expected was not demonstrated.