REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE HSC

To be eligible for awarding of the HSC:

• you must have satisfactorily completed courses that meet the pattern of study required by NESA for the award of the HSC. This includes the completion of the practical, oral, project works and work placement required for specific courses and the assessment requirements for each course.

• you must have sat for and made a serious attempt at the HSC examinations

• you must have studied at least twelve (12) Year 11 units and a minimum of ten (10) Year 12 units

• the pattern must meet the following criteria:

- six Year 11 and six Year 12 units must be BDCs including at least two units of English or English Studies

- three courses must be of two units or greater

- at least four subjects must be studied.

PATHWAYS TO THE HSC

It is possible to accumulate the HSC over five years from the time the first examination is taken. Such an arrangement requires careful planning. Students wishing to complete their HSC over more than two years must discuss this matter with the Assistant Principal and/or Curriculum Coordinator.

YEAR 11 ASSESSMENT

Assessment of satisfactory status in Year 11 courses will commence at the beginning of the year and continue to the end of Term 3. The Year 12 courses will begin in Term 4. Students will be issued with an Assessment Schedule at the commencement of the Year 11 Course.

SATISFACTORY AT YEAR 11

To satisfactorily complete a course at Year 11 level students must:

• follow the course developed, or endorsed by the Board; and

• apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort for the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school; and

• achieve some, or all of the outcomes.

The Principal may determine that, as a result of a poor record of attendance, the course criteria have not been met. In addition, students at St John’s must:

• hand in work set

• make a serious attempt of all class work and assessment tasks (failure to submit work will jeopardise their status)

• behave in a manner which is acceptable according to school standards.

Students who have not complied with the above requirements cannot be regarded as having satisfactorily completed the course. An N determination will then apply and the student may be unable to enter for the HSC examination in that subject.

HSC ASSESSMENT

Each course has specific assessment requirements which relate to prescribed performance criteria in that course and which are weighted accordingly. An assessment schedule which describes these requirements for HSC courses is issued to each student for each subject at the beginning of the HSC course.

IMPORTANT POINTS IN RELATION TO ASSESSMENT TASKS

If a task is not submitted and there is no satisfactory reason given and supported by some form of certification such as a doctor’s certificate, a mark of zero will be awarded in relation to the HSC course.

• Students must make sure that each task is submitted to the teacher concerned PRIOR to the time for submission.

• Students are expected to attend school on both the day of and the day prior to an HSC assessment task. Absence the day prior, while not requiring a misadventure, will be noted. Re-occurrences of non-attendance the day prior will require submission of a misadventure.

• Arrangements such as holidays should not be made during times where assessment tasks are due.

• Students are required to complete the ‘All My Own Work’ course at the beginning of the Preliminary year.

Students should also make themselves aware of the meaning of plagiarism and that it may result in zero marks.

• It is the duty of the student to make sure that he/she collects and is aware of assessment tasks.

• Computer/printer failure, family holidays, lost preparation time, misreading the due date are not considered a satisfactory reason for non-submission.

An assessment policy document will be issued to all students at the commencement of the Year 11 and Year 12 courses.

HSC RESULTS

Three marks will appear for each subject on the Higher School Certificate Record of Achievement: the examination mark, the assessment mark and the final HSC mark. The examination mark and the assessment mark each constitute 50% of the HSC mark. The assessment marks sent in by the school are moderated by matching the assessment marks to the school group’s performance in the external exam.

AUSTRALIAN TERTIARY ADMISSIONS RANK (ATAR)

In order to be eligible for placement at a University, students must have an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). The ATAR is calculated from the best ten Board Developed Course units, including at least two units of English.

It is important to know that:

• the ATAR is calculated by the universities in NSW and the ACT and is released by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC)

• the ATAR serves only one purpose - to assist universities in ranking school leaver applicants for tertiary selection in a fair and equitable way. The ATAR is not useful for any other purpose.

The following apply to ATAR calculations:

• Assessment for ATAR will be based on HSC work only (assessment of Preliminary work will determine whether HSC courses may be attempted).

• ATAR calculations are based 50% on school assessments and 50% on HSC exam mark after moderation and scaling of marks.

• The best two units of English will be counted.

• The best eight units chosen from the remaining units will be counted.

• Students who wish their VET subject, English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1 courses to count towards their ATAR must sit for the HSC exam in that subject.

• If more than ten Board Developed units are attempted, two units of English and the next best eight units are counted towards ATAR.

*NOTE:FROM 2025, there is no distinction between Category A and Category B courses*

REPORTING IN THE HSC

The HSC reports that you receive from NESA provide you with detailed descriptions of the knowledge, skills and understanding you have attained in each subject. The mark achieved in each 2 unit course will be on a scale of 0 to 100. The mark 50 will represent the minimum standard expected. There are be five performance bands above 50 that correspond to different levels of achievement in knowledge, skills and understanding. The band from 90 to 100 will correspond to the highest level of achievement.

On satisfactory completion of your HSC you will receive a portfolio containing:

• the HSC Testamur (official certificate confirming your achievement of the requirements for the award)

• the Record of Achievement (this lists the courses you have studied and reports the marks and bands you have achieved)

• Course Reports (for every HSC BDC you will receive a report showing marks, performance scale and band

descriptions together with a graph showing the state-wide distribution of marks in the course).

ADVICE WHEN CHOOSING

• Listen to advice from your teachers

• Follow the Course Selection Recommendation Report issued to you by St John's. 

• Realistically estimate your abilities

• Choose subjects which suit your interests and abilities

• Choose a broad enough range of subjects so as not to limit future goals

• Start with a positive attitude to work at the beginning of the course and maintain this at all times.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Any change of course must be completed by the end of Week 3-4, Term 1 of Year 11. It is advisable, however, for students to make changes as early in Term 1 as possible, before they miss too much work in the subject they are changing to.