Externally set tasks
A word from Kerry Cribb, Manager, Examination Development
If you are in Year 12, or have a child in Year 12, you may have heard about externally set tasks, which are also known as ESTs.
A word from Kerry Cribb, Manager, Examination Development
If you are in Year 12, or have a child in Year 12, you may have heard about externally set tasks, which are also known as ESTs.
This new moderation process is part of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) reforms. Starting in 2016, all students enrolled in a General Year 12 course and/or a Foundation Year 12 course are required to complete the EST for that course.
What is an EST?
Each EST is 50 minute written assessment which students complete under standard test conditions. It contributes 15% to the student’s school mark for the pair of units.
Why do we need ESTs?
The EST provides a common reference point for student assessment in a course. This promotes fair assessment of student achievement. Using a common task and marking key will support shared understandings among teachers and will model best assessment practice.
Teachers will be able to apply the elements of the EST to their development of other assessment tasks and marking keys.
How will the ESTs work?
In Term 3 of the year before an EST is held, the Authority identifies the content to be assessed in the task. Schools are informed of the content in the year before the EST is conducted so the teacher can cover the content at an appropriate time. The Authority then develops the tasks based on Unit 3 content from the course.
In Term 2, the Authority distributes the tasks to schools. The schools then administer the ESTs (in 2016, this is between 16 May and 3 June). Students might complete the ESTs in class, as for other assessment tasks, or as part of their school’s Semester 1 Year 12 examinations timetable.
Teachers mark their students’ work using a marking key provided by the Authority. Schools then send the mark for each student enrolled in Unit 3 and Unit 4 to the Authority.
The Authority will select a random sample of students from each school for each course. The school will scan the EST scripts for these students and upload the scripts to the Authority.
The Authority will independently mark the selected scripts and provide the school with feedback. Teachers will then review the marks for the sample of students and, where appropriate, adjust their marking practices.
What about students with disability?
As with other timed assessments, there is opportunity for students with disability to apply for appropriate adjustments. The Guidelines for disability adjustments for timed assessments are available on our Years 11 and 12 website at http://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/ under the assessment tab.
Key dates 2016
6 May – printed copies of the ESTs are delivered to schools
16 May – the EST marking keys and marks collection forms for General and Foundation Year 12 courses made available to schools
16 May to 3 June – schools administer ESTs for each General and Foundation Year 12 course being delivered
7 June – schools receive a SIRS report listing the students whose EST script is required to be externally marked (schools need to scan and upload the scripts)
10 June – marks for each student for ESTs to be uploaded to the Authority
17 June – the scanned EST scripts of Authority‐identified students for courses to be externally marked to be uploaded to the Authority
4 to 15 July – Independent marking of ESTs for identified students
12 August – the EST feedback report for each courses will be available to schools.
16 September – The Unit 3 content on which the EST for each General and Foundation course will be based in 2017 is made available to schools
Contact and follow up
For more information, see the Externally Set Tasks Handbook, available on our website http://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/externally-set-tasks.
If you have a query about the EST process, email info@scsa.wa.edu.au.
Keywords: Year 12, General, Foundation
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