Assessment and reporting in Physics

School-based assessment requirements

NESA provides information about the responsibilities of schools in developing assessment programs in course-specific assessment and reporting requirements and in the Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) rules and requirements.

Year 11

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 ACE (Assessment, Certification and Examination rules and requirements) for further information.

Assessment program requirements

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

Schools have authority to determine the number, type and weighting of assessment tasks, subject to a limit of one take-home task worth no more than 15%. See ACE 2.1 for more information. 

Assessment program guidance 

When developing assessment programs, schools should:  

• use a variety of assessment tasks across the year to give students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in different ways  
• give individual assessment tasks a weighting between 10% and 40%. 

See Assessment in Stage 6 for more information about developing school-based assessment programs.

Year 12

NESA requires schools to submit a school-based assessment mark for each Year 12 candidate in a course. Formal school-based assessment tasks should reflect the syllabus outcomes and content. The mark 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 ACE (Assessment, Certification and Examination rules and requirements) for further information.

Assessment program requirements

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

Schools have authority to determine the number, type and weighting of assessment tasks, subject to a limit of one take-home task worth no more than 15%. See ACE 2.1 for more information. 

Assessment program guidance 

When developing assessment programs, schools should:  

• use a variety of assessment tasks across the year to give students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in different ways  
• give individual assessment tasks a weighting between 10% and 40%. 

See Assessment in Stage 6 for more information about developing school-based assessment programs.

HSC exam specifications

The external HSC exam measures student achievement in a range of syllabus outcomes.

The external exam and its marking relate to the syllabus by:  

• providing clear links to syllabus outcomes
• enabling students to demonstrate the levels of achievement outlined in the performance band descriptions
• applying marking guidelines based on criteria that relate to the quality of the response
• aligning performance in the exam each year to the standards established for the course.

Exam questions may require candidates to integrate knowledge, understanding and skills developed through studying the course.

The Year 11 course is assumed knowledge for the Year 12 course.

The exam will consist of a written paper worth 100 marks.

The time allowed is 3 hours plus 5 minutes reading time.

A data sheet, formulae sheet and Periodic Table will be provided.

NESA-approved calculators, a pair of compasses, a protractor and set squares may be used.

There will be approximately equal weighting given to Modules 5 to 8. Questions relating to Working Scientifically Skills will be integrated throughout the exam.

The paper will consist of two sections.

Section I (20 marks)

There will be objective-response questions to the value of 20 marks.

Section II (80 marks)

Questions may contain parts.
There will be 20 to 25 items.
At least two items will be worth 7 to 9 marks.