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External assessment

Variation to venue: Venue and supervisor suitability and costs

When a student requires an alternative venue that is not a Queensland secondary school, they must nominate a suitable venue and supervisor meeting QCAA requirements.

Venue suitability

Appropriate venues may include other secondary schools, universities, TAFEs, churches and government organisations, e.g. local council offices.

Venues

Requirements

Australian venues

  • The venue must have a lockable room with no external access, for the storage of assessment materials before and after assessment (a locked filing cabinet is not sufficient; any external windows or doors must have security covering, e.g. metal security mesh, steel door grate). Assessment materials must be stored securely from delivery to collection. Only the approved assessment supervisor may have access to the room and assessment materials.
  • Supervisors must be able to sign for delivery of materials at the venue, in the scheduled delivery window, prior to assessment.
  • There must be a quiet suitable space for the student to complete assessment.
  • Internet connectivity is required. Printing and scanning facilities may also be needed.
  • The venue must open early enough to enable the supervisor to complete all requirements for assessment prior to the assessment start time. Morning start times are typically 9 am local time but will be determined by QCAA in line with the external assessment timetable.*
  • The venue must allow access to QCAA-authorised persons to administer or quality assure the assessment processes as required.
  • Supervisors must be able to meet the courier for collection of materials at the venue, in the scheduled delivery window, after assessment.

International venues

  • The venue must have a lockable room with no external access for the storage of assessment materials after assessment (a locked filing cabinet is not sufficient; any external windows or doors must have security covering, e.g. metal security mesh, steel door grate). Assessment materials must be stored securely prior to collection. Only the approved assessment supervisor may have access to the room and assessment materials.
  • There must be a quiet suitable space for the student to complete assessment.
  • Internet connectivity and printing and scanning facilities are required (assessment materials must be printed at the venue – not in a public space).
  • When assessment materials are sent from a jurisdiction that is not the QCAA, supervisors must be able to sign for delivery of materials at the venue in the scheduled delivery window, prior to assessment.
  • The venue must open early enough to enable the supervisor to complete all requirements for assessment prior to the assessment start time. Morning start times are typically 9 am, local time but will be determined by QCAA in line with the external assessment timetable.*
  • Supervisors must be able to meet the courier for collection of materials at the venue, in the scheduled delivery window, after assessment.

*External assessment is administered for all students under the same conditions, at the same time and on the same day. When assessment is administered in a different time zone, appropriate local start times will be confirmed by the QCAA.

** Further information and directions for assessment administration are provided to approved supervisors prior to assessment.

Supervisor suitability

The nominated supervisor must meet eligibility criteria and agree in writing to all QCAA assessment requirements by completing the relevant supervisor statement.

The supervisor must:

  • not have any conflict of interest in undertaking this role, e.g. not be a student’s family member or relative (including persons related by marriage), tutor, family friend or family member’s employer, employee or work colleague
  • be able to communicate proficiently in English (in verbal and written forms)
  • have competent IT skills, e.g. ability to download and decrypt secure files and scan and upload files to a secure online portal
  • be able to supervise on the days and times the QCAA specifies. This includes ability to have the venue and all assessment materials ready, prior to the assessment start time
  • be available for QCAA contact during their country’s business hours.

Note: supervisor duties may vary according to specific subject requirements.

Accessing materials in the QCAA Portal (online)

Assessment materials will be made available online, in the QCAA Portal.

Before the assessment period, supervisors must:

  • log into the QCAA Portal
  • ensure that compatible decryption software is installed on the device that will be used to access and download assessment materials. Examples of software that can open the files in the QCAA Portal include
    • Windows – 7-zip, WinZip, WinRAR
    • Mac – The Unarchiver, Keka, Izip
    • IOS – iZIP, WinZip.
  • rehearse downloading and decrypting files.

On assessment day, supervisors must:

  • log into the QCAA Portal and download and decrypt secure/encrypted assessment files (compatible decryption software must be installed to enable this)
  • print assessment materials at the approved venue (not in a public space), just prior to the assessment session. Note: Assessment files are generally made available in the Portal at 6am, for a 9am assessment start time. The student’s timetable and file release times will be confirmed by email.
  • have the venue and all materials ready for the assessment start time
  • complete administrative tasks in the QCAA Portal before, during and after each assessment session.

Note:

  • If students are completing assessment with a digital stimulus (e.g. video or audio file), supervisors must be able to transfer downloaded/decrypted files to the student’s device (e.g. laptop, iPad).
  • If students are completing assessment that has been developed by a different authority (not QCAA), materials for that assessment may be delivered by courier. In this case, the supervisor would be required to meet the courier at the approved venue and securely store the materials prior to assessment.

Supervising assessment

On assessment day, supervisors must:

  • begin assessment at the local time confirmed by the QCAA *
  • follow the directions for administering assessment provided by the QCAA**.

Returning student responses

After each assessment session, supervisors must:

  • immediately scan student responses (all pages) and upload them to the QCAA Portal (use of a camera to photograph responses is not suitable)
  • package all student responses together for courier collection
  • store materials securely at the approved venue, until collection
  • respond to emails/phone calls from the courier regarding material collection
  • meet the courier at the approved venue on the specified day after the student’s last assessment, for the collection of materials.

Note: supervisor duties may vary according to specific subject requirements.

Accepting delivery of printed assessment materials

On most occasions, printed assessment materials will be delivered to approved Queensland and interstate venues.

Before assessment, supervisors must:

  • be available to meet the courier at the approved venue within a specified time window to take delivery of the assessment materials. Delivery dates will be set approximately one week before scheduled assessments. Note: More than one delivery may occur during the assessment period, depending on the student’s assessment timetable
  • check delivered materials and store them securely at the venue. Venues must have a lockable room, with no external access, to store assessment materials before and after assessment.

Accessing materials in the QCAA Portal (online) if required

If printed assessment materials cannot be delivered by courier to the approved venue (e.g. if delivery deadlines are not met), they will be made available online via the QCAA Portal.

If students are completing assessment with a digital stimulus (e.g. video or audio file), supervisors must be able to download/decrypt files from the QCAA Portal and transfer them to the student’s device (e.g. laptop, iPad).

Before the assessment period, supervisors must:

  • log into the QCAA Portal
  • ensure that compatible decryption software is installed on the device that will be used to access and download assessment materials. Examples of software that can open the files in the QCAA Portal include
    • Windows – 7-zip, WinZip, WinRAR
    • Mac – The Unarchiver, Keka, Izip
    • IOS – iZIP, WinZip.

On assessment day, supervisors must:

  • log into the QCAA Portal and download and decrypt secure/encrypted assessment files
  • print assessment materials (if required) at the approved venue (not in a public space), just prior to the assessment session. Note: Assessment files are generally made available in the Portal at 6am, for a 9am assessment start time. The student’s timetable and file release times will be confirmed by email
  • have the venue and all materials ready for the assessment start time.

Supervising assessment

On assessment day, supervisors must:

  • begin assessment at the local time/s confirmed by the QCAA*
  • follow the directions for administering assessment provided by the QCAA **
  • log into the QCAA Portal and complete administrative tasks before, during and after each assessment session.

Returning student responses

After each assessment session, supervisors must:

  • immediately scan student responses (all pages), if required, and upload them to the QCAA Portal (use of a camera to photograph responses is not suitable)
  • package all student responses together for courier collection
  • store materials securely at the approved venue, until collection
  • respond to emails/phone calls from the courier regarding material collection
  • meet the courier at the approved venue on the specified day after the student’s last assessment, for the collection of materials.

Costs

There are no costs associated with placement at Queensland secondary schools.

Students and/or parents/carers are responsible for any costs associated with the administration of external assessment in alternative venues. Fees must be paid before the date of relevant assessment and may apply for:

  • venue hire
  • supervision
  • courier
  • administration.

Students and/or parents/carers must not pay venues or supervisors directly. The QCAA will invoice students or parents/carers and make payment to the venue and/or supervisor.

Last updated:
14 July 2025

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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