Description
The Essential English CIA is a 90-minute (plus 15 minutes of planning time) short response to stimulus, one seen and one unseen. It can be delivered in one continuous session or 90 minutes allocated over no more than three consecutive sessions.
Short response to seen stimulus
Students will respond to representations of a community, local and/or global issue in a seen media text by writing a response that identifies, considers and explains how the elements or components that make up the text/s shape meaning.
Short response to unseen stimulus
Students will respond to representations of an identity or identities, place, event or concept in an unseen media text by writing a response that identifies, considers and explains how the elements or components that make up the text communicate ideas and information.
Topics
The topics for 2023 are representations of:
- the impact of science and technology
- human space exploration.
Schools will receive a 2023 CIA paper on one of these topics. The topic in the CIA paper that a school receives will depend on the phase of delivery the school has selected.
The impact of science and technology refers to the way science and technology affects people. Science can be defined as the search for understanding of the physical and natural world through study, observation and experimentation (e.g. chemistry, physics, hydrology, geology, astronomy) whereas technology can be defined as the application of science for practical uses (e.g. vehicles and GPS for transportation, robotics, computers). However, for the purpose of this assessment, they are considered one topic and students are not expected to understand the differences between each. Representations of science and technology are the focus of the texts.
Human space exploration refers to the investigation, discovery and exploration of outer space and the use of the information gained from it to increase knowledge about the cosmos.
CIA materials
The QCAA provides the following materials:
- seen stimulus book: given to students at the start of the three-week phase to enable deconstruction of only the seen stimulus in class. Teachers must ensure students do not have access to an annotated copy of the seen stimulus during the administration of the assessment
- question and response book: given to students at the start of the CIA session/s
- stimulus book: given to students at the start of the CIA session/s — it includes the seen and unseen stimulus
- marking guide: used to mark student responses and guide moderation processes — not to be given to students.
Sample papers
To help schools prepare students for the CIA, the QCAA has developed sample papers for Essential English.
Schools can use the sample assessments to:
- revise and test subject knowledge
- familiarise students with the language of assessment, the types of questions that might be asked, and the expected length of responses
- enable students to experience common internal assessment conditions and practise relevant skills
- build students’ confidence in understanding the requirements of common internal assessment.
More information
For information about the Essential English CIA, please email EssentialEnglish@qcaa.qld.edu.au or phone (07) 3864 0289.
- Last updated:
- 7 March 2023
