Quality assurance (QA) processes support schools to develop and administer assessment instruments, promote consistency of judgments about student responses and support the continuous improvement of assessment practices in schools.
Applied quality assurance process
In the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system, Applied and Applied (Essential) subjects are quality assured by a review of assessment instruments, student responses to instruments and teacher judgments for Unit 3 assessments.
Schools that offer Applied (Essential) subjects and have students enrolled in Units 3 and 4 participate annually in Applied quality assurance (Applied QA) review meetings.
For Applied subjects other than Applied (Essential) subjects, a schedule showing which subjects will be quality assured is published each year. Schools with students enrolled in Units 3 and 4 of a scheduled subject will be required to participate in an Applied QA meeting that year.
Each school develops and submits summative internal assessment instruments and a sample of student responses to the QCAA. Schools also nominate a subject teacher and a reserve to participate in one of the Applied QA review meetings from the published meeting schedule.
Applied QA meetings
At each review meeting, the QCAA trains and supports the nominated reviewers to conduct reviews. Each school submission receives two independent reviews before the reviewer pairs participate in a consensus meeting to draft the Advice to schools.
Further information about the Applied QA process for the Applied (Essential) syllabuses can be found at Quality assurance for Applied (Essential) syllabuses.
Further information about the Applied QA process for the Applied syllabuses can be found at Quality assurance for Applied syllabuses.
Benefits of Applied QA
The Applied quality assurance process provides subject teachers with training in assessment design and making on-balance judgments to support them to conduct reviews of school submissions.
Following the review meetings each school receives advice about:
- the validity and accessibility of the two assessment instruments developed for Unit 3 for Applied subjects
- the reliability of judgments for a sample of student responses for Applied and Applied (Essential) subjects to promote comparability of student results across Queensland.
Preparing for Applied QA
Schools are responsible for developing assessment instruments and making judgments about student responses in Unit 3. The QCAA provides resources to help schools develop effective assessment instruments and make judgments for Applied quality assurance.
The QCAA supports schools to prepare for Applied QA by providing:
- online assessment literacy courses that support the development of valid and accessible assessment instruments
- quality assurance tools to help schools check their assessment instruments before they administer them with students
- a resource explaining the process of making on-balance judgments using instrument-specific standards
- submission information to provide tips for gathering evidence of student responses and submission requirements, including a checklist for submission uploaders and approvers
- guides for using the Applied QA app to nominate reviewers and select meeting dates, assign roles, upload and approve submissions and conduct reviews.
More information
Section 9.4 of the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook
For questions about Applied QA, email AppliedQA@qcaa.qld.edu.au, or phone (07) 3864 0375
For subject-specific enquiries, contact the relevant learning area.
- Last updated:
- 17 October 2025
