School staff, students and parents/carers, as well as the QCAA, have specific responsibilities for external assessment processes.
Information for students and parents/carers can be found at Administration of external assessments.
This information includes:
Adult students registered for a Senior External Examination are responsible for following information provided by the QCAA.
The following table outlines the roles and responsibilities of schools.
External assessment roles and responsibilities| Schools | QCAA |
|---|
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Principals:
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The QCAA:
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- manage the school’s overall responsibilities for
external assessment processes - ensure students are receiving adequate hours of learning/tuition for General (Senior External Examination) subjects
- may delegate external assessment responsibilities to an external assessment coordinator/s (EA coordinator)
- may appoint an additional assistant EA coordinator/s
- manage the security, storage and movement of assessment materials.
| - develops external assessments and marks student responses to the external assessments
- provides timelines, guidance, support and resources to help schools prepare for and conduct external assessment
- communicates timelines for external assessment in the SEP calendar
- creates, publishes and communicates the External assessment timetable
- publishes and communicates the DFA and Directions for students: External assessment each year
- communicates with schools about procedures for the delivery and collection of external assessment materials
- reschedules external assessments for students with a timetable clash
- provides training for external assessment writers and external assessment marker
- appoints external assessment invigilators and external assessment observers.
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EA coordinators:
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- maintain the security and integrity of assessment materials according to QCAA requirements
- adhere to and manage external assessment processes outlined in the DFA
- ensure the assessment venue meets QCAA requirements
- receive and disseminate communications from the QCAA and communicate with the QCAA as required
- are aware of, and prepare for, QCAA-approved and principal-reported access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA) for any students sitting an assessment at their school
- register and collect fees for students wishing to sit the Senior External Examination
- ensure the assistant EA coordinator is able to assume the role if necessary
- provide school staff, students and parents/carers with the following documents
- External assessment timetable
- Directions for students: External assessment
- External assessment equipment list
- provide school staff with the DFA
- implement QCAA arrangements for rescheduled assessments if there is a timetable clash
- allocate suitable staff to supervise external assessment (teachers are ineligible to supervise an external assessment for subjects that they teach in a given year)
- manage disruptions and incidents of suspected academic misconduct
- complete the Incident record in the attendance section of the External Assessment application
- communicate with any alternative learning providers if students are not sitting the external assessment at their own MLP.
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QCAA invigilators:
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- attend allocated assessment sessions at assessment venues
- verify that the shrink-wrapped materials for an assessment have not been tampered with, damaged or opened before distribution onto students’ desks
- observe the administration of assessments, including the collection, counting and packing of materials at the end of assessments
- report their observations to the QCAA after each assessment session by completing an online invigilator report.
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School staff:
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QCAA observers:
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- adhere to external assessment processes in the DFA
- supervise external assessment as required (teachers are ineligible to supervise an external assessment for subjects that they teach in a given year)
- complete records as required
- report incidents of suspected academic misconduct.
| - attend their nominated school and external assessment session
- observe the administration of assessments
- quality assure processes and procedures
for external assessment, in line with the
DFA - report to the QCAA on quality assurance
and process improvements.
|
|
Students
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- read and adhere to the information provided by schools, including the
- External assessment timetable
- Directions for students: External assessment
- External assessment equipment list
- attend external assessment in which they are enrolled
- attend the oral component for SEE Languages subjects (administered online).
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Parents/carers:
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- read the External assessment timetable and Directions for students: External assessment on the QCAA website
- complete applications and provide documentation for AARA, if required
- support students to participate in the external assessment in which they are enrolled.
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