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 the information on the Senior External Examination webpage.
The following table outlines the roles and responsibilities of schools and the QCAA.
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 (EA coordinator)
- May appoint an additional assistant EA coordinator
- Manage the security, storage and movement of assessment materials.
| - Develops external assessments and marks student responses to the external assessments
- 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 markers
- 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 AARA for any students sitting an assessment at their school, including supervision in separate rooms
- Register and collect fees for students wishing to sit the Senior External Examination
- Ensure the distribution of stimulus (by language) to students for the SEE 1 as determined by the dates set by the QCAA
- Ensure the assistant EA coordinator can assume the role if necessary
- Provide school staff, students and parents/carers with the
- External assessment timetable
Directions for students: External assessment- External assessment equipment list
- Provide 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)
- Distribute the QCAA Session announcements for each assessment session to the relevant school staff
- Engage with the QCAA Daily bulletin each afternoon of a working day before the next external assessment session, and ensure that information is distributed to relevant school staff
- Manage disruptions and suspected academic misconduct incidents
- Complete the Incident record in the attendance section of the External Assessment (EA) app
- 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 to 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 suspected academic misconduct incidents
| - 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
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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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