The QCAA develops and marks external assessment for General subjects, General (Extension) subjects, and General (Senior External Examination) subjects except where the General (Senior External Examination) subject has a syllabus borrowed from another jurisdiction. (In that case, the assessment is developed, marked and quality assured by the other jurisdiction.)
Each QCAA-developed external assessment is developed by a team of subject matter experts, including teachers and academics. External assessment writers and markers complete specialist training before they start their roles (see Section 12.5: QCAA assessors).
Writers consult syllabuses for the subject matter, assessment techniques and conditions of the external assessment. They work with peers to develop valid and accessible external assessments and associated materials.
Student responses to external assessments are marked online using the external assessment marking guides provided by the QCAA. The marking operation includes rigorous quality assurance processes. QCAA officers support chief and lead markers in these processes. Chief markers lead and manage a team of lead markers, develop training materials for markers, mark responses and take on other activities as required during the external assessment marking operation. Lead markers support the marking operation through a range of activities, including developing training materials, training external assessment markers and marking responses. For more information, see Section 12.5: QCAA assessors.
Students may apply to the QCAA to have their external assessment or Senior External Examination scripts marked again (reassessed) if they believe there has been a marking error. For more information, see Section 11.5: Applying for verification of information, and Checking results and other information.
