TQA Senior Secondary Handbook 2014 · TQA Senior Secondary Handbook 2014 5 Tasmanian Qualifications...

TQA Senior Secondary Handbook

2014

Version 1 – Feb. 2014 Published by the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority Phone: 03 6233 6364 Email: <[email protected]> Mail: PO Box 147, Sandy Bay TAS 7006

TQA Senior Secondary Handbook 2014 1

Tasmanian Qualifications Authority February 3, 2014 Handbook 2014

Contents SECTION 1 THE TASMANIAN CERTIFICATES .......................................................................................... 3

The Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) ................................................................................. 3 The Qualifications Certificate (QC) .................................................................................................... 3 Tasmanian Certificate of Educational Achievement (TCEA) ........................................................... 4 General Information about Qualifications ......................................................................................... 4 Registering to Offer Senior Secondary Courses .............................................................................. 4 TQA Coordinator .................................................................................................................................. 4 Communications .................................................................................................................................. 5 Support of Teacher Professional Learning ....................................................................................... 6 Visits to Course Providers .................................................................................................................. 6 Questions and Feedback .................................................................................................................... 6 Senior Secondary Dates .................................................................................................................... 6

SECTION 2 TQA ACCREDITED COURSES ................................................................................................ 7

Documents and Resources ................................................................................................................ 7 Development and Accreditation Processes for Senior Secondary Courses ................................ 7 Amendments to Courses .................................................................................................................... 9 Course Characteristics ..................................................................................................................... 10

SECTION 3 ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................ 12

Assessment and Awards .................................................................................................................. 12 Assessment Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 12 Requirements for Internal Assessment .......................................................................................... 13 Recording Internal Assessments ..................................................................................................... 13 Inability to Complete Course Requirements ................................................................................... 14 Students with Disabilities / Special Needs ..................................................................................... 15 Accelerating Student Achievement ................................................................................................. 15 Reporting Internal Assessments ..................................................................................................... 16 Reporting Progress to Parents ......................................................................................................... 16

SECTION 4 QUALITY ASSURANCE .......................................................................................................... 17

Quality Assurance ............................................................................................................................. 17

SECTION 5 EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................... 18

Externally Assessed Courses .......................................................................................................... 18 Provision of Special Examination Centres ..................................................................................... 18 External Assessment Rule ............................................................................................................... 18 External Assessment Guidelines ..................................................................................................... 22 Authenticity and Academic Integrity ............................................................................................... 25 External Assessment Procedures ................................................................................................... 26

2 TQA Senior Secondary Handbook 2014

Tasmanian Qualifications Authority 3 February 2014 Handbook 2014

SECTION 6 CERTIFICATION ..................................................................................................................... 27

Documents Issued to Students ....................................................................................................... 27 Tertiary Entrance ............................................................................................................................... 28

SECTION 7 COURSES ............................................................................................................................... 29

TQA Level 3 Accredited Courses that Contribute to the Calculation of Australian Tertiary

Admission Ranks ............................................................................................................................... 29 TQA Accredited Senior Secondary Courses Arranged by Australian Standard Classification of

Education (ASCED) Sectors: ............................................................................................................ 31

SECTION 8 RECOGNITION OF FORMAL LEARNING .............................................................................. 42

SECTION 9 RECOGNITION OF INFORMAL LEARNING ........................................................................... 43

SECTION 10 MEETING THE TCE’S STANDARDS IN 'EVERYDAY ADULT' SKILLS ................................... 44

SECTION 11 ‘OTHER EDUCATION’ TQA ACCREDITED COURSES .......................................................... 46

SECTION 12 COURSE CODES .................................................................................................................... 47

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: 2014 Senior Secondary Courses Listed By Codes ................................................... 48 Appendix 2: 2014 Senior Secondary Courses Listed By Title ...................................................... 53 Appendix 3.a: Senior Secondary Courses with Accreditation Expiring 31 December 2014 ...... 57

Appendix 3.b: 'Other Education' Courses with Accreditation Expiring 31 December 2014 59



SECTION 1 THE TASMANIAN CERTIFICATES

This year three certificates issued by the TQA will be available for post-Year 10 education and training learners:

• the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) - a qualification which is awarded to learners who meet a set of minimum standards

• a Qualifications Certificate - which officially records all of a learner’s education and training qualifications

• the Tasmanian Certificate of Educational Achievement (TCEA) - which, for a small number of students, provides a narrative account of learning achievement.

For a summary of these certificates see the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2351

The Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE)

It is an Australian certificate of senior secondary education issued by the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA), one of the Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities. Australian certificates of senior secondary education are official and authentic records of students’ achievements. They are accepted nationally and internationally.

The Tasmanian Certificate of Education is a qualification for students completing senior secondary education and training. To get this qualification a person must meet or exceed agreed standards for:

• everyday adult reading and writing

• everyday adult mathematics

• everyday adult use of computers and the internet

• participation and achievement in senior secondary studies (education and training)

• planning for future career and education pathways.

Learners are able to meet these requirements in different ways (including through senior secondary and Vocational Education and Training courses), in different settings (including schools and colleges, TasTAFE and other education and training providers, and the workplace), and over different periods of time.

For detailed information see the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1906

This page contains information about:

• how the minimum requirements in ‘everyday adult’ skills can be met

• how course credits are used to meet the participation and achievement requirement

• how to meet the pathway planning requirement.

The Qualifications Certificate (QC)

This provides an official record of all of a learner’s education and training qualifications - TQA accredited courses, TQA recognised qualifications, and VET qualifications and units of competency - up to the date of issue. Major qualifications (like the TCE) appear on the front page of the Qualifications Certificate. The rest are printed on following pages.

For further information see the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2429



Tasmanian Certificate of Educational Achievement (TCEA)

This is a certificate in narrative form, for students for whom the standardised nature of the TCE and QC do not give a fair and just account of their achievements. The TCEA is only awarded when eligibility requirements are met and where personal circumstances (e.g. long periods of illness, learning disabilities or critical family issues) mean that a description in words gives a fairer account of what the learner has achieved.

For further information see the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2218

General Information about Qualifications

The TQA will only certificate students who have studied courses accredited or recognised by the TQA and who have been assessed under the TQA’s administration according to the assessment procedures detailed in the course and in this Handbook.

Universities across Australia and around the world accept results in TQA accredited level 3 courses.

A certificate showing achievement in Australian senior secondary education is a qualification showing achievement at Level 3 in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).

TQA accredited courses are published and quality assured by the TQA. They have been designed for delivery to post-compulsory learners. The TQA is responsible for setting and maintaining the standards of TQA accredited courses reported on its certificates.

Registering to Offer Senior Secondary Courses Providers of TQA accredited courses register annually with the TQA if they require certification of results in senior secondary studies for their students. The registration form is available on the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2455

Providers must comply with TQA quality assurance requirements, including the Standard for within-provider within-course comparability of internal assessments (see Section 4 below).

In December 2010, the Authority adopted a standard for providers’ responsibilities for authenticity and academic integrity of student work submitted for assessment (see Section 5, ‘Authenticity and Academic Integrity’).

Students are registered through their course provider and are allocated a unique identification code when they first undertake post-Year 10 study. They retain that particular code for all further post-Year 10 study.

TQA Coordinator The Principal will appoint one staff member to act as TQA Coordinator. The role of TQA Coordinator is a crucial one.

All providers that deliver senior secondary courses and submit students’ results have responsibilities in relation to assessment and certification. These responsibilities are listed in the table below. The TQA Coordinator may be charged by the provider to manage, supervise and/or carry out some of these responsibilities. Each TQA Coordinator is advised to discuss the table below with their principal to develop an agreed list of those responsibilities or aspects of responsibilities in which the TQA Coordinator will act on behalf of the provider.

Provider Responsibilities in Relation to TQA Assessment and Certification:

1) provides appropriate advice and feedback to the TQA about its policies, procedures & practices

2) all assessment made by the provider (internal assessment) contributing to results certified by the TQA have an adequate level of reliability, validity and fairness

3) declarations about the authenticity of work submitted for external assessment have integrity



4) assessment materials are collected, distributed and forwarded on time as required by relevant TQA guidelines and memoranda

5) the provider complies with TQA quality assurance requirements and procedures

6) the provider complies with any directions made by the TQA under section 33 of the TQA Act in relation to the provision or assessment of a TQA accredited course

7) data sets given to the TQA are complete, accurate and timely

8) students are correctly and unambiguously identified in the data provided to the TQA

9) senior secondary students are adequately and correctly informed about the TQA rules, policies and procedures that they need to know about

10) teachers are adequately and correctly informed about the TQA rules, policies and procedures that they need to know about

11) ensure registration with the TQA is accurate

12) endorse applications for special disability provisions and folio extensions.

The TQA Coordinator is the primary point of contact between the provider and the TQA on day-to-day matters about senior secondary courses and assessment. It is important that the TQA communicates with a single person on a large range of operational matters. Of course, communication between the TQA and the school on policy matters will be with the Principal.

A key role of the TQA Coordinator is to facilitate the smooth, efficient flow of information between the learning community and the TQA. This flow of information is two-way – the provider receiving information and material from the TQA and the provider sending information and material to the TQA.

TQA Coordinator role is best undertaken by one person in a learning community. Shared responsibility arrangements for this role are often neither efficient nor effective.

It is not possible to predict the time commitment for the TQA Coordinator role, since this depends on the precise mix of responsibilities assigned to the Coordinator.

The TQA does not fund the TQA Coordinator role.

While the learning community, its teachers and students are the main beneficiary of the work undertaken by the TQA Coordinator, there are benefits to the teacher undertaking the role. The Coordinator has priority access to TQA staff and is involved in many key aspects of senior secondary course delivery and assessment. The role assists a teacher in their professional development and provides opportunities for recognition amongst colleagues. It gives teachers the chance to take on a valued leadership role.

There are particular personal characteristics that contribute to the successful performance of the TQA Coordinator role. It requires a person who is reasonably senior in the school, who has access to senior staff and has ways to communicate with all staff (including electronically). The role requires that the incumbent can impress upon colleagues the importance of certain processes and deadlines. It requires an attention to detail and the ability to organise and follow up on information collection and dissemination.

The TQA supports the TQA Coordinator to carry out this role by providing information, advice and priority access. We host an annual meeting of TQA coordinators, and staff of the TQA are available and willing to visit coordinators and their learning community.

Communications Website

The TQA website address is: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au

The website provides information on TQA accredited and recognised courses, assessments, contacts, policy, notices, mailing lists, student information and quality assurance.

Copies of the current TQA Senior Secondary Handbook, courses, examination papers and examiners’ reports, as well as other publications, can be downloaded free of charge.



Email

The TQA communicates with all course providers electronically. The general email address is: [email protected]

Individual teachers are encouraged to add their names to the TQA email list via the website. They will then directly receive copies of learning area specific web-based memos and circulars.

Senior Secondary Newsletters

The TQA publishes two senior secondary newsletters: the TQA Senior Secondary Provider Newsletter (for teachers); and Your Future (a newsletter for students). Electronic copies of these publications are available via the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2433

External Assessment Issues, Marking and Setting Examiners

Under no circumstances should individuals (such as teachers and learners) or course providers communicate with TQA examiners regarding any issue concerning external assessment. All such issues must be directed to the TQA.

Learners’ Queries

The TQA website has a special page (http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/3439) where learners can lodge questions and queries concerning assessment, results and certification.

Support of Teacher Professional Learning TQA staff welcome the opportunity to support teacher Professional Learning (PL) in ways like attending PL meetings to discuss matters such as certificates and quality assurance methodologies.

It is not a role of the TQA to organise or fund PL meetings and associated activities (such as transportation and meals). This includes PL meetings to develop material for course guides.

Visits to Course Providers TQA staff welcome the opportunity to visit and talk with members of learning communities.

Questions and Feedback TQA staff welcome questions and feedback regarding TQA functions. Please do not hesitate to phone or email the TQA should you have such queries or concerns. Also note that the TQA website incorporates a ‘Frequently Asked Questions About the TCE’ webpage at http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1278. The website also has a Comments Form in the footer of every page.

Senior Secondary Dates

For up-to-date information please check the TQA’s website page:

http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1746



SECTION 2 TQA ACCREDITED COURSES

TQA accredited courses are accredited for a fixed period of time. The TQA certifies achievement in a course only up to the end of the last year of its accreditation. COURSE PROVIDERS SHOULD THEREFORE CHECK CAREFULLY THAT THE COURSES THEY PROPOSE TO OFFER STUDENTS IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR ARE ACCREDITED FOR THAT YEAR (ALSO SEE APPENDIX 3).

TQA accredited courses

In this Handbook, the term ‘TQA accredited course’ refers to a course that meets the TQA’s criteria for accreditation, and that has been accredited.

Documents and Resources

The Office of the TQA maintains the currency and relevance of documents and resources related to accredited senior secondary courses. On the TQA website http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au there are:

• TQA accredited course documents (note: In cases where both Word and pdf versions of the document are available, the pdf version is the definitive one for version control)

• external assessment details and Examiners’ Reports for TQA level 3 courses • a pdf version of this Handbook, which provides key information needed by course providers and

teachers involved with senior secondary courses leading to certification provided by the TQA.

Development and Accreditation Processes for Senior Secondary Courses

Individuals or bodies may develop senior secondary courses and apply to the TQA for their accreditation. Under the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority Act (2003), the Authority is responsible for accrediting senior secondary courses. The TQA may accredit courses at its own instigation. A guide for course developers, Notice of Intent to Develop a Course form and related materials are available at the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2006.

Course developers are advised to consult with the TQA before beginning development. The final accreditation of a course will depend on its strategic value and the course will involve the TQA in one or more of the following:

• determining procedures and arrangements for assessment

• ensuring the standards of provision are met

• issuing qualifications.

The Authority will normally only be involved in these matters if it is responsible for the qualification issued or conferred to show the successful completion of the course.

To accredit a course, the TQA must be satisfied that the:

• following are adequately provided for and of a sufficient standard: • the aims and learning outcomes of the course • the scope of the studies involved • the assessment processes

• course and methods of delivery are likely to achieve the purposes, aims and learning outcomes of the course

• the contents, standards and delivery methods are consistent with any relevant national standards. In considering a proposed course the TQA will apply the Senior Secondary Course Accreditation Criteria.



Senior Secondary Course Accreditation Criteria 1. Rationale The course and its development have a clearly identifiable rationale which includes consideration of:

- strategic value to senior secondary education in Tasmania - demand - distinctive nature and value of the course - contribution to increasing participation and achievement

This will usually be informed by processes such as consultation with key stakeholders, analysis of data and review of existing courses. The documentation of course proposals will include information about the rationale for the course and its development and processes used in the development. 2. Coherence The proposed course must have educational aims and learning outcomes appropriate for students in the senior secondary phase of education in Tasmania and be at least at the equivalent of the types of competencies characteristic of AQF Certificate I. The proposed course has a balance of learning of both domain-specific and generic skills and knowledge. The TQA will usually only accredit courses that are a close fit (values, curriculum, pedagogy, assessment) to current Tasmanian curriculum constructs and which have a structure and a focus that is consistent with the basic building blocks of the desired curriculum. The proposed course must not espouse unlawful discrimination or policies contrary to international treaties to which Australia is a signatory. 3. Overlap with other courses The proposed course does not duplicate, by titles or coverage, other TQA senior secondary accredited courses or national Training Package qualifications. The TQA will not usually accredit a course that covers areas already well covered by an existing accredited course(s) unless the proposed course is clearly superior to and should replace the existing course(s). Where a proposed course covers material included in a range of accredited courses the TQA may consider accrediting the course to meet a specific need. The course document must identify where any outcomes meet the requirements of VET units of competence in Training Packages to the extent that a learner may reasonably expect an RTO to grant direct recognition (RPL, credit transfer) for those units on the basis of successful achievement in the TQA accredited course. The Authority does not expect to accredit a course where almost all the outcomes (content and standards for assessment) align with those for VET Training Package units of competence except where the distinct nature and value of the course can be established on other grounds 4. Labelling and terminology The names used in courses and for results (awards) will be simple, plain, readily understandable by practitioners and not mislead reasonable persons. The language used to describe the course, assessment and standards will be simple, plain and readily understandable by practitioners. 5. Delivery The methods of delivering the proposed course are likely to achieve the purposes, aims and learning outcomes of the course. 6. Access Any limitations to access based on age, gender, employment, cultural, social or educational background are explicit, clearly stated and justified. 7. Quality Assurance The assessment processes to be used to determine whether a student has achieved the learning outcomes of the course are of a standard sufficient to deliver



• a match between the standards for achievement specified in the course and the standards demonstrated by students

• a level of comparability of results/awards essentially the same as for all other Authority accredited courses

• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of results. 8. Resource Requirements The proposed course must involve or be likely to involve a sufficient number of students to justify the resources involved. Consideration of 'resources involved' includes resources to be provided by the TQA and/or course deliverers in regard to: implementation; on-going maintenance; and quality assurance (including assessment). 9. Evaluation The proposed course must identify course monitoring and evaluation processes. 10. Size / Complexity Course documentation states size and level/complexity and the basis on which these were determined. 11. Qualifications Course documentation must identify the qualification to be conferred on successful completion of the course.

When accrediting a course, the TQA may:

• determine procedures and arrangements for the assessment of persons taking an accredited course

• set or adopt standards for the provision and assessment of accredited courses

• give directions to ensure such standards are met

• determine that a course is of a particular class or level.

Amendments to Courses

From 2005, principles and guidelines for the maintenance of the currency, validity and usefulness of TQA accredited courses include the following:

• significant changes to course documents are made by Authority decision on the basis of evidence about the need for the change and its likely impact on student learning and the validity of TQA certification of student learning

• evidence for significant changes is gathered from a range of sources including teachers, student destinations (employment, further and tertiary education), students, business, industry and external subject experts

• minor changes and clarifications should be made in a managed way to achieve efficiency, responsiveness and timeliness.

Editorial and minor changes to courses documents (for example correcting or updating terminology) may be made during the accreditation period. Any significant or major amendments to courses and/or guides are likely to require facilitation through a quality management process, which may be led by the agency that developed the course or, in some circumstances, by the TQA.

For more information see the TQA webpage http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2525

The Authority recognises that its decision to accredit courses for a fixed period does not imply a commitment or obligation to lead or resource any work needed to keep the courses current at the end of the accreditation period.



Course Characteristics

Levels of Complexity

The TQA assigns a complexity level to TQA accredited courses, TQA recognised courses, and VET certificates and units of competency. TQA levels of complexity in senior secondary education range from TQA level 1 to level 3 (3 being the highest level of complexity). TQA accredited level 3 courses contribute to the calculation of Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATAR).

The characteristics of learning at each of the TQA levels:

TQA level 3 - the student is expected to acquire a combination of theoretical and/or technical and factual knowledge and skills and use judgement when varying procedures to deal with unusual or unexpected aspects that may arise. Some skills in organising self and others are expected. TQA level 3 is a standard suitable to prepare students for further study at the tertiary level. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate III.

TQA level 2 - the student is expected to carry out tasks and activities that involve a range of knowledge and skills, including some basic theoretical and/or technical knowledge and skills. Limited judgement is required, such as making an appropriate selection from a range of given rules, guidelines or procedures. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate II.

TQA level 1 - the student is expected to carry out tasks and activities that draw on a limited range of basic knowledge and skills. The tasks and activities generally have a substantial repetitive aspect to them. Minimum judgement is needed as there are usually very clear rules, guidelines or procedures to be followed. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate I.

For information regarding TQA accredited courses that have a level of complexity preliminary to that of TQA level 1 see Section 11.

Size Value and Design Time

The TQA assigns a size value to TQA accredited courses, TQA recognised courses, and VET certificates and units of competency. For TQA accredited courses one size rating is assigned per 10 hours of design/nominal delivery time. For example, a 50 hour design/nominal delivery time course would be assigned a size value of 5.

Size value indicates the amount of class contact time (or its equivalent) that the majority of students would require to complete the course. Although the actual time allocated to course delivery is the prerogative of the course provider, consideration must be given to providing all students with the opportunity to fully satisfy the requirements of the course.

The underlying principle behind the concept of size value is to give some guidance to the provider implementing the course, not to state a rule or regulation.

The total student contact time (or equivalent) that a course provider can formally allocate is a scarce resource and there are many competing demands upon it. The size value is intended as guidance to a course provider in allocating this scarce resource. An allocation of contact time (or its equivalent) of about the number of hours given by the size value is in our view a reasonable decision – one that, in general, affords students taking the course a reasonable opportunity to meet the requirements. Individual students, of course, may in practice take or need more or fewer hours to cover completely and thoroughly the content of the course and to reach the required standards.

The Relationship between Size Value and Credit Points for the Tasmanian Certificate of Education

The TCE requires 'a significant amount of learning at a set standard'.

We will recognise a very broad range of learning, and are very flexible about where, when and how that learning happens.

To do this, we give each type of learning a 'credit point' value. A credit-point value shows the amount of learning at a set standard that can count towards meeting the requirement of the new certificate. To meet the participation and achievement standard for the TCE, a student will need to have 120 credit points in education



and training (TQA level 1, 2, 3 or higher), with at least 80 credit points in studies rated at complexity level 2 or higher.

Successful completion of a course gains credit points equal to the size value of the course. Credit points are only allocated if a student achieves at least the required standard in a course (currently a ‘PA’, ‘Satisfactory Completion’ or ‘Pass’ award for a TQA accredited course, ‘competent’ for a VET competency, and ‘awarded’ for a VET certificate). For details, see the TCE Planner tools available from the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2829

Robustness

The TQA assigns a robustness rating to TQA accredited courses, TQA recognised courses, and VET certificates and units of competency. A five level system is used to reflect the degree of reliability and validity of results issued in a course. Robustness level 1 is the lowest, level 5 the highest. Courses must have a robustness level of 2 or higher in order to contribute to a student’s participation and achievement standard for the TCE.

For further information on robustness see the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2217



SECTION 3 ASSESSMENT

Assessment and Awards TQA accredited senior secondary courses identify learning outcomes to be assessed and their related standards. The number of learning outcomes assessed and the manner in which standards are defined varies between courses. Learners are assigned ratings, one on each of the assessed learning outcomes. In some courses a range of ratings (e.g. ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’) are defined by the standards. In other courses only a ‘C’ rating (e.g. ‘satisfactory’ standard) is defined.

Awards are issued based on levels of achievement (ratings) on the set of a course’s assessed learning outcomes. Award requirements are defined within individual course documents. Where there is an external assessment component, ratings from the external and internal assessment regimes are used to decide an award.

A successful learner receives an award such as:

EA Exceptional Achievement

HA High Achievement

CA Commendable Achievement

SA Satisfactory Achievement

PA Preliminary Achievement

Or

Satisfactory Completion; Pass; or Higher Pass.

Assessment Guidelines Provider-based assessment (internal assessment) must gather information on student achievement in terms of the assessed learning outcomes, standards and procedures specified in the course documentation. Providers choose assessment and recording methods that meet these requirements.

Providers must make sure that learners know the learning outcomes and standards against which their achievement is going to be assessed (they should know what is expected). When students know how their achievement is being judged, they can monitor their progress and set targets for achievement. Documents that explain the assessed learning outcomes and standards to students should be made available to students.

Frequency of assessment

Teachers/assessors should schedule sufficient assessment tasks to enable them to provide valid, fair and reliable assessments. Once having clearly achieved a standard, students should be provided with opportunities to improve their criteria ratings, or to focus on other assessed learning outcomes where remaining time could be spent to improve achievement.

Course providers should determine:

• when to use developmental forms of assessment (which do not contribute to final assessments) to provide assessment experience for students or to assess the progress of students

• when to schedule assessments that contribute to students’ final assessment

• the extent to which learners are permitted to undertake additional summative assessment tasks so that the opportunity exists for them to best demonstrate achievement of particular assessed learning outcomes.

Validity of assessment

The assessment program for a TQA course should be a set of tasks that provides comprehensive coverage of all assessed learning outcomes and meets the requirements of the course.

Providers should use diverse assessment methods, for example, observations, assignments, tests, peer and self-assessment, and oral presentations, and should ensure that the methods selected enable students clearly to demonstrate achievement. Tasks can be designed to enable assessment of more than one criterion



(including external assessment tasks). It is most unlikely, however, that all the assessment requirements for a course could be assessed using one single piece of work.

Providers should take care not to over assess a particular learning outcome by including it as an assessable aspect of many tasks. For example, it is feasible to assess a particular learning outcome, such as “communicate ideas and information”, in almost everything a learner undertakes in a course.

Assessment quality and equity

Assessment instruments specify the tasks which measure learners’ attainment of the knowledge, skills, and competencies defined in and required by a course. Providers should take care that assessment tasks and conditions do not privilege certain groups of students because of varying socio-economic, cultural, gender, and linguistic backgrounds. External assessments are expected to meet these standards for quality and equity.

Each assessment instrument should:

• give learners clear and definite instructions

• specify the assessed learning outcomes for which it has been set (even though these may differ according to the needs of the individuals in the class)

• in the case of summative assessments, be used under clear, definite and specified conditions that are substantially the same for all

• be used under conditions that do not present an inappropriate barrier to the equal participation of all.

Each assessment task should:

• clearly assess what it is intended to assess

• include specialist language or jargon only as an aid to clarity and accuracy

• avoid gratuitous reference to gender, socio-economic, ethnic or other cultural stereotypes

• maximise students’ opportunities to demonstrate achievement by being clearly presented through appropriate choice of layout, cues and visual design

• use as background material and require as assumed knowledge only that to which students may reasonably be expected to have had ready access.

Requirements for Internal Assessment

For students’ internal assessments to be approved by the TQA, providers must ensure that:

• the course of study complies with requirements specified in the course documentation

• each student’s performance is assessed against assessed learning outcomes stated in the course against the standards provided by the TQA for that course

• they comply with all quality assurance requirements for the course.

Recording Internal Assessments

Each assessment should refer specifically to course standards to provide advice, which guides students towards specific improvement. Use of codes (e.g. A+, A, A-, B+, B, B- etc) or of marks (e.g. 1-10) should be avoided where these have no specific reference to standards.

Problems arise where teachers use ‘A,’ ‘B’, and ‘C’ ratings to indicate progress towards the acquisition of a standard. This is most confusing particularly where the final rating is lower than the one issued as a progress indicator.

In competency based assessment it must be remembered that the ‘competent’ rating is a final, overall rating and must not be used as a grade in formative assessments or progress reports.



Inability to Complete Course Requirements

Chronic or frequent illness

Students frequently absent through illness may require special arrangements and it is necessary to contact parents as soon as possible.

Arrangements could be made to enable students to:

• complete their educational program and assessment tasks at home, with teacher support

• transfer their enrolment to flexible learning programs

• be assessed in a less demanding related course

• reduce the number of subjects they are attempting.

Missed assessments

Students who have missed assessments because of transfer from one school to another, or because of starting a subject late in the school year, should be given an opportunity to demonstrate their achievement against all learning outcomes. This does not necessarily mean that more tasks have to be completed, but it may mean that more criteria will need to be assessed within the task.

When selecting a course, students should be made aware of difficulties associated with the delayed start, and what is expected of them because of their late entry. They should be made aware of the assessment program and the problems it may cause them by having to demonstrate progress where other students have already had such an opportunity. They need to be made aware that for them tasks may be used to provide evidence of achievement of a greater number of learning outcomes than is expected from other students in the class.

Students unable to complete tasks due to injury or illness

It is the responsibility of providers to determine appropriate strategies to allow sick or injured students to demonstrate achievement of internally assessed criteria/competencies.

Students unable to complete tasks due to cultural beliefs

Students unable to complete assessment tasks because of their cultural beliefs may be provided with alternative opportunities to demonstrate their achievement of course requirements.

Providers unable to devise suitable assessment strategies in particular cases should contact the TQA to negotiate possible assessment options.

Providers should:

• counsel students so that they do not select subjects which contain content or assessment elements that do not fit with their cultural beliefs

• offer students alternative assessment strategies that conform with TQA course requirements.

Students with interrupted studies (e.g. students undertaking overseas exchange programs)

Some students take up overseas scholarships and similar opportunities that require them to interrupt their senior secondary studies, and so need to spread one year of their studies over two calendar years.

Students wishing to undertake studies spread over two calendar years must:

• make arrangements with their learning provider to complete the year’s study over two years before they leave

• be aware that some courses require different material each year (for example, English texts may change) and therefore such courses may not be suitable to study over two years

• check with their school to find out if major changes to courses are planned in the two-year period

• complete any external assessment requirements at the end of the second year.

The provider should collect and keep a detailed record of the student’s assessment for each criterion/competency in each course. All work that has been assessed should be kept.

A student who has completed all the internal requirements of a course with an external examination before leaving for overseas can apply to sit the external examination at an approved centre in the country where he or she is situated.



Students with Disabilities / Special Needs Students with special needs

Successful completion of courses with a complexity level of TQA 1 and above can contribute credit points towards the participation and achievement standards of the TCE. TQA level 1 is an approximate match to the demand/complexity of the competencies in the definition of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate I.

These are competencies that enable an individual to:

• demonstrate knowledge by recall in a narrow range of areas

• demonstrate basic practical skills such as the use of relevant tools

• perform a sequence of routine tasks given clear instruction

• receive and pass on messages/information.

TQA level 1 courses may be suitable for some students with special needs or disabilities.

Changes to the TQA Act in 2008 enable the TQA to accredit courses at a level preliminary to TQA 1. Successful completion of such courses may be listed on the Qualifications Certificate. For a list of currently accredited courses at a level preliminary to TQA 1 see Section 11.

Equality in opportunities to participate in learning

The Australian Disability Standards for Education (2005) require that learning providers and the TQA ensure that learners with disabilities are afforded substantive equality in opportunities to participate in learning experiences and complete assessment and certification requirements. With reference to the legal requirements of the Standards, course providers might:

• advise students of the possibility and implications of not being able to meet all course requirements

• provide students with alternative learning and assessment procedures and, at the same time, maintain the constraints and spirit of the assessment requirements

• counsel students into a more suitable course if appropriate

• allow students more time or assistance to show what they know and can do.

One way in which the TQA strives to ensure that senior secondary students with disabilities are afforded equality in opportunities to participate in learning is via the practice of making reasonable adjustments to its procedures. Examples of such adjustments include the granting of special examination consideration/conditions and the provision of TQA documents in various formats. The TQA is also willing to review its course documents to ensure equality of opportunity to participate in learning. It should be noted, however, that the ‘academic standards’ of any given course (that is, its level of complexity of learning and standards) will not be modified to meet an individual’s special needs – to receive an award, a student must meet the standards for that award.

Accelerating Student Achievement Students come from a variety of backgrounds and bring with them a range of knowledge, skills and experiences. Students should not be expected to continue in courses where they are not suitably challenged, and opportunities for them to progress to higher levels of difficulty should be explored. Alternatively, highly capable students may be offered extended courses embracing a higher number of courses where the school or college is able to make such provision.

Where some learning outcomes are easily met, students should be counselled to focus on those where difficulties are being encountered.



Reporting Internal Assessments Acceptance of ratings

The TQA may reject a provider’s final ratings or adjust them if there is evidence to justify this, for example, if:

• assessment procedures have not been followed

• the TQA’s monitoring processes identify significant anomalies within a school with respect to the pattern of ratings between classes or between some assessed learning outcomes

• TQA quality assurance requirements have not been met and/or recommendations have been rejected.

Acceptance of competency statements/award

The TQA may reject a provider’s final award or adjust them if there is evidence to justify this, for example, if:

• assessment procedures have not been followed

• quality assurance requirements have not been met and/or recommendations have been rejected

• quality assurance audits find non-compliance. Changes to internal assessments

The TQA will only accept changes to internal assessments after a school has checked and returned its awards and ratings where the principal provides sufficient evidence that a mistake was made due to administrative error.

Reporting of assessments to students

Teachers may discuss with students the assessments they have recommended to the TQA, but students must be made aware that these assessments have not been formally accepted by the TQA and that they may be altered as a result of final approval processes.

Reporting Progress to Parents Course providers should not use EA, HA, CA, SA, and PA awards and ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ ratings to show students their progress towards their achievement of these ratings or awards. Ratings are summary statements defined by standards. Awards acknowledge the student’s overall achievement at the end of a course of study.

It is confusing and inappropriate for providers to report progress using symbols adopted by the Authority to describe final assessments.

Our advice to any provider that does use EA, HA, CA, SA, and PA awards, and ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ ratings as indicators of progress is that it should:

• make every effort to reduce the confusion this causes by stating very clearly that such reports are of progress towards that final assessment

• be clear that these reports are not a commitment that a student will achieve this rating/award

• give clear indications of what improvements need to be made.

The ‘competent’ rating used in some courses is a final assessment rating and must not be employed to report formative assessments.



SECTION 4 QUALITY ASSURANCE

Quality Assurance

The aim of quality assurance processes facilitated by the TQA is to ensure there is:

• a match between the standards for achievement specified in the course and the standards demonstrated by students

• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

It is the responsibility of course providers to meet the quality assurance requirements of each course they offer. The TQA communicates to the principal on these matters.

The quality assurance requirements for each course are contained within the published course document available on the TQA website http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au

The TQA does not have a single model of quality assurance; each course has a quality assurance regime first determined at the time of accreditation. This is based on:

• nature of the course content, the learning outcomes and the assessment tasks

• resources needed to implement the quality assurance

• risks to the confidence in qualifications issued by the TQA.

Most TQA level 3 accredited courses will use the following model of quality assurance:

The Authority gives course providers feedback about any systematic differences in the relationship of their internal and external assessment and, where appropriate, seeks further evidence through audit and requires corrective action in the future.

This model is suitable for courses where the external assessment places an upper limit on the awards.

Standard for within-provider within-course comparability of internal assessments

Where TQA level 3 courses have both an internal and external assessment component, providers are responsible for the within-provider within-course comparability of the internal assessment results.

Internal assessments are determined, finalised and lodged with the TQA before any external results are available. All the required evidence for internal assessment must have been collected before students undertake external examinations or before external marking is completed. Any queries that students have about their internal assessments must therefore be resolved by the provider before the results are finalised and lodged with the TQA.

The TQA has set standards for provider’s procedures for effective within-provider within-course comparability of internal assessment results and for students to seek review of their internal assessment. The statement of these standards for the provision of externally assessed TQA accredited courses, which providers must observe, is available from the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2455. Included with the specifications are some examples to illustrate good practice in a range of circumstances.



SECTION 5 EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Externally Assessed Courses

Some TQA accredited courses include an external assessment component, where students are usually assessed on 40-60% of the criteria stated in the course. Students’ performances on these externally assessed criteria are summarised as a rating of ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ (or a ‘t’ notation if some evidence below a ‘C’ rating is provided or a ‘z’ notation if there is no evidence offered for assessment). Final awards are determined from the combined set of internal ratings and external ratings, using the award rules that are stated in the course document.

Provision of Special Examination Centres

Where a candidate is unable to sit for one or more written examination(s) at one of the TQA’s regular Tasmanian examination centres, the TQA will consider setting up a special centre at a suitable venue, subject to the following conditions being satisfied:

• an application is made in writing (using the form provided on the TQA website) by the candidate no later than the date noted on the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/0022 . This form is available from the TQA website;

• the candidate provides the TQA with details of any educational institution, in the area where the examination centre is required, with which the candidate may be associated;

• the candidate is able to take the examination either when the examination is being held in Tasmania, or within 24 hours of that time;

• the candidate forwards to the TQA with the request, payment of the relevant fee:

§ Overseas centre: $200 (incl. GST) per centre plus supervision fee

§ Mainland centre: $100 (incl. GST) per centre plus supervision fee.

• supervision fees will be charged by the supervising institution. The candidate accepts responsibility for paying any supervision costs directly to the supervising institution at the time of sitting the examination(s); and

• the candidate completes a statutory declaration stating that they have had no contact, direct or indirect, with anyone who has seen or is taking the same examination(s), in any interval which may have occurred between the examinations being held.

Where these conditions are satisfied, the TQA will ATTEMPT to arrange for a suitable educational institution, in the location requested, to conduct the examination(s) on behalf of the TQA.

External Assessment Rule The External Assessment Rule is amended by the Authority from time to time. The Rule below was adopted by the Authority at its February 2011 meeting. Rule Section 4.(a) was amended at its February 2012 meeting. For version control purposes the Rule as published on the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/0293 is the current Rule.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

A) Section 1 of the Rule requires that a learner must sign and return to the TQA a Subject Enrolment form. From 2011 the Subject Enrolment form includes a statements that the learner accepts responsibilities in regard to reading the External Assessment Rule and being aware of due dates, examination timetables and other external assessment requirements. Failure to sign this form will mean that a learner will be ineligible for candidacy for external assessment.

B) The Authority will not honour any advice given by a teacher or a provider that contradicts or sets aside the Authority’s Rule or TQA published external assessment guidelines.



Students are required to observe the following rule relating to the conduct of TCE external assessments arranged by, or on behalf of, the TQA.

1. Becoming a candidate

To become an external assessment candidate a person must sign and return to the Authority a copy of the Subject Enrolment form issued by the Authority.

2. Conduct of an examination

Each candidate must follow this rule about the conduct of external assessments arranged by or on behalf of the Authority.

(a) Each candidate must attend an examination in person.

(b) A candidate must not allow any other person to attend an examination in his or her place.

(c) A person must not help any candidate to arrange for any other person to attend an examination in the candidate's place.

(d) A candidate must obey any instructions or directions given in the examination room by a supervisor.

(e) No candidate may leave the examination room before the end of the first hour of the scheduled writing time.

(f) No candidate may leave the examination room in the last half an hour of the scheduled writing time.

(g) Except with the permission of the supervisor, no candidate may occupy a seat in the examination centre other than that assigned to the candidate.

(h) No candidate may communicate with any other candidate in the examination room.

(i) A candidate must not bring into the examination room any loose notes, papers, manuscripts, books or notebooks or other materials unless these are listed in the Authority requirements for this examination. A candidate must put any such books or notes that have accidentally been brought into the examination room in the section of the room that has been set aside for this purpose.

(j) A candidate must not, during an examination, give assistance to another candidate or, through lack of care, allow another to copy or otherwise use any materials; or accept help from another or, dishonestly or unfairly use any materials or, in any manner whatsoever, act dishonestly or unfairly or cheat or conspire to do so.

(k) A candidate must not remove any answer booklet, used or unused, from the examination room.

(l) A candidate must not bring any of the following items into the examination room:

- electronic dictionaries and/or spell checkers;

- iPods / MP3 players / mini disc or CD players;

- recording devices of any kind;

- laptop computers or PDA’s;

- mobile telephones;

- cameras;

- animals;

- any loose notes, papers, manuscripts, books, computer discs or notebooks unless their use during the examination has been permitted;

- intoxicating substances; or

- any food or drinks (other than water) unless expressly given permission by the Authority.

Note: Water may be brought into an examination room provided that the water is in a plastic bottle that has no adhesive labels and has a secure ‘pop-top’ lid. The bottle is to be a maximum of 1500ml capacity and is not to be refilled or shared with other candidates during the exam.



A candidate may not bring into an examination room an approved and permitted calculator or any other form of electronic device that holds text or other information that if brought into the examination room in any other way would be a breach of section 2 of this rule.

(m) A candidate must not smoke in examination rooms.

(n) A candidate must not cause any nuisance, annoyance or interference to any other candidates. A candidate who does not obey an instruction given by the supervisor to stop any nuisance, annoyance or interference to any other candidates will not be allowed to complete the examination and will be required to leave the examination room immediately.

(o) A candidate must obey any instruction relating to these rules given by the supervisor.

(p) A candidate must stop writing when given the instruction to do so by the supervisor.

(q) At the end of the examination each candidate must stay silent and in his or her place until told, by the supervisor, to leave the examination room.

(r) A candidate must not communicate with an examiner, either before or after an examination or during a performance examination, except when communications are necessary for the conduct of the examination. Any communication regarding the conduct or result of an examination must be directed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority.

(s) A candidate must not cause any interference or damage to property at a venue where an examination is being conducted.

(t) A candidate must not write or draw anything offensive in an answer booklet, nor write letters or notes to the examiners.

3. Attendance at an examination

(a) A supervisor will admit a candidate to the examination room if the candidate presents a valid Notice of Enrolment. A school student without a valid Notice of Enrolment will only be admitted by the supervisor after the Authority Co-ordinator or Principal of the student’s school has confirmed the student’s identity to the supervisor and on the basis that the student will comply with this rule.

(b) A candidate who arrives up to one hour after the scheduled start of writing time for the examination will be admitted to the examination room. A candidate so admitted must stop work by the scheduled finish of writing time.

(c) A candidate arriving later than one hour from the scheduled start of writing time will be admitted only on the following conditions:

(i) that the candidate is admitted to the room on the understanding that his or her answer booklet(s) may not be accepted by the Authority. The candidate must be told about this condition and must accept this requirement by completing the appropriate form.

(ii) that appropriate arrangements can be made to allow the candidate to complete the examination without disruption to other candidates. The candidate is allowed the full writing time for the examination but is given no time for reading.

(iii) that the candidate completes a Statutory Declaration immediately following the conclusion of the examination declaring:

- the reason for being late for the examination (note rule 3(d) below);

- that the candidate

- has not seen or read the examination question booklet before entering the examination room;

- has had no communication with anyone who has had access to the contents of the examination question booklet; and

- understands that the answer book(s) may not be accepted by the Authority.

(d) The Authority will not make any allowance for a candidate who is late for an examination or who is absent from an examination as a result of misreading the timetable.

(e) A candidate who, due to illness, has to leave an examination or is absent from an examination and wants this to be taken into consideration by the Authority must visit a medical practitioner and request the completion of the Medical Certificate located in the Examination Guide. Medical Certificates must



be dated on the day of the examination or not more than 7 days before. Medical Certificates dated after the day of examination will not be accepted.

(f) A candidate who is absent from an examination for some non-medical reason and wants the Authority to give them individual consideration when determining their final award must write to the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority within 5 working days of the examination. The candidate must detail the special circumstances of this absence and provide any available supporting evidence (note rule 3(d) above).

(g) During the scheduled time of an examination, a person (including a teacher) who is not authorised by the Authority must not enter an examination room, communicate with a candidate or look at or remove an examination paper

4. Externally assessed folios or other project work

(a) Any material submitted by a candidate for external assessment must, except where the source of the information, images, ideas or words is explicitly acknowledged, be the work of the candidate.

(b) An externally assessed folio or other project work will be assessed as specified in the folio guidelines published by the Authority that year

(c) The Authority will only accept candidate folios of work for assessment if:

(i) the Candidate Declaration Form comes with the folio;

(ii) the Candidate Declaration Form is completed by both the candidate and the responsible teacher acting on behalf of the provider; and

(iii) the folio is officially received at the designated collection centre (usually a school or college) on or before the published due date (and by no later than 5.00 pm) unless the Authority has given to the candidate written approval before this date for a particular later submission date.

5. Breaches of this rule

a) Any apparent breach of the above rules or any other form of cheating or dishonesty in relation to any external assessments will be reported to the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.

b) The Chief Executive Officer may decide that the apparent breach is sufficiently serious to require consideration of a possible penalty by a meeting of members of the Authority.

c) The meeting of members of the Authority will consider the circumstances of the alleged breach and determine, if necessary, an appropriate penalty.

d) Possible penalties for candidates include:

- cancellation of the candidate’s examination result for a particular subject; or

- cancellation of all the candidate’s results for the year, for both internally and externally assessed subjects.

6. Special provisions

(a) Sections 2 and 3 of this rule will apply to candidates with disabilities or other impairments with such approved changes, consistent with providing a fair opportunity to all to show what they know and can do, as can be appropriate and reasonable.

(b) Candidates, supervisors and markers will be advised as needed by the Authority of any approved specific changes to these rules for particular candidates.

(c) Requests for special provisions must be received in the form and by the time as specified by the Authority.

7. Viewing, Return and Retention of candidate assessment material and requests to raise any matters related to individual examinations and results

(a) Requests to view examination scripts and folios must be submitted to the Authority by February 28 in the year following the examination. The approved charge must be paid in advance.



(b) Requests to raise any matters related to individual external examination and external assessment results must be submitted to the Authority by February 28 in the year following the examination or assessment

(c) All work that is required to be externally assessed at schools and colleges will remain at the relevant school until the external assessment process is complete. Students must refer to the external assessment guidelines for each subject to determine when their work can be collected from school premises.

(d) Candidates can request to have their folios returned to them by writing to the Authority by the end of April in the year following the examination. The folio will then be returned by the end of June that year.

(e) All examination or external assessment material held by the Authority that is not being returned to candidates, retained for quality control or other accountability purposes, will be destroyed at the end of June in the year following the examination or external assessment

External Assessment Guidelines

The Guidelines below clarify aspects of external assessment requirements and special arrangements related to external assessment. They do not amend or replace the External Assessment Rule (above).

Water in Examinations

Water may be brought into an examination room by candidates provided that the water is in a plastic bottle that has no adhesive labels affixed and has a secure ‘pop-top’ lid. The bottle is to be a maximum of 1500 ml capacity.

Drink containers are not to be refilled during the examination, nor are they to be shared between candidates.

No time allowance will be given to candidates as a result of any accident relating to drink containers, such as spillage of drinks.

Use of Dictionaries

Candidates may use unannotated English and/or English/Foreign Language (paper based) dictionary/thesaurus (single book only) throughout an entire written examination in all courses, with the exception of English as a Second Language (ESL315114).

Where students are permitted to take dictionaries into a Language examination, they must be monolingual and/or bilingual print (paper based) dictionaries. Dictionaries CANNOT be annotated or highlighted in any way, including using stickers to mark a particular place. Electronic dictionaries, spell checkers and translators are NOT permitted.

Use of Calculators in External Examinations

Students may take calculators into SOME of the external examinations conducted by the TQA. Calculators are not required for all external examinations. It should be noted that there are restrictions on the types of calculators that can be used and also in which examinations they can be used.

Candidates are only allowed to use a calculator as a calculating device. A calculator must not be used to bring unauthorised material into an examination room. This would be a breach of the External Assessment rules.

For the current list of calculators approved for use in various external examinations and the conditions under which they may be used, see the ‘Use of Calculators Policy’ at: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/0021

Special Disability Examination Provisions for Candidates with an Impairment or Disability

The TQA provides for special assessment arrangements to be made for students who, because of particular circumstances, are unable to be assessed in the same way as other students.

In some cases it may be difficult or impossible for a student to satisfy particular criteria for a course. In all such cases TQA should be consulted about the action to be taken for both internal and external assessment. Students are expected to demonstrate the same standard of achievement as is expected of all students. To do



so, however, they will require assessment procedures that allow them to provide evidence of their achievement in different ways or under different conditions from other students.

For further information and a link to the ‘Request for Special TQA Examination Provisions’ form see:


Folios, research projects etc

The Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA) may grant extensions to candidates who, due to extenuating circumstances, are unable to submit their folio/project for external assessment by the due date set by the TQA. Extensions can only be approved by the TQA.

Students must apply to the TQA via the school for an extension no later than 48 hours before the due date. Applications must be on the Folio Extension request form and be endorsed by the TQA Co-Ordinator. Supporting documentation is required (e.g. medical certificates).

Section 4 (c)(iii) of the External Assessment Rule clearly states that the TQA will only accept candidate folios of work for assessment if the folio is officially received at the designated collection centre (usually a school or college) on or before the published due date (and by no later than 5pm) unless the Authority has given to the candidate written approval before this date for a particular later submission date.

Approval is made on a case-by-case basis and approval must not be pre-empted.

The nature of the issue must clearly have a significant impact on the student’s capacity to meet the due date.

Examples of (but not limited to) the possible valid reasons considered for granting a folio extension:

* candidate illness - (extenuating circumstances not everyday illnesses) must be accompanied by a medical certificate

* death of a close relative (parent, brother/sister or grandparent) - must be accompanied by a copy of the death certificate or notice from the local newspaper where the candidate is named

* unexpected travel due to the death of a close relative (as outlined above) - travel itineraries and a declaration from a parent/guardian is required

Examples of (but not limited to) the reasons why a folio extension would NOT be granted:

* candidate holidays - interstate and/or overseas

* planned school events such as drama and/or music performances

* computer malfunctions.

For further information see: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2043

Refugee status candidates

On a case-by-case basis, the TQA will consider applications for special consideration for students who have been granted refugee status by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. These requests must be lodged on the ‘Request for Special Arrangements’ form and should be forwarded to the TQA by the end of Term 3. A photocopy of the applicant’s visa MUST accompany all requests. See http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2645

Statement about the use of ‘txtng’ or other forms of English in examinations

All examination responses must be in English, with the exception of those subjects where students are required to write in a specific language other than English (such as: Chinese; French; German; Italian; Indonesian; or Japanese).

Any student writing an answer to a TQA examination needs to know that the purpose of the writing is to communicate to the person marking the examination. The marker is reading the answer for the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the question. In some questions, the marker is looking for particular types of written English language skills. In these questions, to get high marks the student will have to show the particular written English language skills required by the question. In other questions, the marker is looking for other types of knowledge, skills and understanding communicated through writing. In these questions, to get



high marks the student will need to write in English in a way that any marker can understand. A good way to lose marks is to have the required knowledge and skills but use a way of communicating these that doesn't help the marker easily see this. There are also questions (for example in computing, maths, science, languages) which are answered in other ways.

So our general advice is that students should give themselves their best chance of doing well on questions that are answered by writing in English by writing simply and clearly, using the language conventions of the subject. The less they do this, the lower their marks will be.

Special borderline consideration

Where a student’s preparation for and/or completion of external assessment tasks has been affected by circumstances beyond the student’s control, application may be made to the TQA for special borderline consideration.

Students granted such consideration in a subject will, if they are only one external rating removed from gaining a higher award, be given the higher award.

Exemption from external assessment

In the following circumstances, the TQA will exempt students from all or part of the external assessment for a course:

Medical reasons

• Students requesting exemption from the external assessment in a particular subject must complete a TQA medical certificate (contained in the current Examination Guide) dated on the day of the examination or not more than seven days prior to the examination.

• A TQA medical certificate must be completed to ensure that all information required is provided by the student and the doctor.

• The completed form must reach the TQA office within five working days of the student’s absence. At the same time, the principal should be notified of the reason for the absence.

Compassionate grounds

• Students may apply for exemption from the external assessment on compassionate grounds - for instance, on the death of a close relative or where other issues of a sensitive nature are concerned.

Inability to complete an examination due to illness

• Students must report to the examination supervisor before leaving the examination centre and should also ensure that staff at their school or college are aware of their illness. A report on the circumstances will be forwarded by the examination supervisor with the script of the student.

• Students requesting exemption from their external assessment because they became ill during the examination must submit a medical certificate dated on the day of the examination.

• A TQA medical certificate must be used to ensure that all information required is provided by the student and the doctor. The completed form must reach the TQA office within five working days of the examination.

Derived external ratings

Provided the TQA has approved their request for exemption, students who are absent from the external assessment, or who are unable to complete it due to medical reasons, will receive a set of derived external ratings for the criteria being assessed. A final award will then be produced by applying the award rules in the usual way.



Authenticity and Academic Integrity

Guides

The TQA’s Authenticity and Academic Integrity: A Guide is available for downloading from the TQA’s website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1468 . This guide may be freely used and copied by teachers, students and learning providers.

The TQA’s 'How do I reference (cite) other peoples' information, images, ideas or words used in my work?' is available for downloading from the TQA’s website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1468 . This guide must be read in conjunction with Authenticity and Academic Integrity: A Guide. It may be freely used and copied by teachers, students and learning providers.

Relevant External Assessment Rule: 4.(a)

4. Externally assessed folios or other project work

(a) Any material submitted by a candidate for external assessment must, except where the source of the information, images, ideas or words is explicitly acknowledged, be the work of the candidate.

The Candidate Declaration Form

A student submitting a folio for external assessment must sign a Candidate Declaration Form. This form includes a promise by the student stating, “I declare that I have read the TQA’s Authenticity and Academic Integrity: A Guide document and that this Folio is my own work, and contains no unacknowledged material.”

The responsible teacher, acting on behalf of the provider, signs the Candidate Declaration Form to confirm that the provider’s processes for authentication of the candidate’s work have been followed and that to the best of their knowledge the contents of the folio is the named candidate’s own work except were the work of others is clearly acknowledged.

Teachers must not sign this form if this is not the case.

If the student does not agree with the teacher’s decision not to sign the Candidate Declaration Form the school/college must have a procedure for the student to appeal that decision. See http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/4675 (‘Student Requests for Review’).

The TQA will take action if a Candidate Declaration Form is signed and the folio is found to contain unacknowledged information, images, ideas or words that are not the student’s own work. Cases are reported to the Chief Executive Officer of the TQA. The Chief Executive Officer may decide that the apparent breach is sufficiently serious to require consideration of a possible penalty by a meeting of members of the Authority.

Penalties will depend on the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances under which it was committed, but may range from a reprimand to cancellation of all results for the year or disqualification from receiving a Qualifications Certificate and Tasmanian Certificate of Education.

Standards for providers’ responsibilities for authenticity and integrity of student work

In December 2010, the Authority set standards for the responsibility of providers in relation to ensuring the authenticity and academic integrity of work submitted by students for assessment, in particular for projects and folios submitted for external assessment. This standard was required from 2012.

Where TQA level 3 courses have an assessment component that includes folio or other project work, the provider is responsible for:

• ensuring the authenticity and academic integrity of work submitted for both internal and external assessment

and

• having procedures that allow the provider to assure the TQA that it can with confidence accept that, except where otherwise acknowledged, work submitted for external assessment is the work of the student submitting it and that all sources have been properly acknowledged.

See the TQA’s website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/4675



External Assessment Procedures Details about procedures for setting and marking examinations are on the TQA website: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au



SECTION 6 CERTIFICATION

The Qualifications Certificate issued by the TQA will record a student’s accumulated achievements to the time of leaving school. It can record students’ learning in:

• TQA accredited courses

• nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training Certificates and units of competency

• TQA recognised courses.

The TQA will only certificate students who have studied a course accredited by the TQA and who have been assessed under the TQA’s administration according to the assessment procedures detailed in the course document and this Handbook.

Documents Issued to Students Students may receive one or more of the following documents depending on:

• the nature of the courses in which they gain qualifications (e.g. the TQA level and assessment methodology of a course)

• their year level (11 or 12/13)

• whether or not they have met required standards

• their personal circumstances.

Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE)

The Tasmanian Certificate of Education is a qualification. It is issued only to learners who meet the required standards (see page 3). The TQA will issue a TCE to Year 12 students who meet the standards. There are no time limits on meeting the standards: credit points gained and ‘everyday adult’ skill sets’ standards met do not expire. A person can apply for a TCE whenever they have met all the required standards.

Qualifications Certificate (QC)

The Qualifications Certificate is a formal certificate recording student achievement in TQA accredited courses, VET certificates and competencies and TQA recognised courses.

The TQA issues the certificate to students when they leave secondary education at any stage during year 11 or 12. The certificate is issued at the request of a student. Such requests must be in writing. Students who have completed Year 12 automatically receive their Qualifications Certificate in December.

The Qualifications Certificate can be updated throughout a person’s life to record qualifications gained after year 12. For example, university degrees and VET qualifications can be added to a Qualifications Certificate. An individual can approach the TQA at any time to request an updated Qualifications Certificate. They must provide evidence that an appropriate qualification has been awarded. A fee is charged.

Tasmanian Certificate of Educational Achievement (TCEA) Tasmanian Certificate of Educational Achievement is designed for students for whom the standardised nature of the TCE and QC do not give a fair and just account of their achievements. The TCEA is only awarded when eligibility requirements are met (see page 4) and where personal circumstances (e.g. long periods of illness, learning disabilities or critical family issues) mean that a description in words gives a fairer account of what the learner has achieved.

Statement of Results

A Statement of Results is issued by the TQA to learners in December. It contains a summary of the learner’s progress towards meeting the participation and achievement, literacy, numeracy and ICT standards of the TCE in the current year.



Other Documents: Criterion Profile

The TQA provides students who register on line with an electronic criterion profile document for relevant TQA level 3, size value 15 TQA accredited courses. The statement shows the ratings obtained by a student on each criterion in a course and differentiates internal and external ratings. See: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1865

Tertiary Entrance Rules and procedures for tertiary entrance are determined by the University of Tasmania (UTAS). Information about the entry requirements for Tasmanian students entering directly from year 12 is available from: https://secure.utas.edu.au/admissions/undergraduate/admission-requirements

As part of our partnership with the University of Tasmania we calculate Tasmanian Tertiary Entrance Scores (TES) and convert these to a nationally comparable Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) using agreed rules and procedures. The ATAR was formally called the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER).

We will calculate an ATAR for students who have completed two years (or the equivalent) of senior secondary study and have satisfactorily completed a minimum of four TQA level 3 courses that can contribute to an ATAR, with at least three being done in Year 12 (or Year 13). If a student undertakes Year 13, then the student can only use two of the three years in calculations. This will be the best three course scores from TQA level 3 courses that can contribute to an ATAR satisfactorily completed in Year 12 or Year 13, together with the best two other course scores taken from either the same year, or any other single year after Year 10. Results in UTAS High Achiever Program (HAP) studies can also count towards the ATAR.

A maximum of the equivalent of five TQA level 3 courses can count towards the ATAR, provided they were undertaken in Year 12 (or Year 13) and one other year after Year 10. A student who has completed the same eligible course twice can only count one of the two results towards an ATAR.

If a student does more than the maximum number of courses (equivalent of five TQA level 3 courses), we will determine which courses need to be counted to maximise their score.

In 2006, the University of Tasmania approved schedules and tables allowing the determination of an equivalent ATAR for students not eligible for a regular ATAR, up to a maximum equivalent ATAR of 65. This process uses results in all TQA accredited and recognised courses, as well as VET competencies and certificates. For details about which courses students can gain entry to on the basis of an equivalent TER, please contact the University of Tasmania.

Tertiary entrance advice

Year 12 students who are eligible as above will receive a statement from us showing results and scaled scores in all eligible courses and their overall Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).



SECTION 7 COURSES

TQA Level 3 Accredited Courses that Contribute to the Calculation of

Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks

Natural and Physical Sciences

Mathematics Applied (MTA315114)

Mathematics Methods (MTM315114)

Mathematics Specialised (MTS315114)

Biology (BIO315114)

Chemistry (CHM315114)

Physical Sciences (PSC315114)

Physics (PHY315114)

Geography (GGY315110)

Sport Science (SPT315113)

Information Technology

Computer Science (ITC315113)

Information Systems and Digital Technologies (ITS315113)

Engineering and Related Technologies

Enterprise Production Systems (MAN315112)

Electronics (ELT315114)

Computer Graphics and Design (CGD315113)

Technical Graphics (TEG315110)

Architecture and Building

Housing and Design (HDS315113)

Health

Health Studies (HLT315113)

Management and Commerce

Accounting (ACC315111)

Business Studies (BST315111)

Society and Culture

English As A Second Language (ESL315114)

English Communications (ENC315114)

English Literature (ENL315114)

English Writing (ENW315114)

Chinese (CHN315114)

French (FRN315114)



German (GRM315114)

Indonesian (IND315114)

Italian (ITN315114)

Japanese (JPN315114)

Other Languages Assessment only qualifications – see website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1085

Ancient Civilisations (ANC315110)

Australia in Asia and the Pacific (AAP315110)

Australian Studies (AST315110)

Economics (ECN315111)

Legal Studies (LST315110)

Modern World History (HSM315110)

Outdoor Leadership (OXP315113)

Philosophy (PHL315113)

Psychology (BHP315111)

Sociology (BHS315111)

Studies of Religion (REL315111)

Creative Arts

Art Appreciation (ARA315111)

Art Production (ART315112)

Art Studio Practice (ART315214)

Audio Design (AUD315110)

Dance Choreography and Performance (DNC315110)

Music (MSM315110)

Drama (SDD315110)

Theatre Performance (SDP315110)

Media Production (MED315112)

Food, Hospitality and Personal Services

Food and Nutrition (FDN315113)

Agriculture, Environment and Related Studies

Environmental Science and Society (ESS315114)

Education

Nil

Mixed Field Programs

Student Directed Inquiry (SDI315113)



TQA Accredited Senior Secondary Courses Arranged by Australian Standard

Classification of Education (ASCED) Sectors:

The tables on the following pages list TQA accredited Senior Secondary courses according to their ASCED sector and TQA level of complexity. The horizontal rows of the tables have been used to indicate relationships between courses at different levels of complexity. For example, the relationship between a TQA level 2 foundation course and a TQA level 3 course. Each course’s website address (shown in blue text) is hyperlinked to the TQA website page of that course. On the website page you will find the course description, course document and related publications. If you open this Handbook in a pdf reader and the hyperlinks fail to launch please open it in a web-browser and try again. Alternatively this section of the Handbook can be accessed as a Word document via: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2191



ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2

TQA Level 3 (contribute to the calculation of

Australian Tertiary Entrance

Ranks)

NA

TUR

AL

AN

D P

HYS

ICA

L SC

IEN

CES

Everyday Maths


Essential Skills – Maths


Workplace Maths


General Mathematics –

Foundation


Mathematics Applied


Mathematics Methods –

Foundation


Mathematics Methods


Mathematics Specialised


Life Science


Physical Sciences –

Foundation


Biology


Chemistry


Physics


Geography




ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2



Ranks)

Physical Sciences


Sport Science – Foundation


Sport Science


1 7 9

INFO

RM

ATI

ON

TEC

HN

OLO

GY

Basic Computing


Computer Applications


Essential Skills – Using

Computers and the Internet


Information Systems and

Digital Technologies


Computer Science


1 2 2

AR

CH

ITEC

TUR

E

AN

D B

UIL

DIN

G

Housing and Design


0 0 1



ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2

TQA Level 3

(contribute to the calculation of


Ranks)

ENG

INEE

RIN

G A

ND

REL

ATE

D T

ECH

NO

LOG

IES

Workshop Techniques –

Introduction


Design and Production


Automotive Workshop

Practices


Electronics – Foundation


Electronics


Computer Graphics and

Design – Foundation


Computer Graphics and

Design


Technical Graphics –

Foundation


Technical Graphics


Enterprise Production

Systems


2 4 4



ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2



Ranks)

HEA

LTH

Personal Care


Personal Health and

Wellbeing


Health Studies


1 1 1

MA

NA

GEM

ENT

AN

D C

OM

MER

CE

Financial Literacy


Business Studies –

Foundation


Business Studies


Accounting


1 1 2



ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1 TQA Level 2

TQA Level 3



Ranks)

SOC

IETY

AN

D C

ULT

UR

E

Focus on Children


Working with Children


Community Service Learning


Community Access


You, Your Family and the

Community


Exploring Issues in Society


World and the Environment


History and Ideas


Basic Road Safety


Road Safety Education


Making Moral Decisions


Introduction to Sociology and

Psychology


Psychology


Sociology


Religion and Philosophy -

Foundation


Studies of Religion




ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2



Ranks)

SOC

IETY

AN

D C

ULT

UR

E (C

ontin

ued)

Philosophy


Legal Studies – Foundation


Legal Studies


Economics


Australian Studies


Australia in Asia and the

Pacific


Modern World History


Ancient Civilisations


4 10 10

English as an Additional

Language or Dialect


English as an Additional

Language or Dialect


English as a Second

Language


Practical English


Essential Skills – Reading

and Writing


English Applied


English – Foundation


English Communications




ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2



Ranks)

English Literature


English Writing


2 4 4

SOC

IETY

AN

D C

ULT

UR

E (C

ontin

ued)

Chinese – Foundation


Chinese


French – Foundation


French


German – Foundation


German


Japanese – Foundation


Japanese


Italian – Foundation


Italian


Indonesian – Foundation


Indonesian http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1084

Range of other languages


0 6 6+

Outdoor Experience


Outdoor Education


Outdoor Leadership


Athlete Development


Physical Recreation http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2196

2 2 1



ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2

TQA Level 3

(contribute to the calculation

of Australian Tertiary

Entrance Ranks)

CR

EATI

VE A

RTS

Dance the Basic Moves


Dance


Dance Choreography and

Performance


Art Making http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/7943

Art Production –

Foundation


Art Production


Visual Art Practice


Art Studio Practice


Art Appreciation


Arts Performance


Creative Arts – Event

Production


Drama – Technical

Production


Drama – Foundation


Drama


Theatre Performance


Media Production –

Foundation


Media Production




ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1

TQA Level 2

TQA Level 3

(contribute to the calculation

of Australian Tertiary

Entrance Ranks)

CR

EATI

VE A

RTS

(Con

tinue

d)

Audio Design –

Foundation


Audio Design


Audio Design for Special

Events


Ensemble Experience


Studies in Music


Music


Contemporary Music


2 13 9

AG

RIC

ULT

URE

ENVI

RON

MEN

TAL

&

RELA

TED

STU

DIE

S

Environmental Science

and Society


0 0 1



ASCED

SECTOR

TQA Level 1 TQA Level 2

TQA Level 3



Ranks)

FOO

D,

HO

SPIT

ALI

TY

AN

D

PERS

ON

AL

SER

VIC

ES

Introduction to Catering


Food and Cooking Essentials


Food, Cooking and Nutrition


Food and Nutrition


2 1 1

EDU

CA

TIO

N

0 0 0

MIX

ED F

IELD

PR

OG

RA

MS

Work Readiness


Work Readiness


Personal Pathway Planning


Project Implementation


Student-Directed Inquiry


1 3 1



SECTION 8 RECOGNITION OF FORMAL LEARNING

The TQA recognises a wide range of formal learning undertaken by senior secondary Tasmanian students. Providers of formal learning qualifications not recognised by the TQA may apply for such recognition.

‘Recognition’ means that the qualifications issued by recognised formal learning providers are listed on a student’s Qualification Certificate and may contribute to meeting TCE requirements.

Currently recognised formal learning providers include:

• Australian Music Examination Board

• Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Australia (Tasmania Division)

• CISCO Systems Australia

• Scouts Australia (Tasmanian Branch)

• Girl Guide Association (Tasmania)

• St Cecilia School of Music

• Trinity College London

• Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)

• Basic Aeronautical Knowledge

• International Baccalaureate

• The University of Tasmania

• Australian Business Week – Enterprise Education Certificate Qualification

• Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing (Australia) Ltd

• Royal Academy of Dance

• Australian Air Force Cadets.

Details of the specific formal learning qualifications recognised by the TQA can be found on the website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1689 . It is the responsibility of recognised learning providers and/or learners to send the TQA details of their successful completion of a qualification.

The TQA allocates levels of complexity, robustness and size value to recognised formal learning qualifications. These can be found on the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1689

Successful completion of a recognised formal learning qualification may contribute towards the participation and achievement requirements of the TCE. In some cases such qualification may also been considered adequate evidence of a learner having met one or more of the TCE ‘everyday adult’ skill sets. For further information see: the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1906 ; the TCE Planner tools (available for downloading from the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2830 ); and Section 10 below.

Results in TQA recognised courses may contribute to the calculation of an equivalent ATAR.

Learners do not have to have gained the recognised formal learning qualification while a senior secondary student. For example, if a learner was awarded an AMEB Piano Fourth Grade qualification while in year 10, this qualification can be listed on their Qualifications Certificate and add 12 credit point at TQA level 2 towards their TCE participation and achievement standard. In this example the learner was a student in year 10 at a school, but when they passed their AMEB Piano Fourth Grade examination they were working at a level of complexity that the TQA has judged to be appropriate to post-year 10 learning.



SECTION 9 RECOGNITION OF INFORMAL LEARNING

We all learn in a variety of contexts, both within and outside educational institutions.

Informal (and non-formal) learning is learning that takes place outside formal programs in schools, colleges, registered training organisations and universities. It can take place in structured situations in work places, adult learning centres and voluntary organisations or in everyday life activities such as domestic duties.

The TQA has developed a process for recognising – assessing and certifying – a person’s informal learning.

Steps in the recognition process are:

• advice and support from the TQA

• application

• interview

• provision by the applicant of supporting evidence

• assessment

• result.

The TQA can help with the recognition of learning if it:

(a) matches outcomes found in an existing VET, senior secondary or higher education course

or

(b) does not correspond to outcomes of an existing accredited course but involves substantial worthwhile learning that can be described in terms of personal development, community development, sport, recreation or individual achievement.

The result of TQA help in recognising someone’s informal learning can be:

• advice and support in seeking credit towards a vocational education and training (VET) or higher education qualification

• a senior secondary qualification, which will also give credit towards the Tasmanian Certificate of Education

• a TQA Certificate of Individual Learning for learning that is outside existing accredited courses and, possibly, credit points towards the Tasmanian Certificate of Education

• a statement of knowledge and skills, and advice about the next steps.

Initial advice and support will be free. There will be a cost for services leading to a qualification or certificate.

The recognition process is designed to fit the distinctive characteristics of informal learning, which:

• is often deeply embedded in practice

• often involves the community in both facilitating and evaluating the learning

• often involves tacit knowledge

• often is best assessed through an interview with an assessor

• is rarely documented as it happens.

See the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/1649 for more information.



SECTION 10 MEETING THE TCE’S ‘EVERYDAY ADULT’ SKILLS

STANDARDS

The requirements for the TCE’s ‘everyday adult’ reading and writing, mathematics, and use of computers and the internet standards can be met through a variety of pathways including:

• studying TQA accredited courses

• studying VET courses

• studying other courses recognised by the TQA

• undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships.

TQA Complexity Level 3 Accredited Courses

TQA accredited courses with external assessment providing results that can reliably be used as indicators of meeting the TCE’s ‘everyday adult’ standards in reading and writing, mathematics, and use of computers and the internet are identified in the TCE Planner tools available from the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2829

There are some important assumptions in this including, for example, the assumption that writing skills require reading skills (although the reverse may not be so). Details are available on the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2154 in the report of the June 2007 Authority meeting.

TQA Complexity Levels 1 and 2 Accredited Courses and VET Qualifications

A review of the course documents for existing TQA 2 English, Maths and ICT subjects, and relevant VET certificates that are commonly achieved by senior secondary students, has been undertaken to determine those courses where one or more of the ‘everyday adult’ standards in reading and writing, mathematics, and use of computers and the internet are clearly present in the course documentation: a clear link between the standard and the requirements for an award/result showing success in the course exists. Courses showing the clear presence of the standards have been identified ones where a ‘Pass/SA’ award or higher can use as a proxy indicator to demonstrate that a student has met one or more of the standards. These courses are identified in the TCE Planner tools available from the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2829

Important Considerations when using the TCE Planner Tools

It is important to realise that the Planner tools’ feedback is based on the assumption that a learner successfully completes the course/s. For the reading and writing, mathematics, and use of computers and the internet standards 'successful completion' means getting a 'Pass/SA' award or better. For the participation and achievement standard it means gaining an award, so a 'PA' or better can generate the credit points used to measure this standard.

The ways in which courses may contribute to the TCE's 'Everyday Adult' skill sets can change over time (for example, between a course with accreditation expiring and a new, replacement course). It is therefore vital that:

• the currently accredited course is selected when using the planner tool • it is not assumed that a new course will make the same contribution to the TCE as an expired course.

Testing

The Authority expects students in formal learning programs with senior secondary providers to demonstrate that they have met the standards of the 'everyday adult' skill sets through course pathways (e.g. successfully undertaking an English course that has been identified as having content and standards that suggest that successfully completion indicates that a learner has met the TCE’s reading and writing standard). A small minority of students may not have such course pathways or - at the end of year 12 - not have successfully completed a course indicating that they have met the standards of one or more of the 'everyday adult' skill sets. In such cases 'safety-net' testing of the skill set will be available.

For details regarding 'safety-net' testing see the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2215

Providers may seek registration to become TQA ‘safety-net’ Testing Centres. Testing Centres are audited by the TQA to ensure their compliance with agreed rules and responsibilities.



Rules regarding the eligibility of learners to undertake ‘safety-net’ testing:

1) 'Safety-net' testing will be available to students no earlier than October following their completion of Year 10.

2) A learner may not re-sit the same 'safety-net' test type (ie literacy/numeracy/ICT) within a 3 month period without the expressed permission of the TQA.

Please visit the TQA website page http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2215

for additional and up-to-date information.



SECTION 11 ‘OTHER EDUCATION’ TQA ACCREDITED COURSES

The Tasmanian Qualifications Authority Act (2003) gives the Authority power to accredited courses in the area of ‘other education’. The Act states that, “other education means education obtained by a person after the completion of those years of schooling that the person is required by law to attend –

a) including but not limited to adult education, community education and education specifically designed for a person with a disability; but

b) excluding senior secondary education, vocational education and training and higher education.”

Currently accredited ‘other education’ course may be divided into four categories:

• a suite of courses designed for learners with disabilities/special needs. These courses are designed to provide basic skills to high needs students, many of whom have a learning difficulty. Each course has a whole-of-life approach and aims to offer better outcomes in all aspects of students' lives and to assist people with disabilities to access achievable pathways to further training and or employment outcomes. Some students may need this full suite of courses for study in both their years 11 and 12, some may need it for only part of their course load, and some may need some for year 11 before moving into other programs for Year 12. Courses in this suite have a level of complexity preliminary to that of TQA level 1. Achievement of the qualifications does not, therefore, contribute credit points towards meeting the participation and achievement standard of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education qualification. Courses in this suite include:

o Basic Communication (PRE012110)

o Basic Number Skills (PRE012210)

o Prepare to Live Independently (PRE012310)

o Environment and Nature (PRE012410)

o Expression through the Arts (PRE012510)

o Community and Me (PRE012610)

o Preparing for Work (PRE012710)

o Sport and Recreation for Life (PRE010114).

For more information see the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2379

• a course - Building Connections - designed to provide learners with fundamental skills for life and understanding of social behaviours, the lack of which may have contributed to their cessation of schooling and education. Learners may have been disengaged for short or long terms. This course in has a level of complexity preliminary to that of TQA level 1. Achievement of the qualification does not, therefore, contribute credit points towards meeting the participation and achievement standard of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education qualification. For more information see the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/2379

• a Continuing Professional Development course. The course TQA Accredited Marker - Senior Secondary External Assessment gives a structure for defining and recognising the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) achieved by a person through successful involvement in external marking activities. In this instance "external marking" means the marking of an examination or other assessment task administered by the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA) for the purpose of issuing a result. This course has a level of complexity of TQA level 4 and three qualifications of differing size value. For more information see the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/23758

• an Adult Education course. The course Systematic Techniques for Aggression Identification and Response has three levels, differing in size and levels of complexity from TQA level 2 to 4. For more information see the TQA website page: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/16219



SECTION 12 COURSE CODES

TQA accredited courses are typically assigned a nine character course code.

To explain how these codes are generated, take the example of Sport Science TQA level 3, size value 15.

Its code is: SPT315113.

SPT 3 15 1 13 A B C D E

A) The first three characters of the code (letters) identify the course’s name – here SPT identifies the Sport

family of courses that includes Sport Science and Sport Science – Foundation.

B) The fourth character (number 1, 2 or 3) identifies the course’s TQA level of complexity – here a 3 = TQA level 3.

C) The fifth and sixth characters identify the course’s size. Common sizes are: 15; 10; and 05 – here the course has a size of 15, reflecting a 150 hour design/nominal delivery time. A course’s size reflects the credit points that will be allocated to a student who gains an award in the course.

D) The seventh character is used to differentiate courses which otherwise share the same characteristics reflected in the first three parts of the code.

E) The last two characters of the code identify the year for which the course was first accredited – here 13 = 2013.

Course providers wishing to employ TQA course codes for their internal use (such as generating timetables or reports) are free to do so. If systems do not allow all nine characters the last two (identifying the year for which the course was first accredited) might be omitted.

In courses which have a strand framework or specialisations, the specific strand or specialisation studied by a learner may be identified by an additional strand code number, separated from the course code by a ‘ / ’ mark.



APPENDICES

Appendix 1: 2014 Senior Secondary Courses Listed By Codes

Code Title TQA Level

Size Value Year Expiry

AAP315110 Australia in Asia and the Pacific 3 15 2014

ACC315111 Accounting 3 15 2015

ANC315110 Ancient Civilisations 3 15 2014

ARA315111 Art Appreciation 3 15 2015

ART110112 Art Making 1 10 2016

ART210112 Visual Art Practice 2 10 2016

ART215112 Art Production – Foundation 2 15 2016

ART315214 Art Studio Practice 3 15 2018

AST315110 Australian Studies 3 15 2014

ATH215113 Athlete Development 2 15 2017

AUD205110 Audio Design for Special Events 2 5 2014

AUD215110 Audio Design – Foundation 2 15 2014

AUD315110 Audio Design 3 15 2014

AWP110111 Automotive Workshop Practices 1 10 2015

BHC110111 Focus on Children 1 10 2015

BHF210111 Exploring Issues in Society 2 10 2015

BHP315111 Psychology 3 15 2015

BHS315111 Sociology 3 15 2015

BHX215111 Introduction to Sociology and Psychology 2 15 2015

BHY105111 You, Your Family and the Community 1 5 2015

BIO315114 Biology 3 15 2015

BST105111 Financial Literacy 1 5 2015

BST215111 Business Studies – Foundation 2 15 2015

BST315111 Business Studies 3 15 2015





CAC110112 Community Access 1 10 2016

CAE205110 Arts Performance 2 5 2014

CAE215110 Creative Arts – Event Production 2 15 2014

CGD215113 Computer Graphics and Design – Foundation 2 15 2017

CGD315113 Computer Graphics & Design 3 15 2017

CHM315114 Chemistry 3 15 2014

CHN215114 Chinese – Foundation 2 15 2018

CHN315114 Chinese 3 15 2018

CSL205113 Community Service Learning 2 5 2017

DNC110110 Dance the Basic Moves 1 10 2014

DNC215110 Dance 2 15 2014

DNC315110 Dance Choreography & Performance 3 15 2014

EAL115114 English as an Additional Language or Dialect 1 15 2018

EAL215114 English as an Additional Language or Dialect 2 15 2018

ECN315111 Economics 3 15 2015

ELT215114 Electronics – Foundation 2 15 2018

ELT315114 Electronics 3 15 2018

ENA215114 English Applied 2 15 2018

ENC315114 English Communications 3 15 2014

ENG110114 Practical English 1 10 2018

ENL315114 English Literature 3 15 2018

ERW210114 Essential Skills – Reading and Writing 2 10 2018

ESL315114 English as a Second Language 3 15 2014

ESS315114 Environmental Science and Society 3 15 2017

FCE110114 Food and Cooking Essentials 1 10 2018

FDN215113 Food, Cooking and Nutrition 2 15 2017

FDN315113 Food and Nutrition 3 15 2017

FRN215114 French – Foundation 2 15 2018





FRN315114 French 3 15 2018

GGY315110 Geography 3 15 2014

GRM215114 German – Foundation 2 15 2018

GRM315114 German 3 15 2018

HAD215110 History and Ideas 2 15 2014

HDS315113 Housing and Design 3 15 2017

HLT315113 Health Studies 3 15 2017

HSM315110 Modern World History 3 15 2014

HTP110111 Introduction to Catering 1 10 2015

ICT110114 Basic Computing 1 10 2018

ICT205114 Computer Applications 2 5 2018

IND215114 Indonesian – Foundation 2 15 2014

IND315114 Indonesian 3 15 2014

ITC315113 Computer Science 3 15 2017

ITN215114 Italian – Foundation 2 15 2018

ITN315114 Italian 3 15 2018

ITS315113 Information Systems & Digital Technologies 3 15 2017

JPN215114 Japanese – Foundation 2 15 2018

JPN315114 Japanese 3 15 2018

LSC215114 Life Science 2 15 2014

LST215110 Legal Studies – Foundation 2 15 2014





LST315110 Legal Studies 3 15 2014

MAN315112 Enterprise Production Systems 3 15 2016

MED215110 Media Production - Foundation 2 15 2014

MED315112 Media Production 3 15 2016

MSC215110 Contemporary Music 2 15 2014

MSM205110 Ensemble Experience 2 5 2014

MSM315110 Music 3 15 2014

MSS215110 Studies in Music 2 15 2014

MTE110114 Everyday Maths 1 10 2018

MTG215114 General Mathematics – Foundation 2 15 2018

MTM215114 Mathematics Methods – Foundation 2 15 2015

MTM315114 Mathematics Methods 3 15 2016

MTN210114 Essential Skills – Maths 2 10 2018

MTS315114 Mathematics Specialised 3 15 2017

MTW215114 Workplace Maths 2 15 2018

OXP105113 Outdoor Experiences 1 5 2017





OXP215113 Outdoor Education 2 15 2017

OXP315113 Outdoor Leadership 3 15 2017

PER110113 Personal Care 1 10 2017

PER215113 Personal Health and Wellbeing 2 15 2017

PHL315113 Philosophy 3 15 2017

PHY315114 Physics 3 15 2014

PPP205113 Personal Pathway Planning 2 5 2017

PRJ205113 Project Implementation 2 5 2017

PSC315114 Physical Sciences 3 15 2017

REC110113 Physical Recreation 1 10 2017

REL315111 Studies of Religion 3 15 2015

RLP205110 Making Moral Decisions 2 5 2014

RLP215210 Religion and Philosophy – Foundation 2 15 2014

RSE105110 Basic Road Safety 1 5 2014

RSE205110 Road Safety Education 2 5 2014

SDD315110 Drama 3 15 2014

SDI315113 Student Directed Inquiry 3 15 2017

SDP315110 Theatre Performance 3 15 2014

SDS215110 Drama – Foundation 2 15 2014

SDT215110 Drama – Technical Production 2 15 2014

SPT215113 Sport Science – Foundation 2 15 2017

SPT315113 Sport Science 3 15 2017

SPW215114 Physical Sciences – Foundation 2 15 2017

TEG215110 Technical Graphics – Foundation 2 15 2014

TEG315110 Technical Graphics 3 15 2014

WAE215110 World and the Environment 2 15 2014

WRK110112 Work Readiness 1 10 2016

WRK210112 Work Readiness 2 10 2016

WTE110114 Workshop Techniques – Introduction 1 10 2018



Appendix 2: 2014 Senior Secondary Courses Listed By Title

Title Code TQA Level Size Value Year Expiry

Accounting ACC315111 3 15 2015

Ancient Civilisations ANC315110 3 15 2014

Art Appreciation ARA315111 3 15 2015

Art Making ART110112 1 10 2016

Art Production – Foundation ART215112 2 15 2016

Art Studio Practice ART315214 3 15 2018

Arts Performance CAE205110 2 5 2014

Athlete Development ATH215113 2 15 2017

Audio Design AUD315110 3 15 2014

Audio Design – Foundation AUD215110 2 15 2014

Audio Design for Special Events AUD205110 2 5 2014

Australia in Asia and the Pacific AAP315110 3 15 2014

Australian Studies AST315110 3 15 2014

Automotive Workshop Practices AWP110111 1 10 2015

Basic Computing ICT110114 1 10 2018

Basic Road Safety RSE105110 1 5 2014

Biology BIO315114 3 15 2015

Business Studies BST315111 3 15 2015

Business Studies - Foundation BST215111 2 15 2015

Chemistry CHM315114 3 15 2014

Chinese CHN315114 3 15 2018

Chinese – Foundation CHN215114 2 15 2018

Community Access CAC110112 1 10 2016




Community Service Learning CSL205113 2 5 2017

Computer Applications ICT205114 2 5 2018

Computer Graphics & Design CGD315113 3 15 2017

Computer Graphics and Design – Foundation CGD215113 2 15 2017

Computer Science ITC315113 3 15 2017

Contemporary Music MSC215110 2 15 2014

Creative Arts – Event Production CAE215110 2 15 2014

Dance DNC215110 2 15 2014

Dance Choreography & Performance DNC315110 3 15 2014

Dance the Basic Moves DNC110110 1 10 2014

Drama SDD315110 3 15 2014

Drama – Foundation SDS215110 2 15 2014

Drama – Technical Production SDT215110 2 15 2014

Economics ECN315111 3 15 2015

Electronics ELT315114 3 15 2018

Electronics – Foundation ELT215114 2 15 2018

English Applied ENA215114 2 15 2018

English as a Second Language ESL315114 3 15 2014

English as an Additional Language or Dialect EAL115114 1 15 2018

English as an Additional Language or Dialect EAL215114 2 15 2018

English Communications ENC315114 3 15 2014

English Literature ENL315114 3 15 2018

Ensemble Experience MSM205110 2 5 2014

Enterprise Production Systems MAN315112 3 15 2016




Environmental Science and Society ESS315114 3 15 2017

Essential Skills – Maths MTN210114 2 10 2018

Essential Skills – Reading and Writing ERW210114 2 10 2018

Everyday Maths MTE110114 1 10 2018

Exploring Issues in Society BHF210111 2 10 2015

Financial Literacy BST105111 1 5 2015

Focus on Children BHC110111 1 10 2015

Food and Cooking Essentials FCE110114 1 10 2018

Food and Nutrition FDN315113 3 15 2017

Food, Cooking and Nutrition FDN215113 2 15 2017

French FRN315114 3 15 2018

French – Foundation FRN215114 2 15 2018

General Mathematics – Foundation MTG215114 2 15 2018

Geography GGY315110 3 15 2014

German GRM315114 3 15 2018

German – Foundation GRM215114 2 15 2018

Health Studies HLT315113 3 15 2017

History and Ideas HAD215110 2 15 2014

Housing and Design HDS315113 3 15 2017

Indonesian IND315114 3 15 2014

Indonesian – Foundation IND215114 2 15 2014

Information Systems & Digital Technologies ITS315113 3 15 2017

Introduction to Catering HTP110111 1 10 2015

Introduction to Sociology and Psychology BHX215111 2 15 2015

Italian ITN315114 3 15 2018

Italian – Foundation ITN215114 2 15 2018




Japanese JPN315114 3 15 2018

Japanese – Foundation JPN215114 2 15 2018

Legal Studies LST315110 3 15 2014

Legal Studies – Foundation LST215110 2 15 2014

Life Science LSC215114 2 15 2014

Making Moral Decisions RLP205110 2 5 2014

Mathematics Methods MTM315114 3 15 2016

Mathematics Methods – Foundation MTM215114 2 15 2015

Mathematics Specialised MTS315114 3 15 2017

Media Production MED315112 3 15 2016

Media Production – Foundation MED215110 2 15 2014

Modern World History HSM315110 3 15 2014

Music MSM315110 3 15 2014

Outdoor Education OXP215113 2 15 2017

Outdoor Experiences OXP105113 1 5 2017

Outdoor Leadership OXP315113 3 15 2017

Personal Care PER110113 1 10 2017

Personal Health and Wellbeing PER215113 2 15 2017

Personal Pathway Planning PPP205113 2 5 2017

Philosophy PHL315113 3 15 2017

Physical Recreation REC110113 1 10 2017

Physical Sciences PSC315114 3 15 2017

Physical Sciences – Foundation SPW215114 2 15 2017

Physics PHY315114 3 15 2014

Practical English ENG110114 1 10 2018




Project Implementation PRJ205113 2 5 2017

Psychology BHP315111 3 15 2015

Religion and Philosophy – Foundation RLP215210 2 15 2014

Road Safety Education RSE205110 2 5 2014

Sociology BHS315111 3 15 2015

Sport Science SPT315113 3 15 2017

Sport Science – Foundation SPT215113 2 15 2017

Student Directed Inquiry SDI315113 3 15 2017

Studies in Music MSS215110 2 15 2014

Studies of Religion REL315111 3 15 2015

Technical Graphics TEG315110 3 15 2014

Technical Graphics – Foundation TEG215110 2 15 2014

Theatre Performance SDP315110 3 15 2014

Visual Art Practice ART210112 2 10 2016

Work Readiness WRK110112 1 10 2016

Work Readiness WRK210112 2 10 2016

Workplace Maths MTW215114 2 15 2018

Workshop Techniques – Introduction WTE110114 1 10 2018

World and the Environment WAE215110 2 15 2014

You, Your Family and the Community BHY105111 1 5 2015



Appendix 3.a: Senior Secondary Courses with Accreditation Expiring 31 December 2014

Code Title TQA Level Size Value Year Expiry

AAP315110 Australia in Asia and the Pacific 3 15 2014

ANC315110 Ancient Civilisations 3 15 2014

AST315110 Australian Studies 3 15 2014

AUD205110 Audio Design for Special Events 2 5 2014

AUD215110 Audio Design – Foundation 2 15 2014

AUD315110 Audio Design 3 15 2014

CAE205110 Arts Performance 2 5 2014

CAE215110 Creative Arts – Event Production 2 15 2014

CHM315114 Chemistry 3 15 2014

DNC110110 Dance the Basic Moves 1 10 2014

DNC215110 Dance 2 15 2014

DNC315110 Dance Choreography & Performance 3 15 2014

ENC315114 English Communications 3 15 2014

ESL315114 English as a Second Language 3 15 2014

GGY315110 Geography 3 15 2014

HAD215110 History and Ideas 2 15 2014

HSM315110 Modern World History 3 15 2014

IND315114 Indonesian 3 15 2014

IND215114 Indonesian – Foundation 2 15 2014

LSC215114 Life Science 2 15 2014

LST215110 Legal Studies – Foundation 2 15 2014

LST315110 Legal Studies 3 15 2014




MED215110 Media Production – Foundation 2 15 2014

MSC215110 Contemporary Music 2 15 2014

MSM205110 Ensemble Experience 2 5 2014

MSM315110 Music 3 15 2014

MSS215110 Studies in Music 2 15 2014

PHY315114 Physics 3 15 2014

RLP205110 Making Moral Decisions 2 5 2014

RLP215210 Religion and Philosophy – Foundation 2 15 2014

RSE105110 Basic Road Safety 1 5 2014

RSE205110 Road Safety Education 2 5 2014

SDD315110 Drama 3 15 2014

SDP315110 Theatre Performance 3 15 2014

SDS215110 Drama – Foundation 2 15 2014

SDT215110 Drama – Technical Production 2 15 2014

TEG215110 Technical Graphics – Foundation 2 15 2014

TEG315110 Technical Graphics 3 15 2014

WAE215110 World and the Environment 2 15 2014

See http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/14271 for information regarding course development.



Appendix 3.b: ‘Other Education’ Courses with Accreditation Expiring 31 December 2014


PRE012110 Basic Communication preliminary 12 2014

PRE012210 Basic Number Skills preliminary 12 2014

PRE012310 Prepare to Live Independently preliminary 12 2014

PRE012410 Environment and Nature preliminary 12 2014

PRE012510 Expression Through the Arts preliminary 12 2014

PRE012610 Community and Me preliminary 12 2014

PRE012710 Preparing for Work preliminary 12 2014

.

NOTES:

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