Performance Band Notes

High school students (years 7-11): Assessed using the common grade scale (A to E).
Year 12 students (excluding Science Extension): Assessed against performance band descriptions (Band 1 to Band 6).
- Band 1: Student has not attained the minimum requirements for the course.
Science Extension students: Assessed in the range of E1 to E4.
Each band level has a detailed description of expected knowledge.

Common grade scales and performance band descriptions are used to calibrate assessment tasks in schools.
Teachers use achievement standards to ensure tasks allow students to demonstrate learning and skills at different levels.
Example: A band six descriptor requires students to apply learning to new situations; tasks should include activities for students to demonstrate this.
Achievement standards are used to develop marking rubrics and success criteria.
Students can use these documents to ensure they've addressed task requirements and demonstrated learning at different levels.

Common grade scales and performance band descriptions are used by teachers to achieve consistency of grading.
Moderation in the HSE ensures that assessments in different schools can be compared using the same standards.
Only school-based assessment marks are moderated.
Schools supply student marks and ranks to NESA for moderation.

School-based assessment marks and ranks are submitted alongside HSE exam results.
The total and mean of school-based assessments are scaled to match the HSE exam values.
As a result of moderation, the school-based assessment mark for each student changes.
Example: Student A's mark changes from 90 to 92 after moderation.
The relative gaps between adjacent moderated marks are similar to those in the HSE exam.
Example: Before moderation, the difference in marks between student E and F was 15; after moderation, it is 7, similar to the HSE exam difference.

Band levels are assigned to students' marks after the HSE exams.
Cutoffs for different band levels are determined by market judges based on student performances for that year.
To maintain consistency, band cutoffs are modified to be the same every year (universal scale).
Example: Student A initially receives band six with a mark of 82, but the mark is changed to 90 to align with the universal scale for band six.