From the Director of Teaching and Learning and Education Administration
”Start by doing what’s necessary;
then do what’s possible;
and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
- Francis of Assisi
With three weeks of the HSC exams now completed, and the final week to come, I continue to be impressed with the way in which the Class of 2022 have met this challenge individually and as a collective. It is evident that they feel prepared for the exams and have a strong sense of connection as a year group, allowing those who need some time on their own to have it, supporting each other when needed and sharing collective wisdom and resources as appropriate. There has been an air of calm and purposefulness as they enter the exam rooms and in general feel that they have been as well prepared as they could have been when reflecting after the exam. HSC results are released to students and the College early on the morning of Thursday 15 December with ATARS released to students later that same morning.
As the Class of 2022 complete their exams, the Class of 2023 have begun their HSC year, with similar purpose and a strong sense of their Year group also. I spent time with them this week unpacking the HSC process and looking at useful ways to prepare for Assessments, plan study and organise their time efficiently. A key element of the credentialing of the HSC is the difference between the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). These two elements are the most talked about and media focussed components and it is important to clarify their role and what they are.
The Higher School Certificate is a credential that lists each course a student studies and a result for both their College-based assessments and their external examination administered by NESA. Every student in the state sits the same external exam in a course at the same time providing an accurate measure of achievement in a course’s content, skills and knowledge. Some courses combine a submitted major work as appropriate into this HSC exam mark. This external exam mark is combined with the student’s College-based assessment mark, so they contribute equal amounts to an overall HSC mark. HSC marks are also allocated a band:
Band 6 represents a HSC Mark of 90-100
Band 5 represents a HSC Mark of 80-89
Band 4 represents a HSC Mark of 70-79
Band 3 represents a HSC Mark of 60-69
Band 2 represents a HSC Mark of 50-59
Band 1 represents a HSC Mark of 0-49
In contrast the ATAR is a rank of a student's best ten units of study, including their English course compared to everyone else in the state. The ATAR is calculated and issued by the University Admissions Centre based on HSC information supplied by NESA. An ATAR’s sole purpose is to provide a mechanism for universities to align students with courses they offer. Every university sets their own cut-off ATAR scores for each course they offer. Many universities have early entry schemes and use other mechanisms, such as interviews and portfolios of achievements, in conjunction with the university offers of places that occur after the HSC results and ATARs are released. The College Careers Adviser, Ms Helen Marshall, has extensive expertise and experience in the process of university application and placement, and any student or parent who requires further information is encouraged to reach out to Ms Marshall for assistance.
Of course, a St Vincent's College education is broader than just academics and includes the rich experiences that develop the whole person during their learning journey from Year 7 to Year 12. The media often pigeonhole education in December as distilled down into marks on a certificate and compare schools on this basis. This is a narrow view of what schools achieve and the comprehensive education students receive. Our class of 2022 has shown that in abundance throughout their HSC exams, focussed on their studies and performing their best whilst maintaining their strong connection and care for each other.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
- John F Kennedy