In Units 3 and 4 of General and General (Extension) subjects, students complete internal and external assessment to achieve a final subject result. There may be differences in how students perform on each assessment.
The Ratification Committee, a sub-committee of the QCAA Board, reviews and endorses the processes for calculating subject results, the ratification process and provides advice about exceptional circumstances that might affect calculation of results.
As part of the ratification process, the QCAA considers large, unexpected variations for subject groups and investigates these in the following year. The focus of ratification is not reviewing individual results and variations in results on each assessment — the quality assurance processes for confirmation and external assessment marking are responsible for ensuring these are correct. Ratification instead examines any large differences between internal and external assessments for subject cohorts and recommends ways for the QCAA to help the school/s redress the mismatch in the future.
11.4.1 Identifying anomalies in General and General (Extension) subject results
Within every subject, some degree of variation between internal and external results is to be expected. This variability may differ with each cohort and between subjects. Identification of potential groups with much larger than expected variation for investigation depends on the subject involved. It is not assumed that one of the two results is ‘right’ and the other one is an anomaly. Investigations take place both where the external group results are much lower than the internal results, and where the internal group results are much lower than the external results. The largest mismatches for subject groups are identified. The schools are notified of the mismatch and contacted by the QCAA in the year following certification.
11.4.2 Investigating and resolving anomalies
The QCAA identifies schools with anomalies (unexpected results in a subject or assessments in a subject) and contacts the school to assist with understanding the data, establish possible reasons for the anomalies and provide support. This informs future school practice as part of the school’s quality management system (see Section 9.1: Quality management system).
11.4.3 Applying for verification of information
Students may apply for verification of the internal assessment results, VET and other information contained in their SEP.
To request verification of information, students will need to complete and submit a an online form available inside their Student Portal account, with the application fee, to the QCAA by the date published in the SEP calendar.
To verify a student’s results, the QCAA asks schools/learning providers to check they have provided the correct information to be used to calculate the student’s subject results and/or record on their statement.
This process is not an opportunity to request an additional review or reassessment of any of the three internal assessments that contributed to the final subject result for a General or General (Extension) subject or any other results, including VET results. The QCAA will check its records and contact the student’s school or learning provider to confirm that the correct information was used to calculate the final subject result.
The QCAA will advise the student of the outcome of the reassessment via email within 28 days of receiving the application. If there is any change to a student’s results, the QCAA will reissue their Senior Statement or Statement of Results, refund the application fee, and inform QTAC of the change. However, the QCAA may not finish its enquiries until after schools resume at the end of January in the following year.
Under the Judicial Review Act 1991 (Qld), a student dissatisfied with the decision on their application can apply to the Supreme Court for a statutory review order.
Information about verification and review processes is available on the QCAA website on the Checking results and other information webpage.
11.4.4 Reassessment of external assessment result
Students may apply to the QCAA to have their external assessment or Senior External Examination scripts marked again (reassessed) if they believe there has been a marking error. To apply for reassessment, students must submit the online reassessment form available inside their Student Portal account with the application fee, to the QCAA by the date published in the SEP calendar.
Reassessment may decrease, confirm or increase the result the QCAA originally awarded.
The QCAA will advise the student of the outcome of the reassessment within 28 days of receiving the application via email. If the QCAA changes the result awarded, it will:
- issue the student a new Senior Statement or Statement of Results
- inform QTAC of the amended result
- refund the reassessment fee.
If the QCAA decides to decrease the original result, the student may apply to the QCAA chief executive officer for an internal review under section 79 of the Education (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) Act 2014 (the QCAA Act). The application must be in writing, address the grounds of the application, including any new evidence, and be made within 14 days from when the decision was received.
Upon receiving the application, QCAA will appoint an internal review officer who will consider all the information relating to the decision, including the reasons for the decision and the information on which it was based. This officer will be different from the person who considered the original application.
The QCAA will consider the internal review officer’s recommendation and either confirm the original decision, amend the decision or make a new decision, and will notify students of the outcome. If students are dissatisfied with the internal review decision, they may apply under section 82 of the QCAA Act for an external review by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
