Access keys | Skip to primary navigation | Skip to secondary navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer |
Problems viewing this site

QCE & QCIA handbook

9.5 Applied quality assurance (Units 3 and 4)

The QCAA supports schools to quality assure Units 3 and 4 for Applied and Applied (Essential) subjects. Applied subjects are quality assured by a review of assessment instruments, student responses to instruments and teacher judgments.

For Applied subjects, schools may conduct internal reviews as outlined in Table: Applied quality assurance process.

For Applied (Essential) subjects, student samples are reviewed annually in the summative year, generally at the beginning of Semester 2. All schools that offer these subjects and have students enrolled must participate in this process. The QCAA determines the number of samples required in any year, and the sampling pattern.

Timelines for activities related to the meetings are published in the SEP calendar.

Applied quality assurance processes
2019 Applied subjectsApplied (Essential) subjects
  Schools may conduct an annual internal review of Unit 3 assessment. External review meeting of Unit 3 assessment of the summative year.
Process
1

School identifies subjects for review.

QCAA notifies schools of sampling pattern and materials required.

2

As part of the process, schools may review the following materials:

  • approved study plan (see Section 9.2)
  • Unit 3 assessment instruments as identified in the study plan
  • for each sample required, student responses to Unit 3 assessments, including
    • marked instrument-specific standards for each response, showing judgments by dimension
    • student profile with results for each instrument recorded by dimension

Schools submit required materials to QCAA:

  • endorsed IA1 (see Section 9.5)
  • for each sample required, the student responses to Unit 3 assessment including
    • the response to the CIA
    • marked instrument-specific standards for each response, showing judgments
3 School subject teachers conduct a school-based quality assurance meeting at the school, using the internal review documentation. School subject teachers and QCAA staff attend Applied QA meeting.
4

The internal quality assurance process should review whether:

  • assessment instruments
    • match the approved study plan
    • meet syllabus requirements
    • allow students to demonstrate the relevant syllabus objectives
  • judgments made about student responses to each assessment instrument are accurately matched to the A–E standards by dimension indicated on the instrument-specific standards.
 QCAA provides advice on whether:
  • judgments made about student responses to each assessment instrument are accurately matched to the A–E standards identified on the instrument-specific standards.
5   QCAA provides advice to schools about the submission.
6 Schools use the feedback from internal quality assurance for continuous improvement as part of their quality management system and to inform judgments at exit. Schools use the advice for continuous improvement as part of their quality management system.

Advice can also be used to inform judgments at exit.

Intervention, if required
1   QCAA identifies any schools that need additional support to implement advice provided in the quality assurance process.
2   Schools provide any additional samples or information, as requested.
3  

Schools promptly implement any advice provided by the QCAA:

  • to ensure students are given opportunities to meet syllabus requirements by the end of Unit 4 to make exit decisions.
9.4 Units 1 and 2
9.6 Endorsement (Units 3 and 4)
Last updated:
18 January 2024

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Back to top