QCAA assessors (external assessment marking)

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Updated 20 May 2020

The following questions relate to practising Queensland teacher applicants. For information on other eligible applicants (e.g. retired teachers, academics, teachers from other jurisdictions), visit the QCAA assessors (external assessment marking) page on the QCAA website.

• When do applications close?

• When will offers be made?

• I have submitted my application. What happens now?

• What do I need to do to be considered for a lead marker role?

• What happens if my principal doesn’t approve my appointment?

• How much will I be paid for marking?

• When is external assessment marker training held?

• What does training involve?

• How long is the marking operation for each subject?

• When will I be required to mark?

• Are there any special ICT requirements?

• I’ve been offered the role of ‘reserve marker’.

What does this mean?

• I have a daughter, son, other relative and/or friend completing Year 12 this year. Do I need to declare this?

• Who will mark external assessment for Senior External Examination (SEE) and Alternative Sequence (AS) syllabuses?

• I have a friend who is a retired teacher, academic, teacher from another jurisdiction, or registered teacher currently working in another profession. Can they apply?

• What if I need to cease my appointment prior to or during the marking operation?

• More information

When do applications close?

In 2020, applications for external assessment markers will remain open until October. However, the QCAA will begin processing applications and making first round offers in Term 2. Therefore, you should submit your application as soon as possible.

When will offers be made?

The QCAA will begin processing applications and making first round offers in Term 2. Where the required number of markers are not appointed for a subject in round one, the QCAA will continue to process applications and the QCAA will make second round offers in Term 3. Lead marker appointments will be made during second round offers. Where the required number of marker and lead marker roles are filled for a subject, suitable applicants will be appointed to reserve marker roles.

I have submitted my application. What happens now?

If your application meets the mandatory eligibility requirements, you will be allocated to a subject pool. The eligibility requirements are outlined in the QCAA assessor (external assessment marking) position description, which can be accessed on the Assessor Jobs home page in the QCAA Portal and the QCAA assessors (external assessment marking) page on the QCAA website.

When allocating applicants to a subject pool, the QCAA considers the needs of subject marker pools and applicants’ subject preferences. For each subject pool, the QCAA reviews and

QCAA assessors (external assessment marking)

Frequently asked questions — practising Queensland teachers

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QCAA assessors (external assessment marking)

Frequently asked questions — practising Queensland teachers Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority May 2020 Page 2 of 4

shortlists applications for marker and lead marker roles based on the information provided in your application.

If you are shortlisted and offered a role, your principal will receive an email notification to approve your offer in Assessor Jobs. They will need to confirm your availability, skills and experience to perform the role to a high level, and your release for any training and/or other events (e.g. script selection as a lead marker) scheduled during your normal school working hours. If your principal approves your appointment, you will receive an offer of appointment via email notification. You can accept or decline this offer in Assessor Jobs.

All applicants should seek their principal’s support in advance. You must tick a box that acknowledges you have sought your principal’s support before you submit your application in Assessor Jobs.

The first round of offers will be made in Term 2, 2020.

For more information on offer rounds, please refer to FAQs ‘When do applications close?’ and

‘When will offers be made?’.

What do I need to do to be considered for a lead marker role?

If you wish to be considered for a lead marker role, please ensure you tick the box indicating this when you apply in Assessor Jobs. You should also ensure your application provides details of relevant leadership roles you have undertaken in your school, for the QCAA and/or in other jurisdictions. If necessary, where dropdown options and pre-populated fields do not capture your experience, there is an opportunity to provide a brief statement in free text.

Lead marker appointments will be made in Term 3, 2020.

A description of the role and commitments of lead markers is provided in the QCAA assessor (external assessment marking) position description, which can be accessed via the Assessor Jobs home page in the QCAA Portal and on the QCAA assessors (external assessment marking) page on the QCAA website.

What happens if my principal does not approve my appointment?

If your principal does not approve your appointment, your application will be processed as unsuccessful. You may reapply in Assessor Jobs but should ensure your principal will support your application before reapplying.

For more information on principal authorisation, please refer to FAQ ‘I have submitted my application. What happens now?’.

How much will I be paid for marking?

As for other QCAA assessor roles, schools will receive TRS for events (e.g. training) that markers and lead markers undertake during their normal school working day.

When events occur on a weekend or a day that is not your normal school working day, you will be paid an hourly rate. For marking that occurs on a weekend, a day that is not your normal school working day, or outside of school working hours, you will be paid the piece-rate for that subject.

More information about remuneration, including rates of pay and TRS, is detailed in the QCAA assessor (external assessment marking) position description, which can be accessed via the Assessor Jobs home page in the QCAA Portal and on the QCAA assessors (external assessment marking) page on the QCAA website.

When is external assessment marker training held?

Subject-specific marker training will be held after external assessment is completed for each subject and script selection has taken place. See the 2020 external assessment timetable on the

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QCAA website to find out when external assessment is scheduled for each subject. The final dates for marking, including training details, will be made available to appointees by the end of Term 3.

What does training involve?

All training is compulsory and will be subject-specific. It will focus on the marking process, the online marking platform and how to use the external assessment marking guide. Markers will have the opportunity to practise marking and receive feedback and assistance. Lead markers also receive role-specific training.

How long is the marking operation for each subject?

The marking operation for each subject is determined by the 2020 external assessment timetable, the number of student responses and the estimated time it will take to mark a student response.

After students have completed the external assessment for a subject, lead markers complete up to two days of script selection — identifying scripts for marker training and calibration during the marking operation. Then markers complete up to two days of training before the marking operation for that subject commences.

The marking operation for a subject continues until all marking is completed or until the last scheduled day of the marking operation for that subject, whichever comes first.

The QCAA will provide successfully appointed markers with the final dates for the marking operation by the end of Term 3.

When will I be required to mark?

At-home marking will require markers to be contactable by phone or online in the marking platform from 4 pm to 9 pm. For weekends, markers will nominate their availability on Saturdays or Sundays closer to the time of the marking operation. Markers may choose to mark additional hours to those they have nominated.

Are there any special ICT requirements?

All applicants must meet the QCAA’s minimum ICT requirements on their home computers or laptops.

Minimum requirements

Platform PC Mac

Processor Intel Core i3, i5 or i7

RAM 4GB minimum

Operating system Windows 7 and above OS 10.6 and above Screen resolution • 1024 x 768 pixels or higher

• Screen size — monitor: 17 inches

• Screen size — laptop: 15 inches Internet browsers • Internet Explorer — version 11

• Mozilla Firefox — version 41

• Google Chrome — version 45

• Safari — version 9

• Mozilla Firefox — version 41

• Google Chrome — version 45 Broadband

connection ADSL 2/NBN

I’ve been offered the role of ‘reserve marker’. What does this mean?

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Where the required number of marker and lead marker roles are filled for a subject, suitable applicants will be appointed as reserve markers. The QCAA will call on reserve markers to be trained and fill marker vacancies that open closer to or during the marking operation. Reserve markers often participate in making operations.

I have a daughter, son, other relative and/or friend completing Year 12 this year. Do I need to declare this?

Yes. If you are a successful applicant, you will need to complete a declaration of relationships form when you receive an offer of appointment This form will be provided with your offer in Assessor Jobs.

Applicants are not appointed until they complete this form and it is processed by the QCAA.

You will not be precluded from being appointed as a marker if you have a relationship to declare.

It simply allows the QCAA to manage the marking operation to ensure you do not mark these scripts.

Who will mark external assessment for Senior External Examination (SEE) and Alternative Sequence (AS) syllabuses?

With the exception of the Indonesian SEE, Korean SEE and Vietnamese SEE, which do not have a parent syllabus in the new QCE system, all other SEE and AS syllabuses will draw on the marker pool for the parent syllabus (e.g. a selection of Biology markers will also be trained and used to mark the Biology AS external assessment).

I have a friend who is a retired teacher, academic, teacher from another jurisdiction, or registered teacher currently working in another profession. Can they apply?

Yes. From May, the QCAA will call for expressions of interest (EOIs) from those not currently teaching (e.g. retired teachers, academics) and those teaching in other jurisdictions who have sufficient relevant experience to apply to be an external assessment marker.

Suitable EOIs will be provided access to the orientation course and recruitment assessment (demonstrating their capacity to mark). Data from this assessment will inform the selection process and will align with relevant content, requisite skill and knowledge from Accreditation courses 1, 3 and 7. Teachers from other jurisdictions will also require principal approval for events (e.g. training) required during normal school working hours.

What if I need to cease my appointment prior to or during the marking operation?

If you have been appointed to an external assessment marker role, but unforeseen circumstances prevent you from participating in the marking operation:

• before the marking operation commences — please contact the QCAA at [email protected]

• during the marking operation — information and contact details will be provided closer to the marking operation, including who to contact when reporting unexpected absence for a day or days.

More information

If you would like more information, please:

• view the QCAA assessor (external assessment marking) position description, which can be accessed on the Assessor Jobs home page in the QCAA Portal and on the QCAA assessors (external assessment marking) page on the QCAA website.

• contact the QCAA at [email protected].