Technical Committee on Scaling
Report on the scaling of the 1993 New South Waies
Higher School Certificate
'I
This report has been prepared for the guidance of teachers, parents, senior secondary school students and other Higher School Certificate candidates.
The calculation of the tertiary entrance rank, which is based on an aggregate of scaled HSC marks, is carried out using a scaling procedure developed by the University of Sydney for purposes of tertiary selection. The scaling procedure may be regarded as a continuation of the scaled aggregate previously calculated by the Board of Studies (hereafter referred to as the Board). The Board makes available its standardised examination marks and moderated school assessments.
Application of the scaling procedure is controlled by a Technical Committee established under the auspices of the NSW Vice-Chancellors' Conference.
The report on the 1993 Higher School Certificate contains, in addition to scaled means and standard deviations, some information on the distribution of scaled marks in each subject.
The report should be read in conjunction with the 1993 Higher School Certificate Examination Statistics report produced by the Board.
Professor G Cooney Chairperson
Technical Committee on Scaling March 1994
Additional copies of this report may be obtained from the Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT) at a cost of $10 each.
Write to UAC at: OR Visit UAC at:
UAC
Locked Bag 500
LIDCOMBE NSW 2141
3-5 Rawson St (Cnr Percy St) AUBURN NSW
Technical Committee on Scaling The NSW Higher School Certificate
Since the 1989 HSC examination, the Board has provided each candidate with two results for each course.
a standardised examination mark (standardised for each 2-unit course to a mean of 60 and standard deviation of 12.5). Results in related 3- and 4-unit courses are not standardised but determined in relation to performance in common papers.
• a moderated school assessment.
From the 1990 HSC candidates have also received a Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) on a separate advice slip but in the same envelope as their HSC results.
HSC/TER and Tertiary Selection
The TER is calculated using a scaling procedure developed by the University of Sydney on the basis of the best 10 units of courses that are accepted for undergraduate admission. Students who do not present at least 10 units are not eligible for a TER. All candidates who present at least 10 units of approved courses (including the required 2 units of English) receive a TER, awarded on the basis of their 'best 10' scaled units, provided at most two of these units come from 'Category B' courses (see final note at the end of this report). Candidates with fewer than 8 units of'Category A' courses receive a TER calculated on the basis of their eligible units - necessarily less than 10 in such cases. The TER is calculated using the average of the standardised examination mark and the moderated school assessment as the raw score for each course.
The TER uses a scale of 1 to 100 with intervals of 0.05.
SCALING OF MARKS - AN OVERVIEW
1. What is Scaling?
Scaling determines the standard of performance of a course candidature and establishes an order of merit of course candidatures. For the candidature of each examination paper the scores obtained in all courses attempted by that group of candidates are used to produce an average unit score. The relative merit of each candidature (measured by its performance in all courses attempted) is thus established, leading to the determination of weightings for each paper. Candidates' scores are then adjusted in line with these weightings without the order of merit within any course being changed. The maximum scaled score obtainable is 50 out of 50 for each unit.
2. The scaling method - in brief
For each candidate, the Board's standardised examination mark and the moderated school assessment for each course completed are averaged to produce a course score.
The scores on each 2-unit paper are then standardised using a mean of 50. Where no school assessment is required the examination mark only is used.
6/5/94 Report on the Scaling ot the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 1
The scaling process determines weightings for courses according to the quality of their candidatures, and the scores for each course are adjusted accordingly. The quality of a candidature is defined as the average academic performance of the candidature.
where the academic performance of a candidate is the average performance in all courses attempted. Thus while the order of merit within each course is not affected by the scaling process the actual scores will in most cases be different from the original scores.
With some exceptions, for languages other than French and German the final adjusted scores are produced by allocating to them a mean which is equal to the average of the means of the scaled French and German scores in the corresponding paper. The exceptions are those languages whose scaled means exceed the average of the French and German means. For modern languages and other courses with few candidates, marks awarded by the Board are used rather than scaled scores.
The best ten scaled unit scores are then selected and added together to produce a scaled aggregate (out of 500) which is then used to calculate the TER. Because scaled scores differ from unsealed scores the order of merit by the scaled aggregate will in most cases differ from that obtained by adding the Board's marks for the best ten units.
The procedure for producing, from the Board reported examination mark and moderated school assessment per unit, a final adjusted mark per unit, is intended to continue the spirit and technical essence of the HSC "iterative scaling" procedure used by the Board in years prior to 1986. It thus aims in particular to give, overall, best-10 unit aggregates comparable to those of previous years. Inherent in the decision to continue such a system was the fact that when unit marks are to be aggregated over various subjects, it is insufficient for the same standardisation (say mean 60, standard deviation 12 for students taking only a 2-unit course in a particular subject) to apply for all. To produce the TER students are ranked on the basis of the aggregate and grouped according to the percentiles of the distribution. A student with a TER of 80.00 would be in the top 20% of the HSC candidature. Percentiles are calculated at intervals of 0.05 to provide the discrimination required by tertiary institutions. In the
1993 examination the total candidature was approximately 60 000 so that, on average, there are about 30 students on each TER.
Different courses have different quality candidatures with some courses being attempted by students of higher than average ability. When the marks in all subjects are standardised to the same mean, students taking subjects with high quality
candidatures are disadvantaged in the calculation of their selection aggregates. Scaling attempts to remove this disadvantage by having the average per-unit mark for a course reflecting the quality of the course candidature.
The scaled aggregates used from 1976 are regarded by all Universities as valid and reliable for selection purposes. A further advantage of their use for selection is that they offer senior school students some freedom of choice in HSC subjects, which is enhanced when universities specify assumed knowledge rather than prerequisites for entry to degree programs.
2 Report on the Scaling ofthe 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 6/5/94
Technical Committee on Scaling The procedure differs from the earlier Board procedure in some respects. First, the Board "iterative scaling" procedure operated on examination marks only; moderated school estimates were taken into account later. The new system operates on the average of the Board-reported examination marks and the moderated school
assessments. Secondly after "iterative scaling" of examination marks, the Board used Examination Committees to compensate for phenomena such as "overflow" at the top end beyond the maximum of 50 marks per unit. The current system uses an automatic adjustment procedure to produce the final adjusted marks to achieve similar aims.
Finally, the former Board "iterative scaling" technology itself has been modified to take into account several minor improvements in principle, arising out of criticisms of the system hitherto used by the Board. Additionally it has been recognized that the
"iterative" nature of the former procedure was a methodological device dictated by circumstances, which could be (and has been) replaced by a more convenient one-step solution procedure of a corresponding large linear equation system. Theoretical
comparisons of the two systems in respect of the points made in this paragraph are available from the Registrar, University of Sydney, as the paper:
E. Seneta (1984) "A Technical Note on the Proposed University of Sydney Scaling System."
Practical comparisons on actual data showed very comparable final results between the two systems.
NOTES ON THE SCALING PROCESS
1. All HSC candidates in the State presenting for at least 10 Board units are used to determine the scaling parameters.
2. All candidates who present at least 10 units of approved courses (including the required 2 units of English) receive a TER, awarded on the basis of their 'best 10' scaled units,
provided at most two of these units come from 'Category B' courses (see final note at the end of this report). Candidates with fewer than 8 units of'Category A* courses receive a TER calculated on the basis of their eligible units - necessarily less than 10 in such cases.
3. There are no predetermined "hard" or "soft" options among courses; the "weighting" for any course is calculated annually from a consideration of the quality of its candidature.
Quality and hence the weightings can, and do, change from year to year, and certainly over longer periods.
4. All candidates (whether 2 unit or 3 unit) doing a given paper are taken together (as hitherto, but not currently, by the Board): the scaling is not carried out using just the 2U candidates on 2U/3U common papers.
5 The scaling process does not alter the order of merit in any given course.
6. As a result of the scaling process, a per unit mark of 50 given by the Board remains 50; a mark close to 50 remains close to 50; a low mark (less that 10) stays low.
7. The average of the examination mark and the school assessment (where available) is used as the raw data in the scaling process.
8. TER's for entry to degree programs are not predetermined. The cut-offs are the end product of a supply and demand dynamic.
6/5/94 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 3
Figure 1
Processing of the 1991 Higher School Certificate Results by The University of Sydney Scaling System
Examination Mark Moderated School Assessment
Intersubject Scaling
3 Unit Mapping
Automatic End Adjustments (Each Paper)
Best 10 Aggregate Each Student
Calculation of the Tertiary Entrance Rank
4 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 6/5/94
V Technical Committee on Scaling Distribution of Scaled Marks
Table 1 contains a summary of the distributions of scaled marks in each paper: providing information on the size of the candidature (N); the mean, standard deviation and the 99th- 90th, 75th, 50th and 25th percentiles (P99. P75. PJO. P25 respectively) of both the Board's marks (AWM) and scaled marks (SM). The percentiles are not included for papers with a candidature less than 100.
The Board's mark (AWM) is the average of the examination mark and the moderated school assessment.
When comparing the Board's mark and the corresponding scaled mark it must be remembered that the Board's marks are standardised so that the mean of the 2U candidature in a subject is 30 (on a per-unit basis) whereas the scaled marks are initially scaled to a mean of 25 (on a per unit basis)for the total candidature of each paper.
It would therefore be expected that the scaled marks would be lower, except near the top, than the average of the Board's marks. For papers with "average" candidatures, the difference at the middle of the distribution (near the mean) would be about 5 per unit.
In the case of Biology the total candidature was 18 258. The mean of the board's marks was 30.2 and the mean of the scaled marks 24.5. (The mean of the Board's marks was close to 30 as there was no 3U course.) The 90th percentile for the Board's marks was 39.0 ad for the scaled marks 36.1. The mean scaled mark was 24.5, showing that Biology can be regarded as
"average" candidature.
In the case of English 2U/3U Common the total candidature was 11 924 (including both 2U and 3U students). The mean of the Board's marks was 31.2 and the scaled mean 31.6. (The Board's mean exceeded 30 because of the inclusion of 3U students). The 90th percentile for the Board's marks was 39.0 and for the scaled marks, 41.5. The 50th percentiles were 31.3 and 32.4 respectively.
In the case of Physics 2U the total candidature was 10 1994. The mean of the Board's marks was 29.5 and the mean of the scaled marks was 30.1. (The mean of the Board's marks was close to 30 as Physics has no 3U candidates.) The 90ih percentile for the Board's marks was 39.8 and for the scaled marks 41.7. The 50th percentiles were 21.9 and 29.7 respectively.
These parameters indicate that the candidature of Physics is better than average as regards academic achievement.
6/5/94 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 5
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P99 P90 P7S Pso P25
Contemporary 12326 AWM 30.6 6.1 44.2 38.2 34.5 30.9 26.6
English 2U SM 17.7 9.2 42.6 30.4 23.2 16.8 10.7
English General 31026 AWM 30.3 6.0 44.3 37.9 34.2 30.5 26.3
2U SM 24.9 8.4 444 35 9 30.5 25.! I A t ft > . A
English 2U/3U 11924 AWM 31.2. 6.2 45.3 39.0 35.3 31.3 27.1
Common SM 31.6 8.1 47.2 41.5 37.5 32.4 26.5
English 3U 3236 AWM 33.6 5.9 46 1 41.5 37.5 33.7 29.9
Additional SM 34.8 7.7 48.1 44.5 40.4 35.6 30.2
Mathematics in 2065 AWM 30.5 6.3 44.5 38.5 34.7 30.6 26.5
Practice SM 12.4 8.9 40.6 24.9 16.7 10.3 6.0
Mathematics in 18372 AWM 30.3 6.5 44.8 38.8 34.7 30.5 26.1
Society SM 19.8 8.5 41.4 31.5 25.1 19.1 13.8
Mathematics 30065 AWM 33.3 8.0 47.3 44.2 39.7 33.5 27.7
2U/3U Common SM 27.4 8.7 44.2 39.5 33.9 27.2 21.2
Mathematics 3U 9093 AWM 40.3 5.5 48.1 46.2 44.5 41.3 37.2
Additional SM 34.9 5.9 45.0 41.9 39.5 35.5 31.2
Mathematics 4U 4014 AWM 45.8 3.0 49.7 48.7 47.8 46.5 44.8
Common SM 41.7 4.1 48.7 46.2 44.4 42.3 39.8
Mathematics 4U 4014 AWM 43.8 4.5 49.6 48.2 46.9 45.0 42.0
Additional SM 36.6 6.8 48.4 44.3 41.5 37.9 32.7
Science 3U 307 AWM 30.1 6.5 43.1 38.7 34.1 30.5 25.5
SM 30.2 9.2 45.7 41.6 36.4 31.7 24.2
Science 4U 753 AWM 36.2 7.2 47.8 44.8 42.0 36.9 31.5
SM 33.5 9.5 47.9 44.6 41.2 34.6 27.3
Biology 2U 18258 AWM 30.2 6.8 45.5 39.0 34.6 30.1 25.7
Biology 2U
SM 24.5 8.7 44.6 36.1 30.2 24.3 18.5
Chemistry 2U 12758 AWM 30.1 7.0 45.8 39.7 34.5 29.9 25.5
Chemistry 2U
SM 29.8 9.1 47.3 41.7 36.0 30.1 23.9
Geology 2U 494 AWM 30.1 7.0 46.9 39.7 34.2 30.1 25.4
SM 25.0 10.1 47.7 39.2 31.2 25.1 17.8
Physics 2U 10994 AWM 30.1 7.0 46.0 39.8 34.7 29.9 25.5
Physics 2U
SM 29.5 9.2 47.3 41.7 36.0 29.7 23.5
6 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 6/5/94
Technical Committee on Scaling
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P» P90 P75 Pso P25
General Science 2951 AWM 30.4 6.3 45.0 38.7 34.3 30.2 26.5
2U SM 19.0 8.4 42.0 30.7 23.7 17.8 13.1
Science for Life 2U 3304 AWM 30.6 6.3 44.6 38.5 34.7 30.8 26.9
SM 15.4 8.9 41.5 27.8 20.2 13.9 9.0
Aboriginal Studies 299 AWM 31.1 6.8 49.5 41.0 35.9 30.7 26.8
2U SM 17.8 9.3 49.4 32.7 23.4 15.7 11.0
Ancient History 1871 AWM 30.3 6.6 45.0 39.0 34.3 30.5 26.1
General 2U - SM 18.1 9.0 42.2 30.8 22.9 17.2 11.6
Ancient History 4701 AWM 32.1 6.8 46.5 41.0 36.7 32.2 27.9
2U/3U Common SM 26.7 9.1 46.2 38.9 32.9 26.7 20.7
Ancient History 3 1728 AWM 34.9 5.8 47.4 42.9 38.8 34.6 31.2
Additional SM 30.5 7.8 47.1 41.4 35.9 30.0 25.4
Business Studies 7312 AWM 31.7 6.4 45.8 39.8 36.0 31.9 27.6
2U/3U Common SM 22.5 8.8 44.1 34.3 28.2 22.1 16.3
Business Studies 1857 AWM 35.3 5.3 47.1 42.3 38.9 35.2 31.8
3U Additional SM 27.5 7.4 45.2 37.4 32.2 26.9 22.4
Economics 2U/3U 13570 AWM 32.0 6.6 45.8 40.5 36.5 32.2 27.7
Common SM 27.8 9.3 46.3 39.9 34.4 28.2 21.6
Economics 31) 4575 AWM 35.1 5.4 46.4 41.8 38.8 35.2 31.9
Additional SM 32.3 7.5 47.0 41.6 37.6 32.6 27.7
General Studies 18054 AWM 30.4 6.2 44.7 38.0 34.5 31.0 26.2
1U SM 24.4 9.0 45.0 35.8 30.4 25.0 17.9
Geography 2U/3U 12269 AWM 32.3 6.5 46.2 40.7 36.7 32.5 28.2
Common SM 23.8 9.3 45.2 36.5 29.9 23.5 17.3
Geography 3U 4563 AWM 35.5 5.3 46.7 42.3 39.3 35.3 32.2
Additional SM 28.3 7.6 45.4 38.6 33.8 27.8 23.1
Legal Studies 2U 8897 AWM 30.3 6.6 45.7 39.1 34.6 30.1 26.0
SM 23.0 8.9 44.8 35.4 28.8 22.5 16.8
Modern History 3276 AWM 30.3 6.2 44.5 37.9 34.4 30.9 26.2
(People & Events) SM 18.8 8.7 42.1 30.1 24.0 18.5 12.3
Modem History 8781 AWM 31.7 6.4 45.7 39.8 36.1 32.0 27.7
2U/3U Common SM 27.7 9.2 46.4 39.3 34.2 28.2 21.7
6/5/94 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 7
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P» P90 P75 P50 P25
Modern History 3U Additional
2868 AWM
SM
34.1 31.0
5.3 7.6
45.4 46.1
40.8 40.6
37.5 36.2
34.2 31.4
30.7 26.2 Studies of Religion
2U
49 32.4
27.1
9.1 9.1 Studies of Religion
1U
2588 AWM
SM
30.2 25.9
6.4 7.9
440 42.9
38.5 36.3
34.5 31.4
30.2 25.9
26.1 20.8 Society & Culture
2U/3U Common
2930 AWM
SM
31.9 23.1
6.4 86
46.6 45.0
40.3 34.9
35.9 28.3
31.9 22.6
27.6 17.1 Society & Culture
3U Additional
898 AWM
SM
34.4 26.5
5.8 7.9
47.7 46.1
42.6 37.9
38.0 31.2
34.0 25.6
30.8 21.5
Arabic Z 2U 37 AWM
SM
31.3 23.4
8.5 8.7 Arabic General 2U 92 AWM
SM
30.7 26.8
8.3 8.6 Arabic 2U/3U
Common
235 AWM
SM
32.5 33.0
7.6 8.4
47.5 47.7
42.7 43.5
38.6 39.7
32.8 33.9
26.9 27.4 Arabic 3U
Additional
180 AWM
SM
34.6 38.3
6.9 7.3
47.5 48.9
42.8 46.2
40.2 44.3
34.3 39.1
29.2 33.4 Bahasa Indonesian
Malasia 2U/3U
75 AWM
SM
30.5 33.0
7.6 8.4 Bahasa Indonesian
Malasia 3U
40 AWM
SM
31.4 38.3
7.8 7.3 Chinese native
speakers 2U/3U
494 AWM
SM
32.4 33.0
6.4 8.4
45.2 47.2
40.5 43.2
36.7 39.2
32.2 33.6
28.6 28.6 Chinese native
speakers 3U
256 AWM
SM
33.8 38.3
5.7 7.3
46.0 49.1
41.5 46.8
37.3 43.5
33.2 38.9
30.2 34.7 Chinese 2U/3U
Common
8 AWM
SM
36.2 34.6
4.6 6.7 Chinese 3U
Additional
6 AWM
SM
42.2 43.3
5.7 8.2 Classical Greek
2U/3U Common
12 AWM
SM
41.3 40.7
6.7 6.5
8 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 6/5/94
Technical Committee on Scaling
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P99 P90 P75 Pso P25
Classical Greek 3U Additional
10 AWM
SM
42.4 41.7
5.7 5.5
Croatian 2U 39 AWM
SM
32.9 33.0
7.9 8.4
Czech 2U 7 AWM
SM
42.2 42.2
2.8 2.8
French Z 2U 542 AWM
SM
30.3 22.2
6.6 8.7
46.3 45.0
38.8 33.9
34.5 27.5
30.3 21.8
26.1 16.3 French General 2U 253 AWM
SM
30.2 27.1
7.0 9.0
47.6 47.9
39.5 39.1
34.3 32.7
31.0 28.5
25.9 21.5 French 2U/3U
Common
796 AWM
SM
32.7 33.2
7.3 8.5
48.3 48.8
42.3 43.9
37.7 39.4
32.5 33.6
28.0 28.0 French 3U
Additional
291 AWM
SM
37.5 38.8
6.4 7.5
48.3 49.1
45.6 47.3
42.2 44.5
37.7 39.8
33.3 34.6
German Z 2U 155 AWM
SM
29.5 24.6
9.4 8.6
49.1 46.0
42.4 35.7
35.5 29.2
29.9 24.4
22.2 17.9 German General
2U
106 AWM
SM
29.8 26.5
9.2 8.3
47.5 43.4
43.0 37.7
35.7 31.1
29.6 26.1
23.3 20.7 German 2U/3U
Common
550 AWM
SM
32.8 32.8
7.3 8.3
48.0 48.1
42.5 43.1
38.0 38.8
32.8 33.4
27.7 27.6 German 3U
Additional
201 AWM
SM
37.2 37.9
6.3 7.1
47.9 48.4
44.5 45.5
41.8 42.9
38.3 39.5
33.2 33.9 Hebrew General
2U
41 AWM
SM
30.5 33.2
9.2 9.1 Hebrew 2U/3U
Common
9 AWM
SM
41.4 34.7
6.9 8.4 Hebrew 3U
Additional
9 AWM
SM
44.3 38.1
6.0 7.1
Hungarian 2U 16 AWM
SM
42.2 33.0
5.0 8.4
Indonesian Z 2U 50 AWM
SM
29.9 23.4
9.5 8.7
6/5/94 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 9
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P99 P90 P75 Pso P25
Indonesian 2U/3U 147 AWM 33.6 9.4 47.4 45.0 41.2 35.0 28.0
Common SM 33.0 8.4 45.6 42.9 39.4 34.0 28.0
Indonesian 3U 69 AWM 39.4 5.4
Additional SM 38.3 7.3
Italian Z 2U 230 AWM 30.3 7.5 49.0 39.3 34.7 30.3 26.1
SM 23.4 8.7 48.2 34.1 28.2 22.9 18.0
Italian 2U/3U 415 AWM 32.5 7.3 47.1 42.3 37.5 33.1 27.5
Common SM 33.0 8.4 47.6 43.5 38.9 34.3 27.7
Italian 3U 122 AWM 37.9 5.7 48.5 44.8 42.0 38.1 34.0
Additional SM 38.3 7.3 49.3 46.5 43.8 39.3 33.8
Japanese Z 2U 662 AWM 30.3 7.4 47.7 40.3 34.5 30.2 25.9
SM 23.4 8.7 46.0 35.5 28.1 22.9 17.9
Japanese 2U/3U 784 AWM 33.2 7.9 48.3 44.0 38.9 33.2 28.0
Common SM 33.0 8.4 48.2 44.0 39.2 33.5 27.8
Japanese 3U 260 AWM 39.0 6.7 49.5 46.9 43.8 39.7 34.8
Additional SM 38.3 7.3 49.4 46.5 43.3 39.2 34.1
Japanese native 59 AWM 31.3 7.8
speakers 2U SM 33.0 8.4
Latin 2U/3U 200 AWM 33.9 7.8 47.3 43.2 39.8 35.2 28.5
Common SM 39.2 7.3 48.7 46.5 44.4 41.2 35.2
Latin 3U 108 AWM 38.1 7.1 50.0 45.9 42.9 40.0 33.5
Additional SM 43.1 6.6 50.0 48.8 47.4 45.7 40.5
Macedonian 2U 89 AWM 33.3 7.1
SM 33.0 8.4
Modern Greek Z 18 AWM 33.1 7.8
2U SM 23.4 8.7
Modem Greek 513 AWM 35.0 7.3 47.7 44.7 40.0 35.5 31.0
2U/3U Common SM 33.0 8.4 47.2 43.9 38.8 33.7 28.7
Modern Greek 3U 323 AWM 37.7 6.2 48.2 45.5 42.2 37.8 34.2
Additional SM 38.3 7.3 48.8 46.7 43.6 39.1 34.9
Polish 2U 32 AWM 34.9 7.1
SM 33.0 8.4
10 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 6/5/94
Technical Committee on Scaling
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P99 P90 P75 Pso P25
Russian Z 2U 18 AWM
SM
43.3 43.3
4.9 4.9 Russian 2U/3U
Common
31 AWM
SM
41.6 33.0
5.2 8.4 Russian 3U
Additional
15 AWM
SM
43.5 38.3
2.8 7.3
Serbian 2U 13 AWM
SM
43.3 33.0
6.9 8.4
Spanish Z 2U 42 AWM
SM
29.8 23.4
9.5 8.7 Spanish 2U/3U
Common
319 AWM
SM
33.4 33.0
6.4 8.4
46.8 47.9
418 43.4
38.0 39.4
33.7 34.0
29.2 27.8 Spanish 3U
Additional
172 AWM
SM
35.8 38.3
6.0 7.3
46.8 48.6
43.0 46.1
40.4 43.8
35.8 39.2
31.9 34.4 Turkish 2U/3U
Common
76 AWM
SM
34.1 33.0
9.2 8.4 Turkish 3U
Additional
38 AWM
SM
36.6 38.3
9.2 7.3
Ukrainian 2U 14 AWM
SM
37.4 33.0
8.5 8.4
Vietnamese 2U 393 AWM
SM
30.3 33.0
6.4 8.4
46.0 48.5
39.0 43.9
34.7 39.6
29.7 33.4
25.6 27.3 Accounts Clerical
2U
341 AWM
SM
30.3 24.6
6.4 8.3
47.5 47.1
39.3 36.5
33.7 29.1
29.6 23.7
25.9 18.8 Agriculture 2U/3U
Common
2050 AWM
SM
31.3 22.7
6.0 9.7
44.4 44.9
38.8 35.9
35.0 28.7
31.7 22.6
28.0 16.2 Agriculture 3U
Additional
519 AWM
SM
33.9 26.8
4.3 6.9
44.2 43.5
40.0 36.9
36.1 30.4
33.5 26.1
31.3 22.5 Computing Studies
2U
10387 AWM
SM
30.3 22.0
6.6 8.8
45.8 44.6
38.8 33.8
34.5 27.4
30.3 21.4
26.0 15.7 Electronics
Technology 2U
110 AWM
SM
30.8 22.9
8.3 7.5
47.9 41.1
42.1 32.4
36.4 27.0
30.0 21.9
25.4 18.4
675/94 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 11
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P99 P90 P75 Pso P2S
Engineering 2997 AWM 31.2 6.7 45.7 40.0 35.6 31.3 26.7
Science 2U/3U SM 26.2 8.8 45.4 38.1 32.2 26.2 19.9
Common
Engineering 628 AWM 34.8 5.9 47.7 42.1 39.2 34.8 31.1
Science 3U Addit. SM 31.0 7.8 47.6 40.7 36.8 31.0 26.0
Home Science 4435 AWM 32.2 6.5 46.5 40.5 36.5 32.5 28.2
2U/3U Common SM 21.8 8.9 44.5 33.9 27.3 21.3 15.6
Home Science 3U 1657 AWM 35.1 5.6 47.2 42.3 39.0 35.0 31.5
Additional SM 25.7 7.6 44.7 36.1 30.7 25.0 20.5
Industrial 5006 AWM 30.6 6.5 46.2 39.2 34.8 30.4 26.2
Technology 2U SM 18.3 8.4 42.9 30.0 23.0 17.1 12.3
Rural Technology 72 AWM 29.1 7.4
2U SM 19.2 8.2
Sheep Husbandry 35 AWM 30.3 7.2
& Wool Techn. SM 23.0 6.6
Applied Studies 519 AWM 31.1 6.1 44.7 38.5 35.2 31.2 27.6
1U SM 22.9 9.4 449 35.1 29.2 22.4 16.6
Textiles & Design 1788 AWM 32.0 6.4 45.8 40.0 36.1 32.4 28.1
2U/3U Common SM 22.2 9.1 44.5 34.6 27.9 22.0 15.8
Textiles & Design 614 AWM 34.8 5.0 46.1 41.0 37.8 34.8 31.8
3U Additional SM 26.2 7.1 43.8 35.4 30.2 25.9 21.6
Travel Agency 343 AWM 30.1 6.5 460 38.3 33.6 28.8 25.5
Practice 2U SM 22.4 7.5 42.2 31.6 26.0 20.7 17.3
Classical Ballet 28 AWM 31.1 10.4
2U/3U Common SM 28.3 8.0
Dance 2U 116 AWM 29.9 7.8 48.5 38.8 34.2 30.0 26.2
SM 22.5 8.6 47.0 32.5 26.6 21.8 17.5
Drama 2U 1447 AWM 30.3 6.6 45.5 39.5 34.3 30.2 26.2
SM 23.0 8.7 44.4 35.7 28.1 22.5 17.1
Music (Board) 2308 AWM 30.4 6.3 45.0 38.3 34.3 30.6 26.1
Course 1 2U SM 21.6 8.9 44.0 33.4 27.1 21.3 15.0
12 Report on the Scaling of the 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 6/5/94
Technical Committee on Scaling
Table 1: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND SELECTED PERCENTILES FOR INDIVIDUAL PAPERS IN THE 1993 HSC EXAMINATION
Percentiles
Paper N Mark Mean SD P99 P90 P75 Pso Pis
Music (Board) 836 AWM 32.2 6.7 47.5 40.6 36.5 32.3 28.0
2U73U Common SM 29.6 8.2 47.5 39.8 35.0 30.0 24.6
Music (Board) 379 AWM 34.3 6.5 47.5 42.8 38.9 34.2 30.0
Course 3U SM 32.3 8.0 47.7 42.7 38.1 32.3 26.9
Music AMEB 2U 74 AWM 30.7 7.7
SM 29.9 9.0
Music AMEB 3U 53 AWM 37.7 6.8
SM 31.4 9.6
Visual Arts 2U/3U 8946 AWM 32.1 6.2 46.0 40.2 36.2 32.2 28.0
Common SM 22.6 9.4 45.2 35.6 28.6 22.0 15.7
Visual Arts 3U 4317 AWM 34.0 6.1 48.9 42.0 37.9 33.8 30.1
Additional SM 25.4 9.1 48.9 38.1 31.2 24.6 19.0
Personal Develop.. 6322 AWM 30.4 6.6 45.6 39.0 34.6 30.4 26.0
Health & PE SM 20.9 8.5 43.1 32.6 26.0 20.3 14.9
Notes: 1. AWM = Average Weighted Mark
= Average of moderated school assessment and examination mark provided by Board of Studies.
SM = Scaled Mark.
2. Courses not included in the scaling process because of too few candidates are.
21220 Chinese Z2U
21262 Dutch 2U/3U Common 21270 Estonian 2 U
21360 Latin Z2U 21370 Latvian 2U 21440 Slovenian 2U
22201 Classical Ballet 3U Additional
A total of 55 276 candidates received a TER.
6/5/94 Report on the Scaling ofthe 1993 NSW Higher School Certificate 13
Author/s:
Technical Committee on Scaling Title:
Report on the Scaling of the 1993 New South Wales Higher School Certificate Date:
1994
Persistent Link:
http://hdl.handle.net/11343/115716