Why do internal ranks matter so much? (2 Viewers)

[sarkar_as]

In regards to bands in your final hsc exam, are they calculated solely through your performance in that test or in another way?

Because one of my friends told me that your bands are calculated through an average of both your performance in the hsc exam and your exam mark based on your internal rank.

For example, you may get a raw score of 94 in your actual exam. But since your ranked 20th you get the average of your own mark plus your mark from the person who got your rank in the exam. For example, the person who came 20th in your school in the exam might have gotten 74.

Does this mean your raw mark for the final hsc exam is 84? Or am I missing something?

Sorry if my explanation isn't clear.

 

[jazz519]

It's not as simple as what you are saying. Also a raw mark is not what you get given. You are given an examination mark which is an aligned version of your raw mark for example 80% raw mark in an exam in a particular subject may be deemed as being a band 6 mark, thus this is aligned to a 90 examination mark. This is what you will see on your results, rather than a raw mark. The thing your friend said about marks and ranks exactly being given like that is not true. Moderation occurs which is sort of close to that mark your friend said, but don't worry about understanding this process in depth. But in terms of the overall HSC mark being an addition of your moderated internal mark and examination mark which is then divided by 2 is true. Although you are sort of implying if you got a 94 in the HSC exam you are being screwed over by internal marks, this has to happen because then there would be no point of even doing assesments in school because this system rewards those people that performed consistently throughout the year and may have had an off day in the HSC, while also providing an opportunity for those who underperformed in school assesments to some what save their HSC, because it wouldn't be fair if someone placed top 5 all year in school assesments and their atar is completely destroyed by having a bad day in the HSC exam.

 

[jazz519]

You can read more about this topic on the bostes website: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc-results/understanding.html

 

[A1P]

For example, you may get a raw score of 94 in your actual exam. But since your ranked 20th you get the average of your own mark plus your mark from the person who got your rank in the exam.

Your HSC score is defined as half exam half schoolwork. If you ranked 20th and get 94 exam it logically means the other 19 students should get better than 94, thus your exam mark is 20th and you get (94 + 94) / 2 = 94. All fair

Otoh if your 94 exam is much higher than 20th, it's payback time for your lazing through the year ranking 20th.

But since your ranked 20th you get the average of your own mark plus your mark from the person who got your rank in the exam. For example, the person who came 20th in your school in the exam might have gotten 74.

Ranked 20th get the 20th person's exam mark is only a FIGURATIVE way to describe it. Essentially you get

Your school mark x [Cohort's average exam mark / Cohort's average internal mark] (plus/minus 1-2 marks due to Quadratic interpolation)

This same formula written in a different way
[Your school mark / Cohort's average internal mark] x Cohort's average exam mark

shows how your school mark being 20th would transform to approximately the 20th exam mark.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Internal ranks matter so much because a) if you bomb out on the HSC external, your internal rank will carry you and b)you won't get affected by moderation

 

[Green Yoda]

Internal ranks matter so much because a) if you bomb out on the HSC external, your internal rank will carry you and b)you won't get affected by moderation

Everyone gets moderated unless you are an outlier.

 

[D94]

Internal ranks matter so much because a) if you bomb out on the HSC external, your internal rank will carry you and b)you won't get affected by moderation

If you bomb out, you contribute a lesser amount to the cohort's average, meaning you do worse for you and your cohort. Your "rank" doesn't carry you at all - only your exam mark can carry you.

Everyone is moderated. Moderation is the tool used to adjust your school marks into assessment marks. The purpose is to ensure your final assessment marks reflect your performance had you sat the exact same school assessments as everyone in the state. If your school mark relative to everyone is bad (even if you're highly ranked), then your assessment mark will reflect that as well.

Internal ranks are not that important. The 100th ranked student at very high performing schools can get marks better than 95% of the state. The system is far more complex than just ranks and exam marks.