Assessment and reporting in English Extension Stage 6

Schools are required to develop an assessment program for each Year 11 and Year 12 course. NESA provides information about the responsibilities of schools in developing assessment programs in course-specific assessment and reporting requirements and in Assessment Certification Examination (ACE).

English Extension 1

Effective from: 2018 Year 11 and Term 4, 2018 Year 12
Last updated: December 2023

School-based assessment requirements

Year 11

Schools are required to submit to NESA a grade for each student based on their achievement at the end of the course.

Teachers use professional, on-balance judgement to allocate grades based on the Common Grade Scale for Preliminary courses.

Teachers consider all available assessment information, including formal and informal assessment, to determine the grade that best matches each student’s achievement at the end of the course.

The Year 11 formal school-based assessment program is to reflect the following components, weightings, and requirements.

Requirements:

• 3 assessment tasks
• only one task may be a formal written examination
• one task must be a multimodal presentation about the Independent Related Project

The recommended weighting for any individual task is 20% to 40%.

Independent related project

The Independent Related Project provides students with the opportunity to develop independent research skills and demonstrate the knowledge, understanding and skills of the module: Texts, Culture and Value in a multimodal presentation.

The multimodal presentation is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills across all of the modes. A multimodal presentation includes at least one mode other than reading and writing such as listening, speaking, viewing and representing.

No specific weightings have been allocated to the modes to allow flexibility in task design and to meet the needs and interests of students in a range of contexts.

Year 12

NESA requires schools to submit a school-based assessment mark for each Year 12 candidate in a course. Formal school-based assessment tasks are based on course requirements and components and weightings that contribute to the determination of the final mark for a course. The mark submitted by the school provides a summation of each student’s achievement measured at several points throughout the course.

The marks submitted for each course group at a school should reflect the rank order of students, and must be on a scale sufficiently wide to reflect adequately the relative differences in student performances. The actual mark should not be revealed to students as it is subject to moderation and may become confusing for students when they receive their results. Students must be informed that they can obtain their Assessment Rank Order Notice from Students Online after the last HSC examination at their centre and within the period of time for appeals.

The school-based assessment marks submitted to NESA for Year 12 must not include measures that address values and attitudes or reflect student conduct. Schools may decide to report on these separately to students and parents/carers.

The collection of information for the Year 12 school-based assessment mark must not begin before the completion of the Year 11 course.

The components and weightings for Year 12 are mandatory.

The Year 12 formal school-based assessment program is to reflect the following requirements:

• three assessment tasks
• the minimum weighting for an individual task is 20%
• the maximum weighting for an individual task is 40%
• only one task may be a formal written examination with a maximum weighting of 30%
• one task must be a creative response with a maximum weighting of 40%
• at least one task must integrate student selected related material.

Formal written examination assess a broad range of course content and outcomes. Schools may choose to replicate the timing and structure of the HSC examination.

Creative response

Assessment in this module provides students with the opportunity to experiment with creative compositions that demonstrate the knowledge, understanding and skills of the course. The creative compositions may be realised in various forms, modes and media.

HSC examination specifications

The examination will consist of a written paper worth 50 marks. 

The time allowed is 2 hours plus 10 minutes reading time. 

The paper will consist of two sections.

Section I – Common Module (25 marks)

There will be one question in response to stimulus and/or unseen material.

The question may require a critical or creative response, or both. It may be a single, sustained response, or it may be in two parts.

Section II – Elective (25 marks)

There will be one question, which may include stimulus.

The question will require a sustained critical response based on the candidate’s prescribed texts and related texts.

English Extension 2

Effective from: Term 4, 2018 Year 12
Last updated: September 2017

School-based assessment requirements

Year 12

NESA requires schools to submit a school-based assessment mark for each Year 12 candidate in a course. Formal school-based assessment tasks are based on course requirements and components and weightings that contribute to the determination of the final mark for a course. The mark submitted by the school provides a summation of each student’s achievement measured at several points throughout the course.

The marks submitted for each course group at a school should reflect the rank order of students, and must be on a scale sufficiently wide to reflect adequately the relative differences in student performances. The actual mark should not be revealed to students as it is subject to moderation and may become confusing for students when they receive their results. Students must be informed that they can obtain their Assessment Rank Order Notice from Students Online after the last HSC examination at their centre and within the period of time for appeals.

The school-based assessment marks submitted to NESA for Year 12 must not include measures that address values and attitudes or reflect student conduct. Schools may decide to report on these separately to students and parents/carers.

The collection of information for the Year 12 school-based assessment mark must not begin before the completion of the Year 11 course.

The components and weightings for Year 12 are mandatory.

The Year 12 formal school-based assessment program is to reflect the following requirements:

• assessment will be based on the process of composing the Major Work
• three assessment tasks:
  • a Viva Voce with a weighting of 30%
  • a Literature Review with a weighting of 40%
  • a Critique of the Creative Process with a weighting of 30%
• the Major Work Journal must be submitted for monitoring with each assessment task.

Viva Voce in English Extension 2

The Viva Voce addresses the written proposal for the Major Work and provides students with the opportunity to present information on the major concept(s), scope, emphases and form of their proposed Major Work. Students also have the opportunity to explain how their proposal is based on the knowledge, understanding and skills of the English Advanced and Extension courses.

Requirements for the Viva Voce:

• students acknowledge and reflect on the sources used to develop their proposal
• the task is conducted and assessed using a panel format
• the process supports the student in clarifying the direction of their work and provides opportunity for meaningful and constructive feedback
• time allocation for the Viva Voce is approximately 15–20 minutes with an additional 15 minutes preparation time with the questions
• the journal is used as part of the presentation.

Elements of the Major Work Journal to be monitored with the Viva Voce include:

• concept mapping for generating ideas
• an original inquiry question and statement of intent
• evidence of investigation of a variety of composers in the chosen form
• an action plan with milestones.

Literature Review in English Extension 2

The Literature Review is a research and reflection task. Students select 2–4 examples of related literature to evaluate and critically examine how their Major Work supports or extends the field of texts in their chosen form. A Literature Review is evaluative and expresses the student’s perspective of the literature in relation to their work.

In total, the Literature Review should not exceed 1200 words.

Elements of the Major Work Journal to be monitored with the Literature Review include:

• annotated extracts from various texts with notes and evaluative reflection
• examples and evaluation of experimentation with style and structure
• summaries and notes about the exploration of the concept
• extracts of the student’s drafts with reasons for changes and critical questions from peers and/or teachers.

Critique of the Creative Process in English Extension 2

The Critique of the Creative Process must evaluate how the revising and editing stages of the composition process have contributed to the student’s development as a composer and the quality of their Major Work. The student considers how their skills and knowledge of their chosen form have evolved and why. They reflect on particular creative features of their work and evaluate the efficacy of the processes of revision and editing that they employed.

This task should not exceed 1000 words.

Elements of the Major Work Journal to be monitored with the Critique include:

• extracts of revisions of the Major Work and the Reflection Statement with reasons for the changes
• examples of the student’s final edits
• reflection on how the editing process has contributed to the quality of the published Major Work
• a reference list to inform the Reflection Statement.

Note: a draft or extract may be print, a recording, a sequence of shots, a scene or a storyboard/diagram as appropriate to the chosen form.

HSC examination specifications

The examination will consist of a Major Work worth 40 marks and a Reflection Statement worth 10 marks.

Major Work parameters

The Major Work is an extended work or a body of work that complies with the prescribed word or time specifications. Students who choose to include visual images (original or non-original) in their Major Work should be aware that if these images do not adhere to the specifications of the chosen medium, then the images will not be assessed as part of the work.

The Major Work can be presented in print, sound or visual media, within the categories described on the following pages. All aspects of the Major Work and Reflection Statement (regardless of media used) that are word-processed must conform to the following presentation requirements:

• A4 paper and 1.5 spacing
• font size 12, Arial or Times New Roman
• each page numbered
• a cover sheet that states the school number, candidate number and the title of the work(s).

NESA does not require the use of any particular system of referencing for bibliographies and footnotes.

Word limits for the Major Work do not include the bibliography, footnotes or appendices. These need to be used judiciously and not as a means of expanding the exploration of the concept central to the work.

The Reflection Statement

The Reflection Statement is composed at the end of the composition process and is a personal, critical reflection on the process involved in completing the Major Work and on the completed product. The Statement will have a maximum limit of 1500 words.

The Reflection Statement:

• summarises the intention of the Major Work and the relationship it has with the extensive independent investigation
• includes an outline of the intended audience for the Major Work and the purpose for which it was composed
• supports the Major Work, explaining the relationships of concept, structure, technical and language features and conventions
• explains the relationship the Major Work has to the English Advanced and Extension coursework – this can include the work undertaken in Year 11
• explains the development of concepts during the process of composition, making clear the links between independent investigation and the development of the finished product
• indicates how the student realised the concepts in the final product
• may be written in either a formal or an informal register
• may be submitted as a separate document or attached to the Major Work.

Requirements for the Major Work

Monitoring and certification of the Major Work

Development of the Major Work should commence from the beginning of the HSC course. The Major Work must be conceived and executed by the student under the supervision of the English teacher. NESA will notify schools of the final date for the completion of the submitted Major Work. Schools access instructions for the submission and certification of Major Works via Schools Online.

Teachers supervising the English Extension 2 Major Work must ensure that ‘projects developed for assessment in one subject are not to be used either in full or in part for assessment in any other subject’ (NESA ACE website).

Schools must have procedures in place that will ensure that effective supervision of the development of students’ Major Works. It is essential that aspects of the process of development of the Major Work take place in school time. While it is expected that students will also work on their Major Work away from school this must be monitored and documented by the supervising teacher.

The response must be entirely original and completed without undue assistance from another person. ‘Original’ refers to the insights and exploration of form presented in the work, for example offering a fresh and engaging perspective on a concept or text, which may have been previously explored by other composers, in an appropriate medium for the intended audience and purpose. Originality can be demonstrated by the student’s independent investigation as evidenced in the Major Work and documented in the Reflection Statement and Major Work Journal, which documents the process of composition and investigation.

If students use a mentor in the development of the Major Work, the mentor must be aware that their role is limited to offering critical advice, posing open-ended questions and supporting the exploration of ideas. The supervising teacher is the primary mentor to the Extension 2 student and all contributions made by a mentor must be documented in the Major Work Journal.

Each student signs a statement, witnessed by the supervising teacher and the school principal, that the submitted Major Work is his or her own work.

The student and the supervising teacher ensure that any portable storage devices submitted are operable and conform to the specifications for the category. Students should ensure they have more than one copy of their Major Work as a back-up.

Teachers must certify that the work has been completed under their supervision, and that the rules and procedures detailed on the NESA ACE website have been followed. If the supervising teacher cannot certify the student’s work, the school must complete a non-certification report document. Principals must be able to endorse the teacher’s declaration that the work:

• has been done under their supervision
• is the student’s own work consistent with earlier drafts or any changes as negotiated with the teacher and other examples of the student’s work
• was completed by the due date.

Procedures and Information for teachers about submission of Extension 2 Major Works and Reflection Statements is available from Schools Online.

The Major Work Journal

During the composition process, students are required to keep a Major Work Journal as detailed in the English Extension Stage 6 Syllabus. It must be submitted with the Major Work to the supervising teacher. The journal may be digital or a hard copy. The Major Work Journal has a role in establishing the authenticity of the Major Work and must be kept at the school and be available if requested by NESA.

The Major Work forms

Print Medium

See Major Work parameters for presentation requirements.

Short Fiction

Students complete short fiction that responds to an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a maximum limit of 5000–6000 words. The word limits do not include the Reflection Statement.

Students may consider:

• a new or different perspective or idea
• an appropriation or manifestation of a text
• experimentation with genre, form, style or language (including hybridity).

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work. Bibliographies are not required to be added to short fiction; however, where works have been cited or referenced in the Major Work, these should be appropriately cited as an addendum attached to the short fiction.

Creative non-fiction

Students develop short creative non-fiction that responds to an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a maximum limit of 5000–6000 words. The word limits do not include the Reflection Statement.

Students may consider:

• life writing
• investigative journalism
• an historical recreation or representation.

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work. Bibliographies are not required to be added to creative non-fiction; however, where works have been cited or referenced in the Major Work, these should be appropriately cited as an addendum attached to the creative non-fiction.

Poetry

Students write a suite of poems, a collection of poems or an extended poem that responds to an area of special interest and which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, up to a 3000-word limit. The word limits do not include the Reflection Statement.

Students may consider:

• a new or different perspective or idea
• an appropriation or manifestation of a text
• experimentation with genre, form, style or language.

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work. Bibliographies are not required to be added to poems; however, where works have been cited or referenced in the Major Work, these should be appropriately cited as an addendum attached to the poem or poems.

Critical response

Students develop a critical response based on their independent research into an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a maximum limit of 4000–5000 words. The word limits do not include the Reflection Statement.

Students may consider:

• a critique of an author’s work/particular text or texts
• an independent investigation into an aspect of language or writing
• an independent investigation into the works of a particular historical period
• an independent investigation into the works of a particular paradigm related to the study of English.

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work. A bibliography is typically appropriate to the conventions of this form and, if included, should be attached to the Major Work.

Script – short film, television, drama

Students develop a script of a complete work for the medium of film or television or drama, based on their independent research into an area of special interest and which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses. The intended performance time for the script must be no more than 25 minutes. Scriptwriting conventions appropriate to the medium should be followed. NESA does not specify a particular style or format.

Students may consider:

• a new or different perspective or idea
• an appropriation or manifestation of a text
• experimentation with genre, form or style.

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work and should be acknowledged as an addendum to the script.

Sound Medium

Podcasts – drama, storytelling, speeches, performance poetry

Students present a podcast that responds to an area of special interest and which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a playing time of no more than 15 minutes. Students must submit a print copy of the script, storyboard or flow chart. The audio file may include music and/or sound effects, which will not be included in the running time but will be considered for contribution to meaning and aesthetics. The student presenting the Major Work must be the principal performer (minor voices should be used judiciously), sole writer and sole director/producer. For drama, the student must be the sole director/producer.

Students may consider:

• a new or different perspective or idea
• an appropriation or manifestation of a text
• experimentation with genre, form or style.

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work and should be acknowledged as an addendum to the podcast.

Multimedia

Students present a digital file that has a playing time of 7–8 minutes. Students must submit a print copy of the script, storyboard or flow chart. The choice of genre, style or content must be based on their independent research into an area of special interest and which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses. The student presenting the Major Work must be the sole writer, director/producer and editor.

Students may consider:

• a new or different perspective of a concept
• an appropriation or manifestation of a text
• experimentation with genre, form or style.

Note: This form is not restricted to a short film. It could include a range of different multimodal performances including performance poetry or speeches.

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Reflection Statement in accordance with the principles of All My Own Work and should be acknowledged as an addendum to the script, storyboard or flow chart.

Criteria for marking the English Extension 2 Major Work and Reflection Statement

The Major Work and the Reflection Statement will be awarded separate marks, out of 40 and 10 respectively.

Major Work marking criteria

• Textual integrity
• Quality of insights and concepts, developed through independent investigation, and the communication of developed ideas
• Manipulation of features that shape meaning and response, and quality of engagement

Reflection Statement marking criteria

• Explanation of the intended purpose and audience of the Major Work
• Explanation of the relationship of the extensive independent investigation to the Major Work
• Explanation of the relationship of the Major Work to the knowledge, understanding and skills developed in the English Advanced and Extension courses
• Evaluation of the relationships of concept, structure, technical and language features and conventions

Further information

• Assessment in Stage 6
• Principles of effective assessment
• Assessment in practice
• School-based assessment requirements
• Adjustments to assessment for students with disability
• Life Skills
• Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) website