Students, teachers and parents are invited to visit the Board's SC Test Yourself Website in preparation for the 2009 School Certificate tests.

Here students can test themselves on a selection of multiple-choice questions from past School Certificate tests in English, Mathematics, Science, Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Computing Skills.

Parents and teachers are also encouraged to use the site to better understand the kinds of multiple-choice questions students will be asked in the School Certificate tests. It is important to note that the 2009 School Certificate tests do not include only multiple-choice questions. For specifications about the tests click on the following link: School Certificate tests.

The website is proving to be extremely popular with 109,535 tests completed last year. You can nominate the number of questions you want to attempt and receive immediate results and answers to any questions you answered incorrectly.

Try out your skills and knowledge with questions like this:

Adam earns $5 for the first hour of babysitting and $4 per hour after that. He babysat for n hours. Which expression represents the amount Adam earned?
(a) 9n
(b) 4n + 1
(c) 4n + 5
(d) 5n - 1

All questions are automatically marked and the correct answers are shown at the end of each test.

Multiple choice questions are a part of each School Certificate Test. To find out more, read about the 2009 English-literacy and Science test components.

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6 November 2009

Despite today's closure of Meridian College, Surry Hills, the college's NSW Higher School Certificate students will be able to complete their final exam next week as planned.

The majority of Meridian's HSC students have completed their exams and will receive their results as usual in December.

A group of 24 students who still have a Society and Culture examination next Wednesday, 11 November, will be able to do so at the normal college venue.

The Board is working with the college's Administrator, and other government agencies, to ensure the students are able to complete their HSC as normally as possible.

The Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations advises that a student meeting will be held on Tuesday 10 November 2009. Details of that meeting will be posted on the Board's website when available.

Meridian College HSC students with questions for the Board of Studies may email service@bos.nsw.edu.au or telephone Lyn McLintock or Peter Feary on 9367 8230.

Media enquiries: (02) 9367 8250 or 0418 418053

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BOS 46/09

Under the Education Act 1990 (NSW), the following applications must be submitted by 31 March 2010.

Applications from individual schools and registration systems on behalf of member schools to:

• renew registration and/or accreditation where registration and/or accreditation expires at the end of 2010
• renew exemption from registration where exemption expires at the end of 2010
• register new Years of schooling to commence in 2011
• register new schools to commence in 2011.

The requirements for registration and accreditation are detailed in the Registered and Accredited Individual Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual and the Registration Systems and Member Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual.

The most up-to-date manuals and the online application forms (via RANGS Online) are available on the Board's website.

If you need assistance with RANGS Online please phone the Registration and Accreditation Branch on 9367 8432.

Contact:

George Kelen
Senior Registration Officer
(02) 9367 8280
george.kelen@bos.nsw.edu.au

30 October 2009

On Friday 23 October we provided answers to common questions arising from Section 3 of the 2009 HSC Studies of Religion exam held on 22 October.

We have acknowledged all those who have so far emailed and telephoned the Board, and we are in the process of providing additional, more detailed responses where required.

In the meantime, some further common questions have been identified and are answered below.

Has the Board started looking at students' answers to the exam?

Yes. The Supervisor of Marking and Chief Examiner have already looked at a range of responses. The marking process will begin as it normally would, with the markers being fully briefed and a range of checks and balances in place to manage any unusual responses to the questions.

Read more about how we deal with variations in difficulty in exams.

Read more about the HSC marking process.

Read more about how HSC marks are determined.

What happens if some of the five option questions in Section 3 were easier than others?

The HSC marking process already has a mechanism to deal with this. The Board accepts that in any exams that include both compulsory and optional questions an additional step is needed before the marks are added up. We use a process called 'optional question scaling'. This ensures students are not unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged by choosing an easier or more difficult optional question.

Read more about optional question scaling in part 2 of this description of determining marks.

Were there delays to the start of exams in some schools?

Yes. In fact, every year there are instances where HSC exams have a delayed start for one reason or another. For example, emergency evacuations may be called during reading or writing time; electrical storms may disrupt power and lights; floods may delay students' arrival at school, and, from time to time, there may be a disturbance in the exam room. Unpredictable and unforeseen events will occur and so the Board has standard procedures that minimise impact on students.

A small number of schools reported a delayed start to the 2009 Studies of Religion exam following concerns raised by students during reading time.

Presiding officers report to us when there is a disturbance in an exam. These reports may be relevant to Illness/Misadventure appeals.

Read about How Your HSC Works.

Students, teachers and parents with further questions can use the email address service@bos.nsw.edu.au

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The Board of Studies joins with the rest of the community in wishing all students the best for their exams.

For general information, facts and figures about this year's HSC, please see the newly released 2009 HSC Media Guide.

Course: English (ESL) Paper 2 - Modules

Date: Friday October 23, 2009, 3:25 PM - 4:30 PM

Candidature: 3372 (as at 1 September 2009)

The paper consists of two sections. Students must answer one question from each section.

Section I (20 marks) Module A: Experience Through Language

Section II (20 marks) Module B: Texts and Society

Each question requires an extended response.

Read the full 2009 HSC examination timetable.

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The Board of Studies joins with the rest of the community in wishing all students the best for their exams.

For general information, facts and figures about this year's HSC, please see the newly released 2009 HSC Media Guide.

Course: Design and Technology

Date: Friday October 23, 2009, 12:40 PM - 2:15 PM

Candidature: 3673 (as at 1 September 2009)

The paper consists of three sections.

Section I (10 marks) consists of multiple-choice questions, answered on a separate machine-scored answer sheet.

Section II (15 marks) consists of one question, made up of several short-response parts, to be answered on the question paper.

In Section III (15 marks). Students choose one of three given structured extended-response questions. This question is answered in a separate writing booklet.

Read the full 2009 HSC examination timetable.

Test yourself on Design and Technology multiple choice questions.

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The Board of Studies joins with the rest of the community in wishing all students the best for their exams.

For general information, facts and figures about this year's HSC, please see the newly released 2009 HSC Media Guide.

Course: English (Advanced) Paper 2 - Modules

Date: Friday October 23, 2009, 9:25 AM - 11:30 AM

Candidature: 27389 (as at 1 September 2009)

This paper consist of three sections.

Section I (20 marks) Module A: Comparative Study of Texts and Context

Section II (20 marks) Module B: Critical Study of Texts

Section III (20 marks) Module C: Representation and Text

English (Advanced) students must answer three questions, one from each section. All questions require an extended response and are of equal value.

Course: English (Standard) Paper 2 - Modules

Date: Friday October 23, 2009, 9:25 AM - 11:30 AM

Candidature: 32996 (as at 1 September 2009)

This paper consist of three sections.

Section I (20 marks) Module A: Experience Through Language

Section II (20 marks) Module B: Close Study of Text

Section III (20 marks) Module C: Texts and Society

English (Standard) students must answer three questions, one from each section. All questions require an extended response and are of equal value.

Read the full 2009 HSC examination timetable.

Don't miss out! Get your Board news fast and from the source with our easy email news alerts. Just enter your email address in the box on the right, and don't forget to confirm your subscription.

The Board of Studies joins with the rest of the community in wishing all students the best for their exams.

For general information, facts and figures about this year's HSC, please see the newly released 2009 HSC Media Guide.

Course: Studies of Religion I

Date: Thursday October 22, 2009, 1:55 PM - 3:30 PM

Candidature: 9956 (as at 1 September 2009)

The paper consists of three sections.

Section I (15 marks) consists of 10 multiple-choice questions answered on a separate machine-scored answer sheet and one short answer question.

Section II - (15 marks) consists of five three-part questions, each from a different religious tradition. Students choose one question.

Section III - (20 marks) consists of five extended response questions, each worth 20 marks. Students choose one question which must be from a different religious tradition from that attempted in Section II.

Course: Studies of Religion II

Date: Thursday October 22, 2009, 1:55 PM - 5:00 PM

Candidature: 3979 (as at 1 September 2009)

The paper consists of four sections.

Section I - (30 marks) consists of two parts: Part A (15 marks) is comprised of, 10 multiple choice questions answered on a separate machine-scored answer sheet and one short answer question. Part B (15 marks) is comprised of, 10 multiple-choice questions answered on a separate machine-scored answer sheet and one short answer question. All questions in Section I are compulsory.

Section II - (30 marks) consists of five three-part questions, each from a different religious tradition. Each question is worth 15 marks. Students complete two questions.

Section III - (20 marks) consists of five extended response questions, each worth 20 marks. Students choose one question which must be from a different religious tadition from those attempted in Section II.

Section IV - (20 marks) contains one compulsory extended response question.

Read the full 2009 HSC examination timetable.

Test yourself on Studies of Religion I multiple choice questions

Test yourself on Studies of Religion II multiple choice questions

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The Board of Studies joins with the rest of the community in wishing all students the best for their exams.

For general information, facts and figures about this year's HSC, please see the newly released 2009 HSC Media Guide.

Course: Spanish Beginners

Date: Thursday October 22, 2009, 9:30 AM - 12:10 PM

Candidature: 129 (as at 1 September 2009)

This paper consists of three sections.

Section I - Listening (30 marks) In this section, students listen and respond to recorded texts in Spanish. Questions are phrased in English for responses in English.

Section II - Reading and Responding (30 marks) In this section, students read four to five texts in Spanish and answer questions phrased in English, for responses in English.

Section III - Writing in Spanish (15 marks) There are three writing tasks - students have a choice of two questions for the third writing task.

Read the full 2009 HSC examination timetable.

Don't miss out! Get your Board news fast and from the source with our easy email news alerts. Just enter your email address in the box on the right, and don't forget to confirm your subscription.

The Board of Studies joins with the rest of the community in wishing all students the best for their exams.

For general information, facts and figures about this year's HSC, please see the newly released 2009 HSC Media Guide.

Course: Classical Hebrew Continuers

Date: Thursday October 22, 2009, 9:30 AM - 12:35 PM

Candidature: 37 (as at 1 September 2009)

This paper consists of three sections.

Section I - Prescribed Text (Tanakh) Students answer a number of questions on 6 to 8 passages based on the prescribed chapters of the Tanakh.

Section II - Prescribed Text (Mishna) Students answer questions on extracts from the prescribed Mishna texts.

Section III - Unseen Text Students respond to questions of comprehension on two unseen texts.

Read the full 2009 HSC examination timetable.

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