BOS 28/09

From 2010 all Year 10 students will complete the School Certificate Computing Skills Test (CST) online.

The CST has been a mandatory part of the School Certificate qualification since 2006, with schools able to choose either online or pen-and-paper versions for their students.

In 2009, more than 75 percent of all schools have chosen the online CST.

Any school wanting to change its 2009 CST choice from pen-and-paper to online to better prepare for the mandatory online version in 2010 should contact records@bos.nsw.edu.au or telephone (02) 9367 8107.

Pen-and-paper versions of the CST may be available in 2010 under exceptional circumstances. Schools will receive advice about these arrangements early in Term 1.

Contact : John Wheelahan
records@bos.nsw.edu.au
Telephone (02) 9367 8107

Effective from : 2010 School Certificate Computing Skills Test

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Specially designed to help schools plan for their 2009 online Computing Skills Test, the Board of Studies new CST Bandwith Tester application is now available.

The tester application quickly tells schools how fast the internet speed is between their computers and the Board's server.

It then recommends the maximum number of online tests to be run at any one time.

The Chief Executive of the Office of the Board of Studies NSW, Dr John Bennett, said the new CST Bandwith Tester was different to a normal internet speed tester.

"The CST tester is a more realistic measure of the way the school's internet speed will affect the number of CST applications that can run at the same time," Dr Bennett said.

"The tester is tailored to the requirements of our online test as the data travels between the Board's servers and the school.

"School CST Coordinators and ICT Coordinators should find the new tester extremely helpful in planning their school timetable for the online CST this year."

Dr Bennett said the tester application allows schools to enter their school Board ID number and name for each bandwidth test.

"This is optional, but if the school ID is captured for each test, our IT support staff can refer to those results if schools experience difficulty during the CST," he said.

The CST is a mandatory part of the NSW School Certificate Tests, which take place for all Year 10 students in November.

This year, the online version of the CST can be held any time from Wednesday 11 November, Thursday 12 November, or Friday 13 November 2009. The written version of the test takes place on Friday 13 November from 11.00am to 12.15pm.

Try the new CST Bandwidth Tester here.

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A series of workshops are being held in term 3 to provide more information about the online component of the 2007 School Certificate Computing Skills test.

All schools will receive full information about venues and dates from their Board of Studies Liaison Officer (BOSLO). Contact them with all inquiries and to register to attend a workshop.

Also visit the School Certificate Computing Skills Test page for more information about the test.

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A total of 54 246 students from 539 government and non-government schools across NSW sat the new School Certificate Computing Skills test online over a three-day period in November last year.

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Thousands of Year 10 students have recently undertaken the first mandatory examination in Computing Skills for the NSW School Certificate. Over 50 000 took the test online - a first in Australia for a large-scale public examination.

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BOS 55/06 (Vol 15 No 6)

At its meeting in September 2006, the Board of Studies decided that, in addition to a mark out of 100, student performance in the School Certificate Computing Skills test would be reported with a brief descriptor.

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As the 2006 School Certificate tests draw closer, schools across the state are preparing their Year 10 students and staff for the mandatory Computing Skills test.

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The new School Certificate Computing Skills test will join the English-literacy, Mathematics, Science, and Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship tests as a mandatory School Certificate requirement for the first time this year.

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The Computing Skills test will be compulsory for Year 10 students for the first time in 2006.

The Board of Studies has offered all NSW schools the choice to conduct the test in either an online or a pen- and-paper format. Schools had until the end of Term 2 to nominate whether their students will sit the test in either an online format or a pen and paper format.

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The Computing Skills test is mandatory for Year 10 students in 2006 and will be reported as part of the School Certificate for the first time this year. Schools were required to choose to undertake either the online or pen-and-paper version of the test.

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