Yet another SAM question.... (1 Viewer)

[KFunk]

If I were to (hypothetically) acheive a mark (at the end of all the HSC stuff) of 90 in physics, chem, math ext.1 and english adv. as well as a 44/50 in english ext. 1 and 83 in math ext.2 ....

I would need a mark as good as 47-48/50 in ext. 2 english in order for it to be counted.

Either SAM is bodgy, or me taking ext. 2 english is illogical.

Any explanations or corrections of my interpretation of the data would be appreciated.

 

[absolution*]

SAM isnt bodgy, extension 2 english just scales shitly.

 

[KFunk]

... Positive? I thought that it had scaled better than phys, chem and english. adv for the past 3 years.

 

[Lazarus]

If I were to (hypothetically) acheive a mark (at the end of all the HSC stuff) of 90 in physics ...

I would need a mark as good as 47-48/50 in ext. 2 english in order for it to be counted.

...

Any explanations or corrections of my interpretation of the data would be appreciated.

You have mistakenly assumed that aligned HSC marks are comparable between courses.

They are not.

A mark of 90 in Physics might be easier or more difficult to obtain than a mark of 90 in English. Some courses require more work than others. No attempt is made by the Board to ensure that marks are comparable between courses - which is exactly why they need to be scaled.

Only after scaling can you determine equivalences between aligned HSC marks in different courses. If aligned marks from two different courses become the same scaled mark, then you know that those two aligned marks are equivalent for those courses.

For example, in 2004, an aligned mark of 95 in Industrial Technology became a scaled mark of 75, and an aligned mark of 86 in Mathematics became a scaled mark of 75. We can therefore conclude that it was just as easy or as difficult to obtain a mark of 95 in Industrial Technology as it was to obtain a mark of 86 in Mathematics, despite the fact that the two figures are nine marks apart.

Comparisons between courses can only be made on the basis of scaled marks.