NSW: Revamped HSC exams introduced to schools

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2000
NSW: Revamped HSC exams introduced to schools

SYDNEY, April 12 AAP - The New South Wales government today unveiled new-look Higher
School Certificate exams.

Described by Education Minister John Aquilina as "new style, more challenging HSC exams",
23 specimen exam papers were posted on the Board of Studies website today.

Sample exam papers for 59 subjects are now being sent to all secondary and central
schools to provide students and teachers with a guide to the "new" HSC.

The new HSC will be sat by an estimated 70,000 students for the first time at the end
of next year.

"Reforming the HSC has been the most important and most comprehensive improvement to
education in NSW in 30 years," Mr Aquilina said.

He said the revamped exam differed from the old in that the wording of questions will
be clearer, with all courses having been "revised and brought up to date so that what
students are learning is relevant to the modern world".

Under the new system, students' performances will be measured against set standards,
rather than being ranked and compared to the performance of others undertaking the same
course.

Old ceilings limiting the number of pupils who could be ranked within a given percentile
will be scrapped.

AAP pwa/sb/cjh

KEYWORD: HSC

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