Exam Policy

Scope of Responsibility

College community (staff, students, parents.)
College Council

Preamble

Exams are integral to school life and carry important significance in the development of student progress and assist in teaching and learning. The word “exam” is used here for those formal assessment occasions and does not include the individual “class” tests, which teachers arrange at their discretion.
External exams usually occur in VCE at Unit 3/4 as part of the VCAA framework of examinations.
Internal exams occur during semesters 1 and 2 for years 10-12, and Semester 2 for year 9. The exams provide opportunities for students, the College and parents/carers, to inform and assess student academic progress.

Purpose

To prepare all students for undertaking exams.
To promote the exam process as an integral part of teaching and learning.
To establish and maintain a consistent exam process.
To provide opportunities for students to practice and improve exam techniques and strategies, and in so doing, improve upon their results.
Results from exams will be used to inform teaching and learning and future planning.
Exams will reflect a culmination of the semester’s work undertaken in the subject.

Implementation

All subjects in Years 10, 11 and 12 that lead into or run as a VCE area of study, must prepare an end of semester exam.

Year 10 - All students undertaking a Year 10 subject that leads into a VCE area of study will complete end of semester exams.
Unit 1 & 2 - All students undertaking a Unit 1 & 2 subject will complete end of semester exams.
Unit 3 & 4 - All students undertaking a Units 3 & 4 subject will have a mid-year practice exam and an end of year practice exam.

Non-attendance at an exam or exam clash

An exam will only be rescheduled due to the following reasons:

Illness or injury (medical certificate required).
Exam clash; Students will need to communicate with the Senior School Leader at least a week before the exam period commences.
Severe personal or family issues (contact the Senior School Leader).

If the student is unable to attend, they must contact either the Senior School Leader for VCE exams or the Year 10 Student Manager for Year 10 exams, before 8:30am on the day of the exam to provide an explanation. A medical certificate will need to be supplied within three days of absence to ensure an exam resit.

Satisfactory Level of Achievement for Exams

To demonstrate a sufficient level of understanding of work attempted in an exam, a student at Year 10, 11 and 12 should achieve a score of 50% or higher. The college recommends that a student who achieves an exam score below 50% in any VCE subject should be sent an “At risk of N” notification.

Special Exam Arrangements & Provisions

Units 3 & 4 students must show evidence that they have applied for Special Provisions whilst undertaking Units 1 & 2 in order to be considered eligible. These arrangements may include:

rest breaks
extra writing time
separate exam room
other

Exam Procedures

All staff at Macleod College are expected to follow and enforce the exam policy and procedures.
If any student does not follow the exam policy and procedures they will receive an “N” at VCE and a 0% for a Year 10 subject.

Policy Evaluation

The effectiveness of this policy will be evaluated using feedback from staff, parents and students. The Teaching and Learning Team will conduct an annual evaluation in term three of this policy and direct any outcomes and recommendations to the College Council.

Endorsement Date

College Council endorsement: