Cost for HSC raw marks (1 Viewer)

[FTW]

So as the title says, I'm obviously looking at applying for my raw marks with the new service the BOS has put in this year: The HSC raw marks report.

I believe last year when applying with the template put up on here, it cost around $20-$30 to apply for raw marks.
But with what the BOS has done:

Cost:[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]$5.25 per course, plus the cost of a results check if this has not already been ordered.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I can understand the administrative fees involved with the $5.25 for each course. But to be frank I don't want a results check. I just want the marks. I do 5 subjects, so the cost for just the results check + the raw marks for all of my subjects would be over $115. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Now that seems like a massive rip off just to get our exam marks back, which in my opinion, they should be doing in the first place.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]So I guess my question is this: Do you think I could apply for just the raw marks, not including the results check which would be a more reasonable $26 whether I call up the BOS or apply with the template on here under the FOI act?[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It seems to me that the BOS are just trying to cover up for if they make a mistake with releasing students raw marks where they were given the wrong exam mark in the first place. Maybe I'm just cynical and stingy but I don't really want to pay $115.[/FONT]

HSC Raw Marks Report

2011 HSC students can request a report of their raw examination marks for each course they studied.

Raw marks are the marks allocated by a marker or markers for each question in an examination and are the first step in determining a student’s examination mark as reported on their Record of Achievement. Raw marks have not been aligned to performance standards.

Students can also request a copy of their examination responses separately.

Students must be aware this service is not a re-mark of their examination responses.

A raw marks report will include a results check if this has not already been ordered.

Availability:
19 December 2011 – 27 April 2012
Cost:
$5.25 per course, plus the cost of a results check if this has not already been ordered.

Results check cost:
$29 for English (Standard) and English (Advanced) and $15 per course for all others courses

 

[Shadowdude]

You apply under the Freedom of Information thingy like you see in the ATAR Arcana - and so you pay $30 all up for whatever you want. Might as well get everything you can - raw marks, state ranks, copies of your exam paper, etc.

 

[determine]

You apply under the Freedom of Information thingy like you see in the ATAR Arcana - and so you pay $30 all up for whatever you want. Might as well get everything you can - raw marks, state ranks, copies of your exam paper, etc.

+1

 

[BOSBOY]

You apply under the Freedom of Information thingy like you see in the ATAR Arcana - and so you pay $30 all up for whatever you want. Might as well get everything you can - raw marks, state ranks, copies of your exam paper, etc.

I don't think you can access FOI when there is an alternative offer in place.

 

[khorne]

You can't. They can argue that there is a way to seek out the information and that the cost is not prohibitive.

 

[Aquawhite]

You won't be able to seek information under the Freedom of Information Act anymore since the official means have been introduced - it's just so BOS can earn a bunch of cash from giving out raw marks. So you'll have to pay the costs that are listed on the website.

 

[Shadowdude]

You won't be able to seek information under the Freedom of Information Act anymore since the official means have been introduced - it's just so BOS can earn a bunch of cash from giving out raw marks. So you'll have to pay the costs that are listed on the website.

Are you sure? They had that 'official' system in place last year though, right? Because if they did, I still applied under that legislation thing and got through.

 

[BOSBOY]

Last year the "marks & answers" only became available in February, so you could still use FOI earlier. This year the opportunity starts right after the results come out.

 

[Shadowdude]

So basically we're stuck paying $300. Isn't that a bit... unfair? Let's take them to court over it =P

We can argue, "I got all of that last year for $30, and so why does it now cost $300 for the same service?"

 

[cem]

And the Court would rule that the process has changed and therefore you can't compare the costs.

The BOS didn't want you to access your raw marks at all but when it was made clear that they had to do so they put in place a temporary means of accessing the results last year because they were made to do so so close to the disclosure of results but this year they put in place a full procedure with the process opening at the same time as the disclosure of results.

Sorry - if you want raw marks and/or actual papers back you will have to also pay for a results check. I am sure that they have had a lot of legal checks into this procedure to hopefully (as a taxpayer I do hope they have this right as I resent having to pay for government bodies legal fees when they get it wrong) have it airtight.

 

[halapenyo]

not really worth it imo. you wont be able to change anything.

 

[Selador]

Clearly not in the spirit of the ombudsman's recommendations.

Now they are trying to obstruct students obtaining raw marks through an undue financial burden.

There is no reason why a request for raw marks needs to be linked to a results check. The raw marks can easily be accessed electronically and would already be in their database (We know from the ombudsman's report that they are). There is no reason for such a high cost to simply access raw marks. The costs of results checks and sending exam scripts are justified, but not raw marks.

If they were serious about implementing the ombudsman's recommendations they would have set up a request page on Students Online where your raw marks are displayed instantly and for free. No reason why this couldn't have been done.

Bombard them with FOIs.

 

[Aquawhite]

Are you sure? They had that 'official' system in place last year though, right? Because if they did, I still applied under that legislation thing and got through.

I did as well. I sent in my application before the system was even available though so they had to process it.

I suppose if you argued that the FOI application still had merit under the act, and that you did not have to utilise the method they have currently on offer you might be able to get everything for cheaper.

 

[khorne]

How much are your raw marks worth to you. If they aren't worth 30 dollars, don't pay. Simple. If they are, pay.

 

[brent012]

How much are your raw marks worth to you. If they aren't worth 30 dollars, don't pay. Simple. If they are, pay.

They are worth $30, but not sure if they are worth $100+

 

[khorne]

They are worth $30, but not sure if they are worth $100+

M8, unless you're poor or something, it doesn't matter, just pay up and live 4eva. If you're not prepared to spend 30 dollars a sub, then whatever, don't. That's how da market works.

 

[yours]

How is it that last year they found 30$ was an appropriate fee, and this year for the exact same thing it's 5/6 times that? Can someone explain this sudden jump? :\

I mean for me I did 8 subjects because of my extensions, so this seems unfair. That would be around 240$? If anyone thinks results are worth that much they are mad...

 

[khorne]

How is it that last year they found 30$ was an appropriate fee, and this year for the exact same thing it's 5/6 times that? Can someone explain this sudden jump? :\

I mean for me I did 8 subjects because of my extensions, so this seems unfair. That would be around 240$? If anyone thinks results are worth that much they are mad...

Ok. You don't need to get your raw marks.

It's like...a BMW. It costs a lot, and most people can't justify spending that much on it. However, people own them. Because some people can justify the cost and think it is reasonable.

If you don't think it's fair, don't pay.

 

[Selador]

Ok. You don't need to get your raw marks.

It's like...a BMW. It costs a lot, and most people can't justify spending that much on it. However, people own them. Because some people can justify the cost and think it is reasonable.

If you don't think it's fair, don't pay.

The point is that it shouldn't cost 'a lot'. Reasonable cost recovery is fine, but it certainly should not cost this much for mere access to raw marks.

Read the ombudsman's report. You'll see why freedom of information and transparency of government processes is so essential. This is why it is vital that raw marks are offered on no more than a cost basis. It is clear that the Board is using cost to disuade students from exercising their rights to this information.

It's all about students having confidence that their results are accurate and transparency in how their results were arrived at. Otherwise the system is a 'black box' and you are forced to trust BOS 100%.

'Without the information..., no student or their representative is able to independently verify that the final marks a student is awarded are correct. They have no ability to independently scrutinise how a student’s final marks were calculated. '

"The OBOS scans into its system approximately 40 million individual marks in relation to students each year. There are numerous opportunities for something to go wrong. Parts of the process are performed by people; other parts involve computer manipulations of numerical information. No matter how robust the OBOS’s internal quality assurance processes, genuine errors and corruption are still possible, during any part of the process, but without transparency, no one outside the Board would be able to independently identify errors or even corruption'

"No student currently has enough information available to them to fully understand how the final results are produced. Changing the system so that those who wish to understand are given all of the information they need, will give ‘meaning’ to their raw marks and give clarity to their final results. Students benefit from having a better understanding of the process. The Board benefits from students being more confident in the reliability of the process and being able to appreciate how much care and thought has gone into its development."

"For the HSC to be effective, the students must have confidence in the system. Students engaging in this so-called ‘campaign’ are actually doing nothing more than wanting to understand why they were awarded their final results. For the reasons I have outlined, students should be given sufficient information to gain such an understanding. This does not seem too much to ask.."

 

[Selador]

In any case we can still do a FOI request for the band cut-off mark documents. The ombudsman confirmed these existed and are created every year as part of the marking process. It'll be on file and easy to obtain. It was one of the documents that the ombudsman told the Board to give to Parsonage, which they did so.