Scaling and the ATAR (1 Viewer)

[Mutant Kitty]

Just curious and a tad confused...

I'll use for an example this years Ancient History exam.

I got 90 for my end of year mark.

I'll predict about 80-85 for the HSC exam.

It seems as though a lot of people have found it really hard, thus one would presume that the 80-85 is relatively much better. Therefore I'd assume that it reflects better on the ATAR than in previous years, but how much better? Aligning also isn't taken into consideration with the ATAR is it?

Anyway... Discuss the process of it all explicitly if you know, thankyall.

 

[AnimeX]

Just curious and a tad confused...

I'll use for an example this years Ancient History exam.

I got 90 for my end of year mark.

I'll predict about 80-85 for the HSC exam.

It seems as though a lot of people have found it really hard, thus one would presume that the 80-85 is relatively much better. Therefore I'd assume that it reflects better on the ATAR than in previous years, but how much better? Aligning also isn't taken into consideration with the ATAR is it?

Anyway... Discuss the process of it all explicitly if you know, thankyall.

I believe you will get a better aligned mark due to the difficulty of the exam. It won't be too noticeably different, possibly 10-25%? if people found it harder.
The raw mark you attain is aligned/moderated and is combined with your school mark (dependent on your rank at school and the gap between first and last, unless their an outlier) to give an average, this average HSC mark is then scaled and made into an ATAR by the UAC (they don't release how this process is done).

Hope this helps!!

 

[Mutant Kitty]

So basically, I go to a VERY average school...
For Ancient, the lowest mark is probably around 45%, and then maybe two above 80, and myself at 90. I ranked 1/9.
Would my ranking in what is not a great class not really help much?

 

[AnimeX]

So basically, I go to a VERY average school...
For Ancient, the lowest mark is probably around 45%, and then maybe two above 80, and myself at 90. I ranked 1/9.
Would my ranking in what is not a great class not really help much?

So, because you're ranked first it will benefit you no matter what.
You will get your own HSC exam mark and the highest exam mark from your cohort are averaged and you get that averaged mark.
So say you top the exam aswell, that aligned examination mark will be your final HSC mark.

Another example: you end up getting 80 aligned mark and the person who got second happened to smash the test because of all the study he/she has done and pulls out a 90 examination mark. Since you're first you will get the average of the two, so 80+90 / 2, which is 85. So you end up with 85. So being first, it can only pull you up.

 

[Mutant Kitty]

Oh no lol, considering everyone left the exam after an hour besides myself and another girl who struggles but gave it her best shot
Thankyou for your help!!