• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

Help with average scaled means (1 Viewer)

Nevermore

Godlike
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
35
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
I have read the faqs and still don't get it

i've been browsing the bos scaling of subjects page, i just dont understand the scaled mean (on a 1 unit basis) for each subject.

For example the scaled mean for

maths extension 1 is 36.6 ( on a 1 unit basis)
mats standard is 30.0 (on a 1 unit basis)

can someone please explain to me , i would be so grateful :uhhuh:

edit: and how does the uac convert aligned hsc marks into scaled marks which contribute your uai?
 
Last edited:

Lazarus

Retired
Joined
Jul 6, 2002
Messages
5,965
Location
CBD
Gender
Male
HSC
2001
The word "mean" is the same as the word "average", so when you see a reference to a "scaled mean" for a course, it's just a reference to the average scaled mark in that course.

To use your example, the average scaled mark in MEx1 was 36.6 on a 1-unit basis or 73.2 (36.6 * 2) on a 2-unit basis.

Because some courses are only worth one unit, and other courses might only contribute one unit to your UAI, the statistics relating to scaled marks are reported on a 1-unit basis.

Nevermore said:
edit: and how does the uac convert aligned hsc marks into scaled marks which contribute your uai?
The explanation for this question is a little more involved.

First, it is your raw HSC marks that are scaled, not the aligned marks. The reports include aligned marks because students usually do not know their raw marks.

You can see the general process from this flowchart: http://www.boredofstudies.org/other/flowchart.pdf

The scaling process itself involves the simultaneous solution of a large set of linear equations. In essence, the scaling algorithm transforms all the raw HSC marks for each course into points on a scale between 0 and 50, with the gaps between points representing the differences between students. This way, the particular raw marks awarded don't matter, and only the relative positions of students in their courses are considered.

The scaled mean (or scaled average) for a course is defined to be the average scaled mark obtained by all students in that course over all of their courses. At the start of the scaling process, no one knows what these scaled means are going to be. The aim of the scaling algorithm is to produce a set of scaled means for all HSC courses which satisfies that definition.

The algorithm considers the positions of all students in all courses simultaneously and outputs a set of scaled means. Because of certain constraints specified in the algorithm, this set of scaled means is guaranteed to be a unique solution and is the only set of scaled means which satisfies the definition set out above as well as the constraints.

The raw marks in each course are then transformed to scaled marks using the scaled mean calculated for that course (as well as certain other data - e.g. scaled standard deviation and maximum possible scaled mark).

I've tried to keep this overview simple, because the mathematics involved is quite complicated, but hopefully it provides you with a better understanding of the process.
 

Nevermore

Godlike
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
35
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
^ thank you so much for answering my question :), everything is quite clear to me now except our raw hsc marks

is our raw hsc marks = average of raw hsc marks + moderated assessment mark?
 

Dragonmaster262

Unorthodox top student
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
1,386
Location
Planet Earth
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Lazarus said:
The word "mean" is the same as the word "average", so when you see a reference to a "scaled mean" for a course, it's just a reference to the average scaled mark in that course.

To use your example, the average scaled mark in MEx1 was 36.6 on a 1-unit basis or 73.2 (36.6 * 2) on a 2-unit basis.

Because some courses are only worth one unit, and other courses might only contribute one unit to your UAI, the statistics relating to scaled marks are reported on a 1-unit basis.


The explanation for this question is a little more involved.

First, it is your raw HSC marks that are scaled, not the aligned marks. The reports include aligned marks because students usually do not know their raw marks.

You can see the general process from this flowchart: http://www.boredofstudies.org/other/flowchart.pdf

The scaling process itself involves the simultaneous solution of a large set of linear equations. In essence, the scaling algorithm transforms all the raw HSC marks for each course into points on a scale between 0 and 50, with the gaps between points representing the differences between students. This way, the particular raw marks awarded don't matter, and only the relative positions of students in their courses are considered.

The scaled mean (or scaled average) for a course is defined to be the average scaled mark obtained by all students in that course over all of their courses. At the start of the scaling process, no one knows what these scaled means are going to be. The aim of the scaling algorithm is to produce a set of scaled means for all HSC courses which satisfies that definition.

The algorithm considers the positions of all students in all courses simultaneously and outputs a set of scaled means. Because of certain constraints specified in the algorithm, this set of scaled means is guaranteed to be a unique solution and is the only set of scaled means which satisfies the definition set out above as well as the constraints.

The raw marks in each course are then transformed to scaled marks using the scaled mean calculated for that course (as well as certain other data - e.g. scaled standard deviation and maximum possible scaled mark).

I've tried to keep this overview simple, because the mathematics involved is quite complicated, but hopefully it provides you with a better understanding of the process.
How do they align Assessment Marks? Do they make cut-offs for them or something?
 

Nevermore

Godlike
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
35
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
^
They align the initial moderated assessment mark to obtain the aligned assessment mark, the same way raw examination marks become aligned examination mark.

It doesn't really matter anyway since aligned marks don't really determine your uai, its the scaled marks which contribute to your total aggregate which matter
 

Lazarus

Retired
Joined
Jul 6, 2002
Messages
5,965
Location
CBD
Gender
Male
HSC
2001
Nevermore said:
^ thank you so much for answering my question :), everything is quite clear to me now except our raw hsc marks

is our raw hsc marks = average of raw hsc marks + moderated assessment mark?
Yes. :)

Your raw HSC mark is the average of your raw examination mark and your moderated assessment mark.

Dragonmaster262 said:
How do they align Assessment Marks? Do they make cut-offs for them or something?
Yes.

There's a good explanation on the Board's website.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top