Using the tables from the Scaling Report

Answers
Exercise 1: Will the same aggregate of scaled marks in two different years produce the same ATAR? Answer: Use Table A9 (eg 477 = 99.5 in 2009 and 99.95 in 2010).

Exercise 2: An ATAR of 85 places a student in the top 15% of HSC students. Comment. Answer: Use Table A7 An ATAR of 85 places a student in the top 25.1% of the ATAR cohort and the top 15% of the Year 7 cohort.

Exercise 3: Alex has the following HSC marks English Standard Italian Continuers Economics Chemistry Mathematics Food Technology 67 93 90 90 92 94

Mathematics was not included in Alexs ATAR calculation. Why not? English Standard was included. Why? Answer: Scaled marks are used in the ATAR calculation. Use Table A3 to work out scaled marks. Italian Continuers Economics Chemistry Mathematics Food Technology = 86.0 = 85.2 = 84.8 = 84.6 = 86.2

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English must be included.

Exercise 4: Ive been told its impossible to get a high ATAR if you do Visual Arts? Is this right? Answer: Use Table A1 - the maximum ATAR achieved by a student with Visual Arts included in their pattern of study was 99.95.

Exercise 5: Question from a Year 12 student I got the same HSC mark (88) for Business Studies and Geography - how does the system work out which subject is used in my ATAR calculation? Answer: Scaled marks are used so whatever has the highest scaled mark will be used (assuming one must be dropped). Use Table A3 HSC Mark of 88 Business Studies Geography 75.8 >78.0

Geography would be included. Both equated to 90th percentile so this students position in these courses was also the same what made the difference was the scaled means Geography has a higher scaled mean (25.4) than Business Studies (23.8).

Compare the same mark (88) in Korean Background Speakers = between 50 and 68.4 even though scaled mean of 25.2 is higher the than scaled mean of Business Studies. The difference there is that 88 in Korean BS is between the 50th and the 75th percentile so positions are very different.

The scaled mark for a course depends on both the students position in the course and the scaled mean for the course.

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Exercise 6: Tzu has these HSC marks and bands: English as a Second Language Design and Technology General Mathematics Chinese Background Speakers Hospitality Examination Tzus ATAR is 39.10. Why? Answer: Use Table A2 (or Table A4) to see how well he did in these subjects compared to other students. ESL approx 70% did better D&T approx 78% did better GM approx 37% did better CBS approx 80% did better HE approx 69% did better So his position in all his courses is low. Then use Table A3 to see the scaled means for these courses. ESL 21.6 D&T 22.4 GM 21.2 CBS 21.4 HE 19.9 And the scaled means for these courses are low. Therefore his scaled marks for all his courses will be low, leading to a low aggregate and a low ATAR. 69 69 74 72 70 Band 3 Band 3 Band 4 Band 4 Band 4

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