QCE internal assessments (IAs) vs external assessment (EA)

The four assessments

For each General subject in Units 3 and 4 you complete:

• IA1, IA2 and IA3: set and marked by your school against QCAA's syllabus, on dates your school sets across the two units;
• the EA: common to all schools, sat at the same time under the same conditions, and developed and marked by QCAA. The EA period is in Term 4.

The form of each IA depends on the syllabus: for example examinations, investigations, reports, extended responses, performances or projects.

How much each part is worth

Each syllabus sets how the internal 50% or 75% is split between IA1, IA2 and IA3. Check your subject's syllabus or your school's assessment schedule.

How internal assessment is quality-assured

QCAA runs two separate checks:

1. Endorsement. Before use, your school's assessment instruments are checked against the syllabus requirements.
2. Confirmation. After marking, QCAA reviews a sample of student responses to confirm the school's marks, and can change them if they don't match the syllabus standards.

The external assessment is a separate component: QCAA states that the EA result does not scale the internal assessment result.

Applied subjects

Applied subjects are assessed internally, with no QCAA external assessment, and results are reported as A to E grades. One Applied subject (or one completed Certificate III or higher) can be among the five inputs to your ATAR. See how the QCE ATAR is calculated.

What this means for your preparation

• In Mathematics and Science subjects, the EA is half your result. Plan revision across both units for a single exam.
• In other General subjects, the IAs are three-quarters of your result. Each IA is a major piece of assessment, not practice.
• Use IA feedback. Marking guides are specific to each instrument, but feedback on how you're judged against the criteria carries forward.