SecQual

Modified marking system for external assessment – Grade Score Marking
S2011/015 - 06 Apr 2011

Modified marking system for external assessment – Grade Score Marking

The Level 1 NCEA examinations in 2011 will be marked using a modified form of marking called Grade Score Marking (GSM). During trials this was referred to as MEA (marking external assessment). GSM uses scores allowing upper and lower levels of grades to be used when marking questions. The scores for all of the questions are then totalled. The aggregated score is used to produce the grade following the recommendations of marking panel leaders and other senior markers who are familiar with the requirements of the standard.

The assessment schedules for each question will be written with scores assigned to grades based on the criteria in the standard. There are nine levels of performance as follows:

2010 Pilot of modified marking system

GSM was piloted in 2010 using 12 Level 1 Standards selected from across a range of learning areas.

Details of the pilot were provided in SecQual S2010/012 Marking External Assessment (MEA) Pilot in April 2010.

The candidates sitting these examinations were given a copy of Information for Level 1 NCEA Candidates - Marking Pilot - NCEA Level 1 2010, which is available on NZQA’s website.

The pilot was successful in its aims of achieving:

• closer alignment of marking to the standard
• greater accuracy in grade determination at grade boundaries
• increased transparency.

Over time it is expected that a reduction in year-on-year variability will also result from GSM.

Implementation

GSM will be implemented in 2011 for all Level 1 standards externally assessed by written examination papers. GSM will not be used for the verification of Visual Arts, Cook Islands Māori or the Mathematics Common Assessment Task for AS91027 (L1-MCAT). It will also not be used for marking portfolios in Technology, including Design and Visual Communication. The pilot tested the application of GSM to paper-based examinations; further research will be carried out before GSM is used for portfolio marking. GSM will be implemented at Level 2 in 2012 and Level 3 in 2013.

Questions and Answers

Question 1: What do students need to know?
Answer: Students need to know that their online results notice will show a grade as usual but that their answer booklet will show both a grade and a score for each question (eg A4 for an upper achieved). On the front of their booklet there will only be a total score.

Question 2: What effect will this have on teaching programmes?
Answer: There is no effect on teaching programmes. The way the evidence is collected in the examination booklet will not affect teaching.

Question 3: This sounds like a return to marks; is it?
Answer: This is not a return to marks. The scores stand for grades. Marking will still be holistic across the question. The key decision for markers is what grade the student has achieved according to the achievement criteria. The splitting of the grade into upper and lower ranges allows finer differentiation.

Question 4: The not achieved grades have the scores 0, 1 and 2. How can you get a score if you did not achieve?
Answer: An examination answer often shows that although the student does not have enough knowledge or understanding to reach achievement they are showing some evidence towards the standard. No relevant evidence is awarded NØ, a small amount of correct evidence is N1 and a better answer, but still not quite enough to meet the Achieved criterion, is N2. These scores will contribute to the overall score, which is why it is so important that students attempt every question.

Question 5: Grade Score Marking sounds like scaling; is it?
Answer: No.  The final grade for the standard is directly derived from the criteria in the standard. The scores on the questions allow the grades from the questions to be aggregated in a way that letters cannot be.  The aggregated score is used to produce the grade following the recommendations of marking panel leaders and other senior markers.

Question 6: How is the grade obtained from the score?
Answer: Marking panel leaders and senior markers set cut scores that determine the boundaries between grades. They use the standard and marked students’ booklets to set fair boundaries that are consistent with the requirements of the standard. The markers will ensure that the standard remains the same from year to year. This will mean the cut scores may change as they are unique for any particular examination and standard in a given year.

Question 7: Where can I see examples of GSM?
Answer: The 2010 assessment schedules (published on 31 March 2011) and 2010 exemplars for the level 1 pilot standards, due to be published by 29 April 2011, are in GSM format. 

Enquiries

Please refer any enquiries relating to this circular to:

School Relationship Manager
School Quality Assurance and Liaison
Telephone: 04 463 3000
Fax: 04 463 3113
Email: firstname.lastname@nzqa.govt.nz