Screw HSC markers (5 Viewers)

[Ms. BRIGHTSIDE]

I'm just pissed that they make so many mistakes in the marking schemes. I don't know what's happening at the HSC marking centre, but I'm pissed as hell when I got my half-yearlies back. There were so many careless things going on, that if I didn't get to look at it again, I would've lost a few marks, which would've made me drop a few ranks already. They even add up the marks wrong.

Who marked your half yearlies exactly ?

 

[Studentleader]

Don't know about NSW but in WA if your unhappy with your mark for an exam (question marked wrong) you send $50 and your exam back, they remark it and if you were wrong they get your $50, if they change it (up or down) you get it back

 

[minijumbuk]

Our teachers marked our half-yearlies.

Oh yea, in NSW, you don't even get to see your paper again. The last time you see your paper would be right after you leave the exam room.

 

[Ms. BRIGHTSIDE]

Our teachers marked our half-yearlies.

Right. So what you're really complaining about is your teachers marking mistakes ? Am I right ?

Don't know about NSW but in WA if your unhappy with your mark for an exam (question marked wrong) you send $50 and your exam back, they remark it and if you were wrong they get your $50, if they change it (up or down) you get it back

For real ? How would they know that you hadn't changed something and then sent it back in ?

 

[minijumbuk]

Right. So what you're really complaining about is your teachers marking mistakes ? Am I right ?

No, if you've read my second last post more comprehensively,
"My English teacher even said to the class that in HSC marking, teachers would basically skim through essays to look for keywords. She demonstrated it once, holding a piece of paper and tracing it with her fingers, then flipped the page after like 5 seconds."

I'm complaining about any teacher who doesn't try their best. Honestly, do you think 100% of the HSC markers are all so passionate about marking, and would feel extremely guilty if they marked a test wrongly?

 

[Studentleader]

For real ? How would they know that you hadn't changed something and then sent it back in ?

No idea

 

[Rhanoct]

3 people mark it

 

[Ms. BRIGHTSIDE]

No, if you've read my second last post more comprehensively,
"My English teacher even said to the class that in HSC marking, teachers would basically skim through essays to look for keywords. She demonstrated it once, holding a piece of paper and tracing it with her fingers, then flipped the page after like 5 seconds."

I'm complaining about any teacher who doesn't try their best. Honestly, do you think 100% of the HSC markers are all so passionate about marking, and would feel extremely guilty if they marked a test wrongly?

Yeah I did read it actually. You were complaining about the HSC markers and then mentioning your teachers. I got a little confused there, it sounded like you were trying to say that your half yearlies were marked by HSC markers or something.

Oh, and I think if you mentioned that '5 second skim' thing to any other english teacher, or even better, a HSC marker they would outright deny that this happens.

 

[minijumbuk]

More than anything else, it's the insecurity that you might be treated unfairly. I've had enough of this at my school, where if you don't fight for your marks, you won't get it.

In the external exams, you don't even get to fight for it. Nobody will. That's the thing I hate.

And Ms.Brightside, I wasn't implying my half-yearlies are getting marked by HSC markers, but rather the fact that HSC markers might be just like any teachers at our schools. After all, HSC markers are school teachers, right?

 

[Ms. BRIGHTSIDE]

More than anything else, it's the insecurity that you might be treated unfairly. I've had enough of this at my school, where if you don't fight for your marks, you won't get it.

In the external exams, you don't even get to fight for it. Nobody will. That's the thing I hate.

And Ms.Brightside, I wasn't implying my half-yearlies are getting marked by HSC markers, but rather the fact that HSC markers might be just like any teachers at our schools. After all, HSC markers are school teachers, right?

Last year I came first for my business studies exam. A girl in my class did everything she could to gain more marks, to the point of justifying her answers in an unreasonable way. In the end she beat me by one mark. When it came to Parent - Teacher night however, the teacher told my mum that I deserved my marks more than she did. And yet she still got them. She is now well known for her attempts to gain extra marks, especially if she doesn't rank first and has actually been told off for this. At school you can fight for marks (whether you desrve them or not) but you can't in the HSC. I would have considered this to be 'fair' as it applies to everyone.
And yes, HSC markers are school teachers. But not all school teachers are HSC markers. Also keep in mind that HSC markers are well experienced in their field and know what they are doing.

 

[melanieeestroll]

More than anything else, it's the insecurity that you might be treated unfairly. I've had enough of this at my school, where if you don't fight for your marks, you won't get it.

In the external exams, you don't even get to fight for it. Nobody will. That's the thing I hate.

BOS tries their best to make it as fair as possible. they have clerical checks for a certain amount of money if you think that you where treated unfairly. the thing is cost vs. benefit. marking it multiple times and having the paper distributed to all HSC students has more negative effects compared to the positive benefits. And as some people have already stated it is like that in university anyway.

 

[cs01001]

Teachers are humans too. You make mistakes, so do they. If you genuninely deserve more marks with a valid reason, then by all means, fight for it.

Honestly, I believe the whole 'skimming-in-5-sec' for keyword thing is a bit exaggerated. Even if there are such markers, it would be a minority.

 

[minijumbuk]

Teachers are humans too. You make mistakes, so do they. If you genuninely deserve more marks with a valid reason, then by all means, fight for it.

Honestly, I believe the whole 'skimming-in-5-sec' for keyword thing is a bit exaggerated. Even if there are such markers, it would be a minority.

Exactly my point. I do not even want to see those 5 sec teachers in this field.

And Ms.Brightside: I don't know why the hell your teacher would let that girl get an extra mark she didn't deserve just because she whinged. I'm not saying that we should all be given the chance to ramble on about invalid points. I'm just ranting because I feel it's unjust that some of us get extra/lost marks for invalid reasons. Like I said before, I'm a VERY honest person. I don't even feel right if I gained extra marks via any other methods other than my own hard work. That's why I don't like how this whole HSC marking thing is so mysterious, and marks can be affected by luck.

 

[aussiechick007]

yeah i dont like the idea that the markers are so hurried and might miss sometjhing... i mean its OUR marks that we might NEED... and that we've WORKED for!

 

[cem]

I am an HSC marker for Modern History.

In essay based subjects their is double marking of scripts. This ensures that at least two people - professional teachers who have a great deal of experience in teaching the course being examined - see each essay. If they don't agree, the Senior Marker in charge of the group does a third mark. The difference between the two marks can be as small as 2/25 (usually Modern works on 4/25 - due to time constraints. We are given two weeks by the BOS to get the exam marked so the discrepancy rate is a bit wider).

Even before we start marking we spend a number of hours actually going through sample scripts to set a standard and ensure that we are all marking the question we are marking to the same standard as everyone else marking that question.

Teachers are very proud of their profession and the professionalism of the marking process. However we are human and we can and do make mistakes. That is why all essays are double marked.

We are expected to mark at about 12 per hour or allow 5 minutes per essay.

Personally from about 8.30 p.m. at night I am very careful to believe that I am really reading and understanding what I am reading and if I feel that I am not doing justice to a script in a bundle then I don't put it in my out tray but leave it until the next afternoon and all the markers that I have worked with do the same thing.

I wish students really would believe us when we say that we do really try to be scrupulously fair but we are human and can make mistakes e.g. a couple of years ago I and another marker were 13 marks different out of 25 - the SM picked it up and fixed it but it happens. The system is in place, and has been for many years, to ensure fairness.

As for 'remarks' no they are not reread and marked but a clerical check only. This is because the marking process has already seen the papers double marked and two people have agreed on the mark given. The check is that the computer has correctly read the numbers written on the paper.

 

[michael1990]

For English papers only.

Wrong.

They are remarked by 2 HSC markers on different tables.

What happens is:
A marker will get a pile of papers to mark, they then mark them, they put 1 line through the cover of the paper and record the mark given. They then bundle all their papers and they are given to another person at another table to mark
They then do the same thing, if there is a big discrepency it will go to a head marker and he will then mark it. If there is still a big difference more markers will come in and mark. It will then be given the average. (it can take up to 100 people to give a mark for a certain paper, an exageration though).

 

[minijumbuk]

minijumbuck: your post just seems to be a rant (based on a lot of inaccurate rumours) because you are unhappy with your teacher at the moment. Try to remember that the HSC Marking process is different to your teacher marking your half yearlies at school and not everything you hear is correct. And no they don't mark your HSC paper in 5 seconds...

Haha, nice assumption =P But I'm not actually unhappy with my teacher. I'm just unhappy with the way the WHOLE science department do things...Maths isn't much better, and I'm way too untalented in English to even know if my essay deserved what it got xD
In my half-yearlies for chemistry, I only got 2/3 for a question. Now I was fine with that IF I knew what I did wrong. I asked my chemistry teacher, and she said she didn't know what's wrong with it. She tells me to write a question on the paper, and I did so. Later I asked my teacher if I could find out what I did wrong. She gave me back the paper to look at, and on the paper it wrote: "Poor explanation. Must mention type of bonding."
I was not happy =O I mentioned all types of bonding, and I know my ethanol as a solvent front to back, and I know all the types of bonding involved, and I wrote all of it. I ask my teacher how it is "poorly explained". She mumbles, I can't hear what she says, and I gave up. No use arguing with teachers as a student =\
And just to prove I'm not one of those students who ramble on about marks I deserve to lose, even my tutor said he didn't know why I lost a mark.
Perhaps it's because I'm already rank 1st and they don't want me to gain anymore? I don't know. I just hate the science department.

I am an HSC marker for Modern History.......

Do they double mark for science as well? I don't do any humanities, so yea =\
Well... I do English =O


SIDE RANT: Our school gives us crap feedback for English.
A range: "Demonstrates an outstanding knowledge of ........."
B range: "Demonstrates a ________ knowledge of ........."
C range: "Demonstrates a sound knowledge of .........."
Come on, that's a load of bull! >=(
At least tell us what is "outstanding" and what is "sound"?

 

[WannaBang?]

I don't think you're entirely correct about the marking process. I've got quite a few teachers who are HSC markers, some of whom are senior markers, and each have told me that HSC markers LOOK for marks and award half-assed attempts and things which you imply but haven't exactly written down.

E.g. In Maths: Marker will go through your paper, and if a correct answer has been scribbled out, will award you a mark, because "ultimately you did know the process to go through in order to get the mark".

English: Your explanation or analysis is sketchy but it is obvious that you meant "blah-blah-blah". Here's a mark!

So yeah, I think it's fair.

 

[cem]

Do they double mark for science as well? I don't do any humanities, so yea =\
Well... I do English

I will ask at school tomorrow but I think they do.

 

[cem]

Wrong.

They are remarked by 2 HSC markers on different tables.

What happens is:
A marker will get a pile of papers to mark, they then mark them, they put 1 line through the cover of the paper and record the mark given. They then bundle all their papers and they are given to another person at another table to mark
They then do the same thing, if there is a big discrepency it will go to a head marker and he will then mark it. If there is still a big difference more markers will come in and mark. It will then be given the average. (it can take up to 100 people to give a mark for a certain paper, an exageration though).

Not all subjects and questions go to a second table.

e.g. in Modern History some topics have so few candidates that both markers will be at the same table. All the Asian personalities are marked at one table but they are still given the same consideration. It would be a logistics nightmare to have to have two SMs briefing on each Asian Personality along with the other personalities when there are only 20 essays.

In bigger topics they can go to different tables but not always - certainly in Modern.