I don't understand all this SAC business!

[Voltman]

A few days ago I completed a SAC not knowing the complexities and importance of it. I want to know as much as I can or at least clarify bits which I am not sure of. Okay...here are some questions!

Q1) If you get really low scores for your SACs (lets say you are ranked last in your cohort) but get relatively high exam marks (lets say the highest mark in your school), will your marks get scaled up specifically or is it everyone in your cohort? And it is only you who got relatively low SAC marks in comparison to exams.

Q2) If you didn't get the highest SAC marks for a specific subject, can you still get the highest study score for it out of your whole cohort if you do extraordinarily well in the exams?

Q3) If you are ranked first in your SACs, does that mean you automatically get the highest exam mark for your whole class? And if you are ranked second, does that mean you will also automatically get the second highest exam mark?

I don't understand all this SAC business...it's driving me crazy!

[jackinthepatch]

I don't really know the answers to these questions, it's all way over my head lol. But I will say that it would be in your best interest to get the top ranking for your subjects. Having the top ranking and going well on your exam in comparison to everyone else in your class is your best bet for getting a high study score.

[Voltman]

But I will say that it would be in your best interest to get the top ranking for your subjects.

Yes...I know that. But the way SACs are operated and planned are quite different to how exams are, and therefore slightly different thinking processes may be involved. Hence one might naturally do better in one form assessment than another. If this were the case, and one were to do terrible in one form of assement, I want to still believe that he or she may still be able to do well (no matter what their cohort gets).

[ZachCharge]

You are not meant to know how SACS, Exams and VTAC works...your are supposed to get extremely confused, drop out, and start paying your taxes early...

Argh get out VTAC demon...Anyway;

1) Cohert....always confused me..

2) Yes, as your exams make up a fair bit (usually most depending on subject) of your study score, although it is better (obviously) to do good on SACS and exam.

3) Don't think so. Unless everyone has exact same knowledge during their SACS and exams, SAC marks doesn't govern exam mark, they are separate. Some bludger kid could buckle up for a couple months before exam and score much better then what they did in their study if they tried hard enough I suppose.

[Voltman]

Oh look...someone has asked the same questions in other forums.

Go here:

http://community.boredofstudies.org/408/enter-vce-marks-technical/203111/i-dont-understand-all-sac-business.html

http://vceonline.com.au/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=60&func=view&catid=45&id=20#51


Discuss

[cobby]

The BoS thread is exactly the same as your original post :S

[hard]

and who the hell goes to the ghost site of vceonline??

[Voltman]

I emailed VCAA regarding the questions, here are their responses (in italics):


Q1) If you get really low scores for your SACs (lets say you are ranked last in your cohort) but get relatively high exam marks (lets say the highest mark in your school), will your marks get scaled up specifically or is it everyone in your cohort? And it is only you who got relatively low SAC marks in comparison to exams.



Any adjustment to students’ coursework scores is made solely on the basis of the relationship between coursework scores and external scores for the group as a whole. It does not depend on the relationship between coursework scores and external scores for individual students. A student’s external score does not directly influence their moderated score.
 

Students who perform well on coursework, but not so well in examinations, will receive good coursework scores after moderation. Students who do not perform well on the coursework, but do well in examinations, will not receive a good coursework score. To do well overall students must do well on both coursework and examinations.


Q2) If you didn't get the highest SAC marks for a specific subject, can you still get the highest study score for it out of your whole cohort if you do extraordinarily well in the exams?



Students aiming for a high study score need to perform well on all assessments, since each student’s study score is calculated by combining their moderated coursework scores and examination scores. To achieve the highest possible study score a student needs to achieve the highest possible moderated coursework scores and the highest possible examination scores. A strong performance in one area cannot compensate for a weaker performance in another.


Q3) If you are ranked first in your SACs, does that mean you automatically get the highest exam mark for your whole class? And if you are ranked second, does that mean you will also automatically get the second highest exam mark?

 

A moderation formula is calculated for each school group. The formula defines the relationship between coursework scores and moderated scores for that group, and it is applied to each coursework score to calculate the moderated score for each student in that group.
 

Discuss

[kurrymuncher]

Q1- you sac marks do get scaled up if you do awesome in the exam. If your cohort has really high sac scores and shit exam scores then everyones sac scores will be scaled down. If everyone has shit sac scores and high exam scores then the sac score gets scaled up.


Q2- umm, not really sure about this


Q3- I dont think it works that way. If you have the highest sac score that doesn't mean you will have the highest exam score.

[wombifat]

so if i do really well in all my sacs, and my exam, and my cohort does badly...my sac mark will still get scaled down
now isn't that a bummer

[shinny]

Urgh I cbf doing the full explanation but basically, exam scores will always stick since it is a universal assessment, but SAC scores will change. Ultimately what matters is your ranking and from what I understand, your cohort's exam scores are ranked in order, and after some (well, quite a lot of) number tinkering, you basically inherit the exam score ranked equivalent to your SAC ranking position. I'm not quite too sure of this, but this is how I understood VCAA's confusing explanation.

[UprightMan]

So, in effect, your school ranking defines your exam mark?

On a side note, why doesn't VCAA just get out and explain all of this deal properly...?  It would save a lot of us of time pondering what happens to our effort.

[hard]

So, in effect, your school ranking defines your exam mark?

On a side note, why doesn't VCAA just get out and explain all of this deal properly...?  It would save a lot of us of time pondering what happens to our effort.

no, your school ranking and strength of cohort will define how your sacs get moderated based on how well they went on the exam.

[shinny]

I just said your exam mark will always stick. Why would they need to moderate it if everyone did the same exam? Only SAC marks will change.