So is it possible to fail a SAC? What happens if I get a low score?

[whiterabbit]

First off, I'm doing some of the "hard" subjects. Methods, Physics, Chem, English and Further. I've already completed Lit.
Anyway, in methods, physics and chem I wasn't doing so well until recently. Usually only scoring high 40% on SACs. I've been cleaning up my act one subject at a time, and am doing better in physics. Chem, I'm struggling with, but starting to get better at. Methods I'm trying to clean up, but it's rough, especially because it's a pre-req for a course I want.

 Anyway, to my more pressing problem. I have a methods SAC in a few days, and on the practice SAC we were given, I didn't do so well. Probably only scraped 35%. I'm studying like crazy, and hoping to get a bit over 40% (which, from what I hear, is considered a "pass"), but I still wanted to ask this question anyway;


What would cause me to actually get an N on a sac? Or an N for unit three? I understand it would damage my atar pretty badly to not do well on SACs, but I'm cleaning up my act at a fairly quick rate, and I think I'll be ready by the end of the year.  Right now, I'm just wondering how much damage it will do if I mess up this methods sac. Also, I'm wondering what would cause me to get an N on either the sac or the unit.

Thanks guys. Sorry for the lengthy question, I'm new here, and kinda stressing out.

[strawberries]

I think that if you actually fail a SAC, your school will probably let you re-sit the SAC (or they could write another one) until you pass, so you end up with an S but your mark doesn't change from before.

At some schools and for some subjects (e.g. my school), you do a series of 'tests' before each SAC, like for methods we had like tests on a certain group of chapters before the SAC and if we pass the test, we pass the SAC no matter how bad we go on the SAC. Because the tests are used as a backup to show that you actually understand the content.

But yeah, I'm not too sure on what'd actually happen if you were to get an N though.

Good luck!

[grannysmith]

Yeah, I don't think it's in the school's best interest to fail people. However, my school has these 'hurdle tasks' which must be passed in order to be eligible for a SAC re-sit. Of course this differs from school to school and the most likely way of someone actually receiving an 'N' for a SAC is if they were caught cheating.

[meganrobyn]

An 'N' in terms of VCAA reporting is different from a fail. You can get 30% for a SAC and still get an 'S', for instance.

An 'N' means you actually haven't even really attempted the task - maybe you missed a SAC with no excuse; maybe you turned up, wrote your name and nothing else. Big stuff! But you need to try pretty hard to get an 'N'.

If your teacher wants to give you an 'N' for any outcome, there is a formal procedure the school must follow that includes giving you notice and a chance to attempt the missed assessment. It's nothing you can suddenly be surprised by before it's too late, because it can mean you can't get your VCE (you need a certain number of Ss to qualify).

Getting a sucky mark, though? That's different. That's easy

[rosemaria20]

Hi Guys,
So unit 3 for me was extremely bad, getting terrible marks in subjects like chem, methods and one sac in further.
However my English and religion marks are ok.
For chem i got 42%, 46% and 68% in sacs, my teachers is a very hard marker (she is an examiner) and i think my cohort is pretty high and iam one of the bottom people. Can i still get a 25+ study score in this subject and overall an atar above 85 if i do well in unit 4 and in the exam?
thank in advance.