Assessment and Reporting

in

Music 1 Stage 6

Effective from 2010 (Preliminary and HSC courses)

Date published November 2009

This document contains the Board of Studies’ requirements for assessing and reporting
achievement in the Preliminary and HSC courses in Music 1 for the Higher School
Certificate, and provides details of the HSC examination in this course. From time to time
changes are made to HSC assessment and examination requirements. Such changes will be
made available through updates to this document. Please note that the version on the Board
of Studies website is always the current version.
© 2009 Copyright Board of Studies NSW for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales.

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

Contents
Assessment in Stage 6
Reporting achievement at the HSC
Internal assessment
The HSC examination
Board requirements for the HSC internal assessment mark
Music 1 HSC examination specifications
Summary of external and internal HSC assessment
Resources and advice
Requirements for the practical examination and electives

Assessment in Stage 6
Assessment is the process of gathering information and making judgements about student
achievement for a variety of purposes. In the Preliminary and HSC courses those purposes
include:
• assisting student learning
• evaluating and improving teaching and learning programs
• providing evidence of satisfactory achievement and completion in the Preliminary course
• providing the Higher School Certificate results.

Assessment for Learning provides a useful approach for the delivery of the Music 1
Preliminary and HSC courses. It provides opportunities in the context of everyday class
activities for students to demonstrate their learning.

The approach is most effective when students:

• are involved in setting learning goals
• know and understand standards and expectations about what is expected and the standards
of work
• receive feedback that helps them understand the next steps in their learning and plan how
to undertake the next steps.

Reporting achievement at the HSC

The Higher School Certificate credentials received by students are used by the Board to report
both the internal and external measures of achievement. Higher School Certificate results in
Music 1 comprise:
• an assessment mark derived from the mark submitted by the school and produced in
accordance with the Board’s requirements for the internal assessment program
• an examination mark derived from the HSC external examination
• an HSC mark, which is the average of the assessment mark and the examination mark
• a performance band, determined by the HSC mark.

Student performance in an HSC course is reported against standards on a course report. The
course report contains a performance scale for the course describing levels (bands) of
achievement, an HSC mark located on the performance scale, an assessment mark and an

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

examination mark. The course report also shows, graphically, the statewide distribution of
HSC marks of all students in the course.

The distribution of marks is determined by students’ performances against the standards and
not scaled to a predetermined pattern of marks.

The use of both internal assessment and external examinations of student achievement allows
measurements and observations to be made at several points and in different ways throughout
the HSC course. Taken together, the external examination and internal assessment provide a
valid and reliable assessment of the achievement of the knowledge, understanding and skills
described for each course.

The Board of Studies uses a standards-referenced approach to reporting student achievement

in the Higher School Certificate. The standards in the HSC are:
• the knowledge, skills and understanding expected to be learnt by students – the syllabus
standards
• the levels of achievement of the knowledge, skills and understanding – the performance
standards.

Both the syllabus standards and the performance standards are based on the aims, objectives,
outcomes and content of the course. Together they specify what is to be learnt and how well it
is to be achieved. Teacher understanding of the standards comes from the aims, objectives,
outcomes and content in the syllabus together with:
• the performance descriptions that summarise the different levels of performance
• HSC examination papers and marking guidelines
• samples of students’ achievement, collected in the standards packages and published on
the Board’s Assessment Resource Centre website.

Internal assessment
This section should be read in conjunction with advice on internal assessment in the Board’s
Assessment Certification and Examination (ACE) Manual.

Preliminary course
The suggested components and weightings are designed to give guidance for the school’s
assessment of student achievement in the Preliminary course. They may be varied to suit
school needs.

HSC course
The Board requires schools to submit an assessment mark for each HSC candidate in Music 1.
The internal assessment mark submitted by the school provides a summation of each student’s
achievements measured at several points throughout the course. The marks submitted for each
course group at a school should reflect the rank order of students, and must be on a scale
sufficiently wide to reflect adequately the relative differences in student performances.

Internal assessment provides a measure of a student’s achievement based on a wider range of

syllabus content and outcomes than may be covered by the external examination alone. The
assessment components and weightings to be applied ensure a common focus for internal

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

assessment in the course across schools, while allowing for flexibility in the design of tasks.
A variety of types of task should be used to give students the opportunity to demonstrate
outcomes in different ways and to improve the validity and reliability of the assessment.

The standards-referenced approach to assessment for the HSC involves schools ensuring that:
• assessment tasks reflect the weightings and components specified in this document
• tasks are designed to focus on objectives and outcomes
• the types of assessment task are appropriate for the outcomes being assessed
• students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their level of achievement of the
outcomes in a range of different task types
• the assessment criteria for each task are such that higher marks are gained by
demonstration of better achievement in relation to the syllabus outcomes
• students know the assessment criteria before they begin a task
• marks earned on individual tasks are expressed on a scale sufficiently wide to reflect the
relative differences in student performances.

Students should receive meaningful feedback about what they are able to do, and what they
need to do in order to improve their level of performance.

The HSC examination

The external HSC examination provides a measure of student achievement in a range of
syllabus outcomes that can be reliably measured in an examination setting. The external
examination and its marking relate to syllabus standards by:
• providing clear links to syllabus outcomes
• enabling students to demonstrate the levels of achievement outlined in the course
performance scale
• applying marking guidelines based on criteria that relate to the quality of the response
• aligning performance in the examination each year to the standards established for the
course.

Board requirements for the HSC internal assessment mark

The Board requires that the assessment tasks used to determine the HSC internal assessment
mark must comply with the components and weightings specified. The collection of
information for the HSC internal assessment mark must not begin before the completion of
the Preliminary course.

Schools are required to develop an HSC internal assessment program that:

• specifies the various assessment tasks and the weightings allocated to each task
• provides a schedule of the tasks designed for the whole course.

Note that school-based assessment marks submitted to the Board must NOT include:
• measures of objectives and outcomes that address values and attitudes. (However, as these
objectives are important elements of any course, schools may decide to report on them
separately to students and parents, perhaps using some form of descriptive statements.)
• measures that reflect student conduct.

See the Board’s ACE Manual for further information.

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Assessment components and weightings

Preliminary course
The suggested components and weightings for the Preliminary course are set out below.

Component Weighting
Performance 25
Composition 25
Musicology 25
Aural 25
100

HSC course
The mandatory components and weightings for the HSC course are set out below. The
internal assessment mark submitted to the Board of Studies is to be based on the HSC course
only.

Component Weighting
Performance Core 10
Composition Core 10
Musicology Core 10
Aural Core 25
Elective 1 15
Elective 2 15
Elective 3 15
100

Teachers may use their discretion in determining the manner in which they allocate tasks
within the course content. The Board considers that 3 to 5 assessment tasks is sufficient.

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

Music 1 HSC examination specifications

The examination will consist of a written aural skills paper worth 30 marks, a core
performance practical examination worth 20 marks and three elective examinations worth
60 marks. The marks for Core Performance and the Electives will be converted to a mark out
of 70, giving a total mark out of 100 for the examination.

Written Paper – Aural Skills (30 marks)

Time allowed: Approximately 1 hour plus 5 minutes reading time.
• The paper will consist of four short-answer questions.
• Questions may contain parts.
• Questions will relate to musical excerpts reflecting the range of topics offered
for study.

Practical Examination – Core Performance (20 marks)

Candidates will perform one piece on an instrument or voice.
Maximum performance time will be 5 minutes.

Electives (60 marks)

Candidates may choose any combination of electives to the value of 60 marks.

Performance (20 marks)

Candidates will perform one piece on an instrument or voice for each Performance

elective.

Maximum performance time will be 5 minutes.

Composition (20 marks)

Candidates will compose and submit one original composition for each Composition

elective.

Maximum composition length will be 4 minutes.

Musicology (20 marks)

Candidates will prepare and present one viva voce for each Musicology elective.
Length of viva voce will be 10 minutes.

See Requirements for the practical examination and electives, below.

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

Summary of external and internal HSC assessment

External examination Mark Internal assessment Weighting

Written examination – Aural Performance Core 10
Skills 30
Composition Core 10
Four short-answer questions
Musicology Core 10
Practical examination – Core
20*
Performance Aural Core 25
Electives 60* Elective 1 15
100 Elective 2 15
Elective 3 15
100

*The marks for Core Performance and the Electives will be converted to a mark out of 70,
giving a total mark out of 100 for the examination.

Resources and advice

Further guidance and advice related to assessment and the HSC examination in Music 1 can
be found on the Board’s website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc.

Requirements for the practical examination and electives

Students will study at least THREE topics from the list provided on page 11 of the Music 1
Stage 6 syllabus. The topics must be either THREE topics which are different from those
studied in the Preliminary course, or TWO topics which are different from those studied in the
Preliminary course and ONE topic from the Preliminary course which shows greater depth of
understanding, explores new repertoire and includes a comparative study.

Students will also choose THREE electives made up of any combination of performance,
composition or musicology. These three electives must reflect the three topics studied in the
HSC course.

While more than three topics may be studied during the HSC course, only three topics are to
be presented for the HSC examination. Candidates must provide brief details on a
‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet of the Performance, Composition, Musicology
and Aural activities undertaken in each of the three topics presented for examination in the
HSC course.

The ‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet, which is supplied by the Board of Studies,
is completed by the student and handed to the examiners at the commencement of the
practical examination.

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

Performance and Musicology electives will be examined at the same time as the core practical
examination. Composition electives will be examined in the form of submitted works.

Development of the practical task(s) and/or submitted work(s) may commence from the
beginning of the HSC course.

Schools must have procedures in place that will allow effective supervision of the
development of students’ submitted work. This is particularly the case where work is done
away from school. Schools must be confident that effective supervision and sufficient
documentation of this work is possible before giving consent for students to begin work on
their practical work.

Teachers must certify that the submitted work has been completed under their supervision,
and that the rules and procedures described here and in the Board’s ACE Manual have been
followed.

Principals must be able to endorse the teacher’s declaration that the submitted work:
• has been done under the teacher’s supervision
• is the student’s own work consistent with earlier drafts and other examples of the
student’s work
• was completed by the due date.

Performance – Core and Elective

Performance – Core
Maximum performance time: 5 minutes.

All candidates will perform ONE piece on an instrument of their choice or voice. The piece
may be a solo or an ensemble item.

In the case of an ensemble item, the part performed by the candidate in the ensemble must be
clearly displayed.

The piece must represent ONE of the THREE topics studied in the HSC course as nominated
on the ‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet.

Performance – Elective
Maximum performance time: 5 minutes.

Candidates will perform ONE piece for each Performance elective. The piece must represent
ONE of the THREE topics studied in the HSC course, as nominated on the ‘Certification of
Course Topics Studied’ sheet. If more than one Performance elective is presented, each
performance must represent a different topic from THREE topics studied in the HSC course
as nominated on the ‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet.

The performance may be a solo or an ensemble item. In the case of an ensemble item, the part
performed by the candidate in the ensemble must be clearly displayed.

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 Assessment and Reporting in Music 1 Stage 6

Performance – General
Students will be assessed on the musical effectiveness of their performance during the
examination. Students should be able to demonstrate in performance an understanding of the
stylistic features of music representing the topics studied.

A performance must be accompanied unless a work was composed to be performed

unaccompanied. Accompaniments may be live or pre-recorded. In the case of pre-recorded
accompaniments, the part of the candidate must be clearly displayed and must not be included
on the recording.

Electronic instruments may be used as solo instruments or as an accompaniment or as part of

an ensemble.

The legitimate use of technology such as synthesisers, MIDI-controlled instruments

(sequencers, drum machines, electronic percussion and samplers) and recorded
accompaniment (digital audio tapes and audio tapes) must be appropriate to the performance.

The use of technology should not delay the examination process. Sound and balance checks
should be carried out before the examination begins. Candidates’ programs should be
scheduled to allow students to use the same technology without delaying the examination
process.

No-one other than the performers and examiners is permitted in the examination venue.
Ensemble members, accompanists and page turners are permitted for the duration of the piece
in which they are involved.

A form will be supplied by the Board of Studies on which all students will list the title of the
piece, the composer, the course topic represented, performance times of the items and the
order of performance. This form will be handed to the examiners at the commencement of the
practical examination.

Teachers are reminded to contact the Office of the Board of Studies to seek advice and
permission if their students wish to use unusual or less conventional musical instruments or
sound sources in the examinations. It is not necessary to seek permission to use standard
orchestral or band instruments, voice or instruments specific to a particular world culture.

Students must adhere to time limits.

The core performance and any elective performances will be examined in the same
examination session.

Performance examination criteria

Candidates will be assessed on their musical effectiveness through:
• demonstration of technical skills
• stylistic interpretation of the chosen repertoire
• sense of musical expression and sensitivity to the chosen repertoire
• demonstration of solo and/or ensemble techniques.

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Composition – Elective
Maximum composition length: 4 minutes.

Candidates will submit to the Board of Studies ONE original composition for each
Composition elective.

The Composition must represent ONE of the THREE topics studied in the HSC course, as
nominated on the ‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet.

If more than one Composition elective is presented, each Composition must represent a
different topic from within the THREE topics studied in the HSC course, as nominated on the
‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet.

TWO copies of the written score and recording must be made. ONE copy of the written score
and recording is to be submitted to the Board of Studies and the second copy and
Composition Portfolio should be retained at the school. This copy should be available if
necessary during the HSC examination marking operation.

A Composition Portfolio is to be developed as a record of the compositional process. This

Portfolio may be requested by the Board of Studies to validate authorship of the composition.
See the Music Stage 6 Support Document for more details regarding the Composition
portfolio.

For the purpose of the Higher School Certificate examination, the term ‘Composition’ applies
to original works. The composition should be of a musically substantial nature and should
reflect an understanding of the stylistic features of the topic that it represents.

The marking of submitted compositions is based on both the written score and the recording.
The recording is used as a guide to the intentions of the composer, and therefore the technical
quality will not be taken into consideration. All details necessary to realise the score must be
included on the submitted manuscript. Traditional and non-traditional notation is acceptable.
If non-traditional notation is used, a key should accompany the score. Scores may be printed
by computer. Page and bar numbers are to be included on each work and instruments/voices
should be labelled on each page opening.

A statement of authenticity will be required, signed by the student, teacher and principal to
validate the authenticity of the composition. This statement is to be included with the
submitted composition.

Compositions must adhere to time limits.

Composition examination criteria

Candidates will be assessed on how well they demonstrate:
• stylistic understanding and topic representation
• understanding of musical concepts and the relationships between them
• knowledge of score conventions and performance directions.

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Musicology – Elective
Length of viva voce: 10 minutes.

Candidates will prepare and present ONE viva voce for each Musicology elective.

The viva voce must represent ONE of the THREE topics studied in the HSC course, as
nominated in the ‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet.

Candidates may specialise within a topic. Candidates must demonstrate their understanding of
musical concepts and stylistic features of music studied. By referring to relevant musical
examples which they may bring into the examination – these may include the use of cued
tapes, compact discs or other digital media, scores and an instrument/voice to demonstrate
relevant musical points.

If more than one Musicology elective is presented, each viva voce must represent a different
topic from within the THREE topics studied in the HSC course, as nominated on the
‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet.

The Musicology viva voce is a two-way discussion between examiner and student in which
the student must demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of music in the topics studied.
The viva voce must have a musical focus based on extensive listening. Students may focus on
a specific area of the topic studied, which they will outline for the examiners on the ‘Viva
Voce Outline Summary Sheet’.

Candidates will present to examiners one copy of the ‘Viva Voce Outline Summary Sheet’
outlining the area of study for examination. The candidate may keep a copy of the same
Outline Summary Sheet for their own use in the examination.

No cue cards or prepared notes are to be brought into the examination, apart from the ‘Viva
Voce Outline Summary Sheet’ supplied by the Board of Studies. The viva voce will be based
on the Outline Summary Sheet and will focus on students’ understanding of musical concepts
within the music and topic studied.

Musicology examination criteria

Candidates will be assessed on how well they demonstrate:
• a musicological focus
• an understanding of the chosen topic
• an understanding of musical concepts and the relationship between them
• relevant musical examples that support the discussion.

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