Senior's Say
Year 12 External Examinations
All year 12’s have received information from the College and QCAA about the upcoming External Examinations.
The external assessment timetable for 2023 is located here.
QCAA external assessment timetable 2023
QCAA has an excellent resource on the myQCE website called the “External Assessment Guide for students”. This is found on the website External assessment | myQCE (qcaa.qld.edu.au)
How can I prepare?
Senior syllabuses
General senior syllabuses provide information about external assessment for each subject.
Sample papers
View the sample papers for the subjects you study, to get an idea of what external assessment will be like. You can find them in the Assessment tab on each General syllabus page on the QCAA website.
Equipment
Each syllabus details the equipment you will need for the external assessment. It may include:
- Blue or black pens
- Pencils (2B)
- A sharpener
- A clear plastic ruler
- An eraser
- Approved calculator
- Specific equipment
On the day, students may bring your equipment in a clear container or zip-lock bag. Students may also bring water in a clear unlabelled bottle.
Mobile phones, smart watches and/or other electronic devices will not be permitted in the examination room.
The External assessment equipment list (PDF, 175.3 KB) contains information about the approved equipment for all assessments, including calculators, student devices, subject-specific equipment and prohibited items.
The 2023 external assessments will be held from Monday 23 October to Tuesday 14 November.
The 2023 external assessment timetable has been designed to:
- minimise clashes for students across the 17 days of external assessments. Where there is a clash within a morning or afternoon session, students will be allocated to the alternative session on the same day
- ensure students sit no more than two external assessments on one day
- provide sufficient breaks between external assessments for popular courses and frequently combined courses
- enable all external assessments to be marked in time for students to receive their final Year 12 results.
Directions for students
External assessments are administered by schools in line with the QCAA’s requirements. Students must also follow the requirements outlined in the Directions for students (PDF, 243.1 KB).
Year 9 2024 Subject Information
As students progress through secondary schooling, the demands and expectations will increase. Students are responsible for their studies and the results that they achieve. Parents/Guardians and teachers can offer guidance and support, but ultimately success will rely on the student’s ability to apply themselves to their studies, establish good study habits, set goals, revise work consistently, and persevere.
Information about subjects and the selections process has been sent to families with reponses due 27 October.
RE: College Photoshoot.
On Tuesday 24 October 2023 photographers aligned with our promotional team, DMS, will be at the College to take promotional photos of the students to be used as part of marketing and advertising for the College.
We have selected classes from across the College to have their photo taken. Some of the current Year 9 and 10 classes will be a part of the photo shoot, running from 8.50am to 3.10pm on this day.
Students will not be required for the entire photo shoot, only for the style of photos they would be best suited to i.e., AG students dressed in AG attire involved in AG class photos.
Personal grooming should be of a high standard. The only jewellery acceptable is PLAIN sleepers or studs (no coloured or pearl earrings, no necklaces).
Top 10 tips for studying smart
- Plan your study time into 50 minute blocks. Take a break. Reset your brain for maximum concentration.
- Schedule what you will do during break times. Refresh your mind by moving your body – walk the dog, dance, go for a run.
- Focus on understanding rather than memorising. The more you understand the less your have to remember.
- Make posters of important dates and equations and stick them up in your room, in your shower (laminated) or on the back of the toilet door.
- Use wordle.net to create word clouds of key themes and topics.
- Visit Khan Academy online. Khan will tutor you for free with online videos.
- Sleep 9.25 hours per night for optimum brain function. Keep a notepad on your bedside table to stop diarrhoea of the brain and make notes if you can’t sleep.
- Know the schedule of exams and allow plenty of time to get there. Avoid the early morning rush.
- When it all get to much, go sit in a tree to get a fresh perspective.
- Be Positive. A positive mindset will not create talent but it will release it.
Mr Rodney Spain
Assistant Principal – Senior Years