If you are studying QCAA General subjects, you will sit external assessments at the end of Year 12 as part of your assessment for each subject.
External assessments are subject-based written exams that are:
- common to all schools
- summative — they count towards your final subject result for QCAA General subjects
- developed and marked by the QCAA.
Most students sit external assessments at their school, but there are circumstances where a variation to venue may be required.
How do they contribute to results?
Final results in General subjects are based on your achievement in three internal assessments and one external assessment.
In most General subjects, external assessment contributes 25% towards your final subject result.
In General Mathematics and Science subjects, external assessment contributes 50% to your final subject result.
Your external assessment result is not used to scale your internal assessment results.
The result is added to the total for the internal assessments to give a mark out of 100 and a grade of A-E for each subject.
What do they test?
Depending on the subject, external assessments assess your knowledge of the subject matter from either Unit 4 or Units 3 and 4 of the syllabus.
Most General subjects have one assessment paper.
Mathematics and Sciences subjects have two assessment papers.
The format of the exam will vary, depending on your subjects — it may consist of multiple choice questions, short response questions, or an extended response task.
Each subject syllabus contains specific details about the external assessment, including what will be tested, the format of the assessment and the response length.
How are they developed and marked?
Each year, tens of thousands of Year 12 students sit external exams in QCAA subjects. This video explains how the exams are developed and marked.
Each year, tens of thousands of Year 12 students sit external exams in QCAA subjects. Exams are written for about 70 subjects by teams that include Queensland teachers, academics and QCAA staff.
We start with an assessment proposal for each subject which we check against the syllabus. Writing teams develop the exam questions and marking guides and draft the exam papers. Next, subject matter experts sit the exams and provide feedback to ensure the exams are of a high standard and allow students to show what they’ve learnt and to produce their best work. Then we edit the exams, including illustrations and graphics.
We also create alternative format papers so as many students as possible can access the exams. These include braille papers and papers with large font sizes and electronic papers for students who need to respond on-screen.
It takes several rounds of checking and editing before the exam papers are ready to print and send to schools by secure transport. During the exam period, completed papers are collected daily and scanned for marking.
Over 3,000 Queensland teachers mark students’ responses online. It takes them about a month to mark all subjects.
We make sure marking is accurate and reliable through comprehensive training for markers and quality assurance processes during the marking operation. Markers are trained using real student responses. They generally specialise in certain questions or criteria being assessed.
Marking teams are led by specially trained lead markers who provide support and guidance to colleagues. Each marker’s performance is monitored by checking the marks they have awarded and their consistency in applying the marking guide. Finally, we combine all this information with feedback from lead and chief markers and data on student performance, to inform the development of future exams.
Key dates and details
The 2024 external assessments will be held in Term 4, from Monday 21 October to Tuesday 12 November.
If you're sitting external assessments, it is important to know what equipment you need and the directions you'll need to follow.
The 2024 external assessments will be held in Term 4, from Monday 21 October to Tuesday 12 November.
The timetable is available on the QCAA website and is designed to:
- minimise clashes for students across the external assessment period. 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 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.
Students will be able to view their personalised timetable in the Student Portal once it is available.
It is important you have the equipment you need for each of your external assessments.
The 2024 equipment list is available on the QCAA website.
Approved equipment for all assessments
- black or blue pens
- 2B pencils, sharpener and eraser
- highlighters
- a clear plastic rule
- water in a clear unlabelled bottle
- asthma inhaler
On the day, you may bring your equipment in a clear container or zip-lock bag. You may also bring water in a clear unlabelled bottle.
As well as general stationery items, you may need specific equipment such as calculators, wired earphones/headphones or other items.
The subject syllabus also details the equipment you will need for the external assessment.
Subject-specific equipment
Depending on your subjects, you may need specific equipment for external assessment, such as QCAA-approved calculators, coloured pencils, wired earphones or other items, The 2024 equipment list on the QCAA website contains a list of all subject-specific items.
Prohibited materials
The below items are not permitted in any assessment room, except if they are listed as approved equipment for a subject or if approved as an AARA.
- mobile phones
- smart watches and fitness trackers
- any other electronic device that stores, retrieves, displays or communicates digital information
- correction fluid or correction tape
- dictionaries
- erasable pens
- blank paper, notes or printed/written material
- tissues (schools may supply tissues but students cannot bring them into an examination room)
It’s important that students know what they can and cannot do during external assessments.
The QCAA’s external assessments are administered by schools in line with the QCAA’s requirements. Students must also follow the requirements outlined in Directions for students: External assessment, which is available on the QCAA website.
If you breach any of the directions, your external assessment result may be withheld.
EA basics — approved equipment
Preparation is key with external assessments.
This video shows items that are approved for all assessments, but you may also need specific equipment.
Check the equipment list on the QCAA website to make sure you have everything you need.
EA basics — response books
It's important to fill out your response book carefully when you're sitting assessments
Make sure your details go where they need to, pay attention to the instructions and take care when filling out multi-choice bubbles.
This video includes basic tips to follow.
Resources to help you prepare
There are lots of resources to help you prepare for external assessment. Your school will also help you prepare by teaching the subject matter and helping you understand how you will be assessed.
2024 external assessment guide
The 2024 external assessment guide is designed to help you get ready for external assessment.
It includes information about what will be tested and the equipment you’ll need, plus tips and advice to help you study more effectively and look after your health and wellbeing.
General senior syllabuses provide information about external assessment for each subject.
Review the subject matter that will be assessed and look over the assessment techniques. You should also check the external assessment description in the syllabus — it gives an overview of how you'll be assessed, what the objectives are and what you'll be required to do.
To help schools prepare students for external assessment, the QCAA has developed sample papers for more than 50 subjects.
Past papers are also available for most General subjects.
View the sample papers and past papers for the subjects you study, to get an idea of what external assessment will be like.
You can find sample papers and past papers in the Assessment tab on each General syllabus page on the QCAA website.
Check out the get motivated pages for information and advice to help you:
- organise yourself and your workload
- maintain good academic habits and study effectively
- stay healthy and happy
- find support when you need it
- get advice from past students.
Health and wellbeing tips with Dr Judith Locke
Watch our series of videos featuring clinical psychologist, Dr Judith Locke, for practical tips and advice to help you study effectively and maintain a healthy balance. They focus on:
- study balance
- procrastination
- limiting distractions
- transforming information
- perfectionism
- exam stress
- sleep.
What to do if you are unwell
If you are unwell with any sickness such as COVID-19, influenza, glandular fever or gastroenteritis, you should contact your school’s external assessment coordinator immediately. Also seek medical advice and get a doctor’s report to give to your school. Your school will then make an illness and misadventure application to the QCAA. To make an informed decision about an illness and misadventure application for medical reasons, the QCAA requires a report from an independent health professional that includes the following details:
- The illness, condition or event (including details of a diagnosis, where applicable)
- Date of diagnosis, onset or occurrence
- Symptoms, treatment or course of action related to the condition or event
- Explanation of the probable effect of the illness, condition or event on the student’s participation in the assessment.
More information about illness and misadventure is available in the QCE and QCIA handbook on the QCAA website.
For COVID-19 advice, students should access the Queensland Government health advice and follow health directives.
How can I stay updated about changes to external assessment?
Your school will receive daily bulletins from the QCAA during the external assessment period and advise you of any changes to scheduled assessment conditions.
For general information about external assessment, students can follow myQCE on Instagram.
Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments
Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA) — formerly known as special provisions — enable equal access to external assessment for all students with disability or those who experience illness or misadventure.
Understanding AARA
When access to assessment is adversely affected, schools may apply access arrangements and reasonable adjustments, otherwise known as AARA, so students can demonstrate what they have learned during their studies, on the same basis as their peers. This video explains how AARA can help students and provides examples of some of the types of AARA that are available.
Download video
When access to assessment is adversely affected, schools may apply access arrangements and reasonable adjustments, otherwise known as AARA, so students can demonstrate what they have learned during their studies, on the same basis as their peers. AARA can help students with:
- long-term and chronic conditions, such as vision impairment, intellectual disability, physical impairment, a specific learning disorder, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder or diabetes
- short-term conditions and temporary injuries, such as a broken limb, a cold or mild concussion
- mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression
- illness and misadventure, such as measles, flu or other unexpected events such as flooding or the loss of a loved one during the exam period.
Decisions about AARA are based on a student’s individual circumstances and the impact of those circumstances on their assessment. So, AARA may be different for students with the same diagnosis, condition, circumstance or subject enrolment.
Students should talk to their school about the likely impact of their circumstances on their assessment and the adjustments they might need. This could be:
- different exam conditions, such as extra time, rest breaks or a separate supervised room
- different format papers
- use of a computer and assistive technology such as a screen reader, speech recognition or magnification software
- or rescheduling of internal assessment.
Schools will discuss the student’s circumstances with them and their parents or carers, confirm what documentation, if any, is required, and submit an AARA application to the QCAA on the student’s behalf if needed.
For more information about AARA, talk to your school.
