South Australia has first Year 12 end-of-year electronic exam

In a nod to the changing technological face of education more than 2,000 students will become the first in Australia to sit a Year 12 end-of-year electronic exam when the new format is used for Stage 2 English Literary Studies (ELS) on 7 November 2018.

Throughout this week just over 900 students from 44 schools will have the chance to familiarise themselves with the new format when they sit a trial ELS examination.

This week’s trials mark the end of a series of trial exams for 2128 students from 117 schools who have studied the subject this year. The final one-hour 40-minute examination is worth 15% of a student’s overall mark.

SACE Board of SA Chief Executive Prof Martin Westwell said the introduction of electronic examinations will not only match how students are learning in the classroom but also better reflect the world outside of school.

“South Australian English Literary Studies students will make history when they sit their exam using an electronic format,” Westwell said.

“Electronic examinations recognise the ways students use computers in their learning and everyday lives, with more schools and students using technology to support their learning and assessment.

“Today the traditional pen and paper examination is increasingly becoming an outdated method of assessing students. The electronic examination offers students the chance to apply the skills and capabilities they have developed throughout their school career.

“We have worked in partnership with schools and the schooling sectors for the past year to get to this point.

“Schools have done a fantastic job getting their students ready to successfully participate in the English Literary Studies examination and we are all ready for the 7 November exam.”

The SACE Board has entered into a partnership with third-party vendor SONET Systems to deliver electronic examinations.

Students are using school-issued or their own device to complete the electronic examination.

Students will log on to a locked down examination browser where they will be unable to access the internet. They will be able to read the text and type in their responses to the questions in the relevant box, and be able to cut and paste text, highlight text and navigate on the screen. Spellchecker will not be enabled.

Prof Westwell said no student will be disadvantaged by the new format.

“As per current process, students who need additional support can apply to their school for special provisions, with each case being assessed on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

“If there is a prolonged period of connection outage, students will be able to complete the examination using a like-for-like paper version.”

The English Literary Studies electronic and paper version examination will be marked and moderated online.