Queensland Core Skills Test

The Queensland Core Skills Test is a statewide test completed by all Queensland year twelve students who are eligible for an Overall Position and is optional (but beneficial) for tertiary rank students. These ranks are used to gain entrance into tertiary degrees and courses. In-school subject rankings given to students are scaled and moderated using the performance of the subject cohort at individual schools on the QCS test. The QCS test is the only statewide external exam conducted in the two senior years of secondary education (years 11 and 12).

The QCS Test is claimed to be an achievement test grounded in the year 12 curriculum, rather than a measure of intelligence or aptitude. Moreover, the test is aimed to be accessible to all students regardless of subject choice, with general knowledge, vocabulary and mathematics tested only to the common year 10 level.^[1] It is held over two consecutive days late in Term 3.^[2]

In 2010, a student-organised movement, fuelled by the popular social networking site Facebook suggested that students mention Bear Grylls in the writing task or in the short response task, similar to Project Clooney '09 in the General Achievement Test.^[3] A similar movement was started in 2011, substituting Harry Potter for Bear Grylls.^[4]

Format

The QCS Test comprises four papers—a two-hour writing task, a two-hour short-response, and two one-and-a-half-hour multiple-choice papers.^[2] These form the three modes of assessment—extended writing, short-response and multiple-choice.

The writing task requires students to write around 600 words of continuous English prose based on provided stimulus material and a set theme. This could include graphics, quotations and statistics.

The short response paper tests various skills through various tasks, including calculations, drawing and reasoning. The two multiple-choice papers require candidates to choose from four alternate answers for a variety of questions.

Results on the QCS test are returned to students as an overall grade from A to E with exit results in December.^[2]

Content tested

The test is designed by the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority to test 49 common curricular elements,^[2] including basic skills from "recognising letters, words and other symbols" to complex skills such as "hypothesising" and "expounding a viewpoint".^[5]

Previous writing task topics

• 2016 – Seeing Things^[6]
• 2015 – What Feeds Us^[7]
• 2014 – Who Cares?^[8]
• 2013 – Things Unknown^[9]
• 2012 – Getting There^[10]
• 2011 – Gold^[11]
• 2010 – Flight^[12]
• 2009 – Time^[13]
• 2008 – Circle^[14]
• 2007 – Essence^[15]
• 2006 – Shape^[16]
• 2005 – Discovery^[17]
• 2004 – What Matters^[18]
• 2003 – Face^[19]
• 2002 – Space^[20]
• 2001 – Light^[21]
• 2000 – Work

See also

• Education in Australia
• Overall Position
• University admission

References

1. Retrospective – 2012 Queensland Core Skills Test (PDF), Queensland Studies Authority, p. 102, retrieved 7 September 2013
2. Tanya Chilcott (4 September 2010). "Queensland Core Skills test revealed". The Courier Mail. News Limited. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
3. "Bear Grylls Facebook page". Facebook.
4. "Harry Potter Facebook page". Facebook.
5. "Common Curriculum Elements (CCEs)" (PDF). Queensland Government/Queensland Studies Authority. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
6. 2016 Queensland Core Skills Test WT – Paper 1. Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority. 2016.
7. "Writing Task (WT) (Part 3 of 5)" (PDF). Retrospective, 2015 Queensland Core Skills Test. Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
8. Retrospective: 2014 Queensland Core Skills Test Writing Task (WT) (PDF) (Report). Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. 2014. ISSN 1321-3938. The overall concept... was Who cares
9. "Writing Task (WT) (Part 3 of 5)" (PDF). Retrospective, 2013 Queensland Core Skills Test. Queensland Studies Authority. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
10. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
11. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
12. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
13. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
14. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
15. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
16. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
17. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
18. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
19. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
20. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
21. "Part 3: Writing Task" (PDF). Queensland Studies Authority. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.

External links

• Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority QCS page