Queensland senior students ready to take on the QCS test

Education Minister Grace Grace today wished Year 12 students well as they prepare to sit the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test this week.

Ms Grace said around 28,000 Queensland Year 12 students will sit the tests, conducted by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 September.

“I encourage all students sitting their QCS this week to approach the tests with confidence – just relax and try your best,” Ms Grace said.

“You’ve done all the hard work over the course of your senior secondary schooling and now is the time to have confidence in your abilities.

“Students will complete four test papers over the next two days – a writing task, two multiple choice papers and a short response paper.

“These tests give our senior students an opportunity to showcase the full extent of their knowledge and skills.

“Students will be asked to respond to a variety of stimulus materials, such as prose passages, poetry, graphs, tables, maps, mathematical and scientific data, as well as cartoons, drawings and artistic works.”

Ms Grace said the QCS Test was used to fairly compare the achievements of students studying different QCAA Authority subjects at different schools.

“The results help to calculate Overall Positions (OPs) and Field Positions (FPs) which are used to select students for tertiary entrance,” she said.

“Students’ results on the QCS Test are graded from A to E and will be recorded on their Senior Statement in December.

“Even if a student isn’t going for an OP, a grade of ‘C’ or above will ensure they meet the literacy and numeracy requirements for the Queensland Certificate of Education.

“I wish every student completing the tests the very best of luck.

“I’d also like to thank every teacher and parent for their involvement in preparing and supporting students for this important test.”

Ms Grace said 2018 was the second last year of the QCS Tests in Queensland.

“From 2020, the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) will replace the Overall Position (OP) and QCS Test as the standard pathway to tertiary study for Queensland senior students,” she said.

“ATAR seeks to ensure that results are as inclusive and fair for all students as possible, with rankings to be generated directly from senior subject results through the use of inter-subject scaling.”

Media contact: Emma Clarey – 0439 578 472