Exam results out early again

Results from 1998 national examinations were released well ahead of the Authority’s target date. This was despite the fact that the 1998 examinations started a week later than in previous years.

Big numbers and small from the School Certificate, Bursaries, trades and vocational examinations. • To produce examination papers and answer booklets, the Authority’s printer printed about 750,000 pages. About 50 of these pages (0.0067%) were found to be either blank or inaccurately collated. • Of the 330,000 individual answer booklets completed by candidates, about 1000 (0.3%) were found to have marking or processing errors. Of the 6,000 Bursaries practical art folios, six folios (0.1%) were found to have marking or processing errors. • Of these 330,000 answer booklets, about 4,000 (1.2%) will be returned for reconsideration, to be re-marked by the chief markers. About one third of these (or about 0.4% of all answers) will have their marks changed as a result of the re-marking. Almost all of the changes will be by 1 or 2 marks. The Authority continues to work on quality improvements.

The 91,000 candidates in the 1998 University Bursaries, School Certificate and Trades and Vocational exams received their result notices before Friday 22 January.

More than 27,000 Bursaries and 64,000 School Certificate results were processed and delivered in four weeks following the completion of marking by Christmas Eve. Authority staff work over the holiday break every year to ensure results are accurate and released on time.

Exam candidates received their examination answer booklets by the end of January. They were able to check the marking and have their answer booklets reconsidered.

Examinations manager Michael Steer said he was pleased with the way marking and results processing had gone this year. “Nearly a quarter (about 230) of our markers sent results to the Authority by e-mail this year. This is still a trial but it has worked well and we will expand it next year. For the other markers we used couriers this year rather than the regular mail.

With those improvements, and extraordinary commitment from markers and the Authority’s staff, we have been able to get results out early yet again.”

Sixteen Year 13 students from Mount Aspiring College in Wanaka have recently been awarded the National Certificate in Educational Achievement at level 2, based on their performance on unit standards during 1998. One student was awarded an NCEA at level 3. These are the first NCEAs to be awarded in the South Island. Until now, only 60 NCEAs have been awarded in total across the country - all to North Island schools.