Australian Islamic College of Sydney
Stage 6
2018 – 2019
Subject Information Handbook
for the
Preliminary Course
and
Higher School Certificate Course
Contents
Australian Islamic College of Sydney
Introduction and Forward
HSC COURSES
Choosing your compulsory English course
Understanding your Maths options
Advice for students choosing HSC courses
Meeting HSC eligibility requirements
Course Unit Value
Types of Higher School Certificate Courses
Category A courses offered at the Australian Islamic College of Sydney in the Preliminary Course are:
Category B courses: (Not offered at AICS)
Board Endorsed Courses. (BEC)
Vocational Education Courses (VET)
TAFE-VET Courses
Understanding HSC pathways
HSC-University pathways
Useful links
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
Who calculates the ATAR?
Why are marks scaled in determining the ATAR?
How does scaling work?
Frequently asked questions
BOARD DEVELOPED COURSES
ENGLISH
Rationale for English Extension
Rationale for English Extension 2
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
MATHEMATICS
Rationale
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Course Structure and Requirements
BIOLOGY
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Requirements for Practical Investigations
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Requirements for Practical Investigations
CHEMISTRY
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Requirements for Practical Investigations
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Requirements for Practical Investigations
PHYSICS
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Requirements for Practical Investigations
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Requirements for Practical Investigations
ANCIENT HISTORY
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
MODERN HISTORY
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
BUSSINESS STUDIES
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
Course Structure and Requirements
ECONOMICS
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
STUDIES OF RELIGION
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
LEGAL STUDIES
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
SENIOR SCIENCE
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education)
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
Year 11 and 12 Course Structure and Requirements
ISLAMIC STUDIES
Introduction and Forward
Dear Students,
This booklet is designed to help you make wise decisions about your pattern of study for Year 11 2017. Choosing how to continue with schooling past the compulsory years is a significant milestone in your life journey. It is important that you take the time to consider your options. Listen carefully to the advice you will be given and make realistic assessments of your abilities and interests. Senior study requires increased commitment and application. All senior courses are demanding, but by choosing courses that match your abilities and interests you will be able to minimise stress and to maximise your chances of an enjoyable, successful two years.
This booklet is divided into THREE sections. Part A contains general information that you are advised to read carefully. The information contained in Part B of the booklet is from the Board of Studies and it provides a guideline to assist you in your subject selection. Part C outlines the subject selection process. It is recommended that you read the UAC Guide if you are planning to attend University. Through the subject selection process, your teachers at Australian Islamic College of Sydney will also be happy to discuss options with you.
The staff members at the Australian Islamic College of Sydney are looking forward to continuing to work with you during the next two years. We hope to challenge you to strive for personal excellence and to become independent, self- motivated learners. The next two years will be a time for us to work together as we help and support one another to successfully complete Years 11 and 12. We are looking forward to having young women and men who can leave the Australian Islamic College of Sydney well qualified and prepared to live full Muslim lives in which they continue to live out our school motto “Seek Knowledge and Serve thy Nation”.
Yours faithfully,
Mr Imam Ali Mr Zulqarnan Malik
Principal Assistant Principal
HSC COURSES
To get your Higher School Certificate (HSC), you must complete at least 12 units of Preliminary courses and 10 units of HSC courses, including English. Most HSC courses are worth 2 units.
You need to satisfactorily complete the Preliminary course (usually in Year 11) before you can start the corresponding HSC course (usually in Year 12).
There are two main types of HSC courses: Board Developed Courses and Board Endorsed Courses.
NESA develops Board Developed Courses. Your achievement in these can count towards your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
Board Developed Courses cover:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Technology
- Creative Arts
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
- Human Society and its Environment (HSIE)
- Languages
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) Curriculum Frameworks.
Read more about Board Developed Coursesubjectsand their descriptions.
Board Endorsed Courses are ones that schools, TAFEs or universities generally develop. They contribute to the HSC, but don’t count towards your ATAR.
To help plan your Year 11 and Year 12 studies read more on choosing HSC courses.
Choosing your compulsory English course
The two main English courses are English Advanced andEnglish Standard.
English Advanced is a higher level course for students who might want to study English at university. It includes literary texts like Shakespeare, and is a pre- or co-requisite for English Extension courses. English Extension 1 allows more specialised study, while English Extension 2 requires you to create a major work.
English Standard caters for a wide range of students. It develops and refines reading, writing, listening and speaking skills to enhance your personal, social and job opportunities.
English Studies is a Content Endorsed Course(CEC), which does not have an external exam. It is for students who plan to follow vocational interests after leaving school. It gives you the skills, knowledge and understanding to use language appropriately for future study, work and citizenship.
English as a Second Language(ESL) is for students who have been educated in English for five years or less, either in Australia or overseas. The strict eligibility rules for this course are on theACE website.
Understanding your Maths options
There are two 2-unit maths courses that contribute to the ATAR –Mathematics(‘2 unit’) andMathematics General 2.
Mathematics (‘2 Unit’)includes calculus, and is a pre- or co-requisite for Maths Extension courses. Mathematics Extension 2 is the highest level maths course, for students with a special interest and ability. You can study Mathematics Extension 2 as well as or after completing Mathematics Extension 1.
MathematicsGeneral 2does not include calculus. It suits students who want to work in jobs that use various mathematical and statistical techniques.
Mathematics General 1 does not count towards the 6 units of Board Developed Courses required to be eligible for the HSC, or the 10 units required for calculating an ATAR. It is a Content Endorsed Course (CEC) with no external exam. It suits students who want to study maths but do not wish to study it at university.
Advice for students choosing HSC courses
Your aim is to attain the best HSC result you can. So, you should choose courses that you are good at, interested in and may use in the future.
When considering which courses to study, explore the content of a course. For example, what are the course outcomes? Will you be required to submit a major work, or perform, as part of your exams? Talk with your teachers about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as individual course requirements, before making your selections.
Meeting HSC eligibility requirements
To be eligible for the HSC, you must:
- satisfactorily complete Years 9 and 10 or gain other qualifications that satisfy NESA
- attend a government school, an accredited non-government school, a NSW Education Standards Authority recognised school outside NSW, or a TAFE college
- complete HSC: All My Own Work (or its equivalent) before you submit any work for Preliminary or HSC courses, unless you are only entered for Year 11 and Year 12 Life Skills courses
- satisfactorily complete courses in the patterns of study detailed below
- sit for and make a serious attempt at the required HSC exams.
Certain patterns of study and course requirements apply
You must satisfactorily complete:
- a Preliminary pattern of study that includes at least 12 units
- an HSC pattern of study that includes at least 10 units.
Both patterns of study must include at least:
- 6 units of Board Developed Courses
- 2 units of a Board Developed Course in English, or English Studies
- 3 courses of 2 or more units (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses)
- 4 subjects.
Some courses have certain rules and prerequisites. For example, you can include English Studies in your 6 units of Board Developed Courses, but you can’t count it as the 2 units of English that UAC uses to calculate an ATAR.
There are also specific eligibility rules for some Languages courses, such as Beginners and Heritage, to ensure your course is at the appropriate level for your experience.
Enrolling in a course that you are not eligible for could put your HSC at risk, so carefully check your eligibility for all courses you are entered for. You can find out more about eligibility, rules and prerequisites on our website.
Course Unit Value
All courses offered for the Higher School Certificate have a unit value. Subjects may have a value of 1 unit or 2 units. Most courses are 2 unit. The number of units indicates the length of time for which a course is taught each week, and the number of marks it counts for in the Higher School Certificate. Each unit of a course is equivalent to approximately 60 hours of study per year and marked out of 50. The following is a guideline to help you understand the pattern of courses.
2 UNIT COURSEThis is the basic structure for all courses. The course is studied for approximately 120 hours per year and marked out of 100 for the Higher School Certificate. Two unit Board Developed Courses offer suitable preparation for the study of that subject at tertiary level.
EXTENSION COURSE Extension study is available in a number of subjects. Extension courses offer suitable preparation for the study of that subject at tertiary level and build on the content of the 2 unit course carrying an additional value of 1 unit. Requiring students to work beyond the standard of the 2 unit course, extension courses are available in English, Mathematics, History, Music, some Languages and VET.
English and Mathematics Extension Courses are available at Preliminary and Higher School Certificate levels. Students must study the Preliminary extension course in these subjects before proceeding to the two Higher School Certificate extension courses (Extension 1 and Extension 2). The Extension 2 course requires students to work beyond the standard of the Extension 1 course.
Higher School Certificate extension courses in subjects other than English and Mathematics are made available to students after completion of the Preliminary course if the student shows exceptional ability in the subject area.
.
1 UNIT COURSEA1unitcourseisequivalenttoapproximately60hoursofstudyperyearand marked out of 50. Studies of Religion may be undertaken as either a 1 unit or 2 unit courses.
Types of Higher School Certificate Courses
Senior courses are divided into Preliminary and Higher School Certificate components. Preliminary courses begin Term 1, Year 11 and conclude at the end of Term 3, Year 11. Higher School Certificate courses begin when students have satisfactorily completed the requirements of the Preliminary course.
Board Developed Courses (BDC)
These courses are developed by the Board of Studies. There is a syllabus for each course, which contains:
▪the course objectives, structure, content and outcomes
▪specific course requirements
▪assessment requirements
▪sample examination papers and marking guidelines
▪the performance scale
All students entered for the Higher School Certificate who are studying these courses follow these syllabuses. These courses are examined externally at the end of the Higher School Certificate course and can count towards the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). Board developed courses are given a category for the purpose of calculating the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. No more than 2 units of Category B Courses can be used in the calculation of the ATAR.
Category A courses offered at the Australian Islamic College of Sydney in the Preliminary Course are:
1
SUBJECTEnglish Standard (2units)
English Advance (2units)
English Extension (1unit)
General Mathematics 2 (2units)
Mathematics (2units)
Mathematics Extension 1 (1unit)
Modern History (2units)
Economics (2units)
Business Studies (2units)
Studies of Religion (2units)
Society and Culture (2units)
Legal Studies (2units)
Senior Science (2units)
Physics (2units)
Chemistry (2units)
Biology (2units)
PDHPE (2units)
Industrial Technology (2units)
1
Category B courses: (Not offered at AICS)
26087 Automotive Examination 2unit Automotive (Vehicle Body)
26089 Automotive Examination 2unit Automotive (Mechanical Technology)
26199 Business Services Examination 2unit Business Services
26299 Construction Examination 2unit Construction
26399 Electrotechnology Examination 2unit Electrotechnology
26499 Entertainment Industry Examination 2unit Entertainment Industry
27299 Financial Services Examination 2unit Financial Services
26587 Hospitality Examination 2unit Hospitality (Kitchen Operations and Cookery)
26589 Hospitality Examination 2unit Hospitality (Food and Beverage)
27199 Human Services Examination 2unit Human Services
27385 Information and Digital Technology 2unit Information and Digital Examination (Digital Animation) Technology
27387 Information and Digital Technology 2unit Information and Digital Examination (Networking and Technology Hardware)
27389 Information and Digital Technology 2unit Information and Digital Examination (Web and Software Technology Applications)
26799 Metal and Engineering Examination 2unit Metal and Engineering
17195 Primary Industries Examination 2unit Primary Industries
26999 Retail Services Examination 2unit Retail Services
27499 Tourism, Travel and Events 2unit Tourism
Board Endorsed Courses. (BEC)
There are two main types of Board Endorsed Courses – Content Endorsed Courses and School Designed Courses.
▪Content Endorsed Courses (CEC) have syllabuses endorsed by the Board of Studies to cater for areas of special interest not covered in the Board Developed Courses.
▪Schools may also design special courses to meet student needs. The Board of Studies must approve these courses. Once approval is granted, schools offer selected courses to senior students as part of the Higher School Certificate.
There is no external examination for any Board Endorsed Courses, but all Board Endorsed Courses count towards the Higher School Certificate and appear on your Record of Achievement.
Board Endorsed Courses studied in Year 12 are recorded on the Higher School Certificate, with a single school assessment mark being given. There are examinations throughout the course, but students do not sit for the Higher School Certificate examination. Board Endorsed Courses do not count towards the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
At present AICS does not offer such courses.
Vocational Education Courses (VET)
Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are offered as part of the Higher School Certificate. They enable students to study courses, which are relevant to industry needs and have clear links to post-school destinations. These courses allow students to gain Higher School Certificate qualifications, an ATAR and accreditation with industry and the workplace as part of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The national framework is recognised across Australia and helps students to move easily between the various education and training sectors and employment. These courses each have a specific workplace component and a minimum number of hours that students spend in the workplace or a simulated workplace at school. Students receive special documentation showing the competencies gained.
All Vocational Education is designed to lead to employment and further study, including university study. Courses are module based and each module contains a number of competencies to be achieved. Courses studied at school will lead to either a Statement of Attainment or Certificate II. Certificate IV leads on to a Diploma level from which students can access Degree qualifications at a University. If you require more information on these courses you will need to see the Mrs James.
TAFE-VET Courses
These are selected Board Developed or Board Endorsed Vocational Education and Training courses delivered by TAFE at TAFE. They are one year, 2 unit courses designed to allow Year 11 and 12 students to participate in established TAFE courses. The courses count as 2 unit towards the Higher School Certificate when done in the Higher School Certificate year and are also given accreditation by TAFE. Students undertaking Board Endorsed Vocational Education and Training courses do not sit for the Higher School Certificate examination and they do not count towards the Australian Tertiary Admission rank (ATAR).
Understanding HSC pathways
While most students complete their HSC over two years during Years 11 and 12, there are other options. If you want to study while you work, care for your family or, for example, take part in elite sports or cultural activities, one of these five pathways may be suitable for you.