When students are not eligible for derived grades
Students can’t receive a derived grade because of:
- avoidable circumstances within their control or responsibility
- family-related matters or personal commitments
- claims an examination or assessment is too difficult
- losing some or all of their portfolio.
We also can’t approve derived grades because of a student’s:
- exam stress or anxiety
- minor ailment, like a cough, cold or headache
- minor traffic incident.
On this page
Avoidable circumstances within a student’s control or responsibility
Derived grades are not available to students who:
- arrive at the wrong time for an exam or assessment, or arrive more than 30 minutes late and can’t enter
- miss an exam or assessment because the school made an error in the entry
- lose their equipment or admission slips and become stressed before the exam or assessment
- have transport problems, for example, run out of gas and arrive late for an exam.
These are avoidable circumstances within the student’s control or responsibility.
Schools should have procedures to check entries and provide replacement admission slips. Students are responsible for checking their entries.
Family-related matters and personal commitments
Derived grades are not available when students:
- need to work or look after children and can’t study
- break up with their partner
- choose to participate in an event that clashes with an exam or assessment, or their preparation. For example, an overseas family holiday, an interview, or an exam for another organisation.
Students selected for national representation in a sport, academic or cultural event may be eligible for a derived grade:
Claims an assessment or exam is too difficult
We can’t approve derived grades when a student:
- says the examination or assessment was too difficult
- says their school didn’t teach them well
- says their school didn’t teach them important information.
Any student could suggest that a school or teacher disadvantaged them, so these situations are not eligible for derived grades.
Instead, these claims should be investigated by the school using the school’s own review processes.
Losing some or all of a portfolio or report
Derived grades aren’t available when a student:
- loses some or all the data or material in their report submission
- loses some or all the data or material in their portfolio submission.
This applies to:
- Level 2 and 3 Design and Visual Communication
- Level 2 and 3 Technology
- Level 3 Visual Arts
- Level 3 Education for Sustainability.
Students and schools are responsible for looking after data and material that’s part of an externally assessed submission, including backups of digital material.