As we understand, your final HSC mark is a combination of your external exam mark, and the internal being roughly the exam mark of the student in your cohort who achieves the same rank in the exam as you received as your internal ranking. But how strictly does this follow? What if, for example, some high ranking students who decide in the end to not study get a much lower mark than expected, and you, another high ranking student, end up with their exam mark as your internal mark (or of lower ranked students in your cohort who were well behind)?
To explain my meaning, let's say there are 7 students with the following internal ranks and exam marks:
1. (96) Jack 95
2. (94) Jane 93
3. (92) Omar 90
4. (90) Ly 60 (didn't study)
5. (89) Andy 86
6. (72) Brianna 70 (there was always a big drop in the cohort's internals after rank 5)
7. (71) Amie 68
Therefore, Jack, Jane and Omar get their exam mark as their internal mark too. Because Ly couldn't be bothered studying, she only gets 60 for the exam, but as she was ranked 4th, she picks up Andy's 86 as her internal mark. Not bad for Ly. But how does that work for Andy? Andy is ranked 5, and was only one mark behind Ly in internal marks that gave that rank. But number 5 in the exam is not Andy, and is not even lazy Ly, but Brianna, who got 70, consistent with her internal marks. But there was always an enormous drop in the cohort after the first 5. Brianna only expects to get around 70 overall. But does Andy's mark and ATAR get wrecked because Ly was lazy?
In this scenario, the final marks are: Jack 95, Jane 93, Omar 90, Ly 73 (60+86=146/2), Andy 78 (86+70=156/2), Brianna 69 (70+68=138/2), Amy 64 (68+60=128/2)
So Jack, Jane, Omar, Brianna and Amy end up with marks more or less commensurate with their overall performance. Ly is punished for not studying by getting a much lower mark than internally. However, in this case Andy is also punished for Ly deciding to not study at all - Andy was only 3 marks behind Omar internally, but ends up 12 marks behind Omar through no fault of his own.
Is this correct? Or is there some kind of adjustment to make things fairer that takes into account the relative closeness of internal marks that gave rise to the ranks?
To explain my meaning, let's say there are 7 students with the following internal ranks and exam marks:
1. (96) Jack 95
2. (94) Jane 93
3. (92) Omar 90
4. (90) Ly 60 (didn't study)
5. (89) Andy 86
6. (72) Brianna 70 (there was always a big drop in the cohort's internals after rank 5)
7. (71) Amie 68
Therefore, Jack, Jane and Omar get their exam mark as their internal mark too. Because Ly couldn't be bothered studying, she only gets 60 for the exam, but as she was ranked 4th, she picks up Andy's 86 as her internal mark. Not bad for Ly. But how does that work for Andy? Andy is ranked 5, and was only one mark behind Ly in internal marks that gave that rank. But number 5 in the exam is not Andy, and is not even lazy Ly, but Brianna, who got 70, consistent with her internal marks. But there was always an enormous drop in the cohort after the first 5. Brianna only expects to get around 70 overall. But does Andy's mark and ATAR get wrecked because Ly was lazy?
In this scenario, the final marks are: Jack 95, Jane 93, Omar 90, Ly 73 (60+86=146/2), Andy 78 (86+70=156/2), Brianna 69 (70+68=138/2), Amy 64 (68+60=128/2)
So Jack, Jane, Omar, Brianna and Amy end up with marks more or less commensurate with their overall performance. Ly is punished for not studying by getting a much lower mark than internally. However, in this case Andy is also punished for Ly deciding to not study at all - Andy was only 3 marks behind Omar internally, but ends up 12 marks behind Omar through no fault of his own.
Is this correct? Or is there some kind of adjustment to make things fairer that takes into account the relative closeness of internal marks that gave rise to the ranks?