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Moderator review guidelines

The Moderator Review Guidelines will help moderators in identifying some key features of the moderation sample in reviewing assigned grade levels. Moderators work individually in the online moderation space.

The following guidelines will help moderators to identify key evidence within the moderation sample and to review assigned grade levels:

  • Begin with the Performance Standard Record (PSR) Note the school result and profile of achievement recorded by the school
  • Note if variations in Moderation Materials (VMM) is provided before viewing student materials
  • Scan the assessment type as a whole, and then focus on evidence in specific tasks. It is not necessary for moderators to review every task or every detail in a task. A more detailed review is only necessary when doubt is raised about the grade level(s) assigned.
  • Actively look for evidence that is consistent with the assessment design criteria and grade level(s) assigned by the school.
  • Recognise unexpected evidence of the performance standards (e.g., any evidence of the assessment design criteria can be used to inform the moderator’s decision to confirm the school results).
  • Ignore distractors and evidence that is not relevant to the performance standards (e.g., effort, untidy work, teacher comments).
  • Avoid focusing on what is not there (e.g., one incomplete section of a task does not mean that the student has failed to demonstrate evidence of the assessment design criteria elsewhere in the assessment type).
  • When it is difficult to find evidence that is consistent with the grade level(s) assigned by the school, identify the assessment design criteria (or specific features for Stage 2 Research Project) that are inconsistent with the assigned grade level(s). Consider whether there is obvious and substantial evidence of the identified assessment design criteria (or specific features for Stage 2 Research Project) at a different grade level:
    • obvious evidence is important, significant, and easily recognisable. Obvious evidence is not nuanced or subtle
    • substantial evidence is considerable in size, frequency, occurrence, and/or significant in its worth or volume.
  • Moderator recommendations must be aligned to the performance standards and calibration (standards clarification).

Moderation review procedure

A to E inspection points

  • When evidence in the student materials supports the results awarded by the school at the inspection points, the moderator confirms all results for the assessment type.
  • When a moderator is unable to find evidence in the student materials that supports one or more of the results awarded by the school at the inspection points, the moderator recommends an adjustment.
  • Once an adjustment has been recommended, the moderator continues to review student samples at the grade levels closest to the grade level to be adjusted, to determine whether or not a recommended adjustment should also extend to these grade levels.
  • If the adjustment does extend to the closest grade level(s), the moderator then reviews another student folio at the next-closest grade level.

Closest grade levels are defined as the grade levels closest to (above and below) an Inspection point. Closest grade
levels may or may not be immediately adjacent to an inspection point

  1. When evidence in half of the total number of A+ student materials support the A+ result, the moderator confirms all A+ results. If the moderator is unable to find evidence in more than half of the A+ student materials, the moderator recommends an adjustment to the A+ results.
  2. The moderator repeats the review procedure for the remaining assessment type(s).
  3. The moderator completes the materials submission section as required.
  4. On completion of all steps in the process moderators should click the submit button.