Assessment of student work in the SACE is underpinned by the use of performance standards. These standards - provided in each subject outline - describe in detail the level of achievement required to achieve each grade, from A to E for Stage 1.

Teachers and assessors use these standards to decide how well a student has demonstrated his or her learning.

Assessment in SACE Stage 1 subjects emphasises the important place of teacher judgement about the quality of student learning against a subject's performance standards. This judgement is supported by comprehensive systems of quality assurance.

Performance standards offer opportunities for teachers and students to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Teachers can use performance standards to:

• show each student what is required to be successful in his or her learning
• design assessments that assist students to demonstrate their learning at the highest possible level of achievement
• make decisions about the quality of the learning.

Students can use performance standards to:

• decide how to demonstrate their learning in ways most appropriate to them
• monitor their progress
• understand what is expected of them at the end of a learning program.