BOSTES can assure students that it is committed to ensuring all examination responses are awarded the mark they deserve, and will not introduce any practice that could jeopardise the high standing and international reputation of the HSC.

Every year BOSTES looks at the questions in each examination, and determines which should be single and which should be double marked.

In 2013, English Standard and Advanced Paper 1 Section 1 was single marked.

Additional time was provided for the senior markers to develop the marking guidelines, and to train and monitor their markers.

BOSTES ensured that the markers were able to understand and apply the marking guidelines from the outset. This proved a very successful initiative with very reliable marking. This section of English is being single marked again in 2014.

All examinations are divided into parts and marked by a number of different independent markers. English is marked by a minimum of 11 different markers.

All markers in all courses are closely monitored by their senior marker, who will intervene if it becomes apparent that the marker has strayed from the marking guidelines.

In almost all questions other than multiple choice, there can be multiple ways of approaching the question and achieving a mark in any given range. Properly trained markers are able to determine the correct mark for every response they are presented with.

Whether a question is single or double marked, all examination responses are awarded the mark they deserve.