Assessment and Examination Standards

Overview

Assessment under the WISE system comprises two components:

• Internal Assessment — Contributes forty per cent of the final grade in each subject;
• WISE Examination — Contributes sixty per cent of the final grade in each subject.

Together, these components provide a comprehensive and reliable measure of a candidate's achievement against the learning outcomes of the WISE Curriculum Framework.

Internal Assessment (40%)

Instruments

Internal Assessment must comprise a combination of the following instruments, in proportions specified in the syllabus for each subject:

• Periodic written tests;
• Practical work and laboratory reports (where applicable);
• Project work, individual or group;
• Structured classroom participation;
• Notebook and record-keeping assessment (where specified).

Rubrics

For each instrument used, the school must apply the WEQSC rubric for that instrument, published with the subject syllabus. Deviation from the rubric requires prior written approval from WEQSC.

Submission

Internal Assessment marks must be submitted to WEQSC through the Institution Management Portal within seven days of the completion of the assessment in question.

Internal Assessment marks submitted to the Portal may not be altered by the school after submission. Any correction requires WEQSC approval.

Student Notification

A student must be informed of their Internal Assessment marks within fourteen days of each assessment, and must be given a reasonable opportunity to seek clarification from the subject teacher.

Moderation

WEQSC moderates Internal Assessment marks to ensure consistency across schools. Moderation may involve statistical analysis of mark distributions, review of a sample of student work, or both.

Where moderation indicates that a school's Internal Assessment marks are inconsistent with the school's WISE Examination results, or with the marks of comparable schools, WEQSC may require the school to submit evidence supporting the marks.

Where the evidence does not support the marks, or where the school is unable to provide evidence, WEQSC may apply a statistical adjustment to the marks. Any adjustment is communicated to the school with reasons.

A pattern of inflated Internal Assessment marks across two or more academic sessions is a Major Finding, and may constitute grounds for suspension where it is severe or repeated.

WISE Examination (60%)

Question Papers

Question papers are released to the school under seal and must be opened in the examination hall in the presence of candidates and the invigilator. The seal-opening is recorded.

Invigilation

The examination is invigilated in accordance with the standards set out in the Administrative Requirements page of this portal. The invigilator must record any incident that may compromise the integrity of the examination.

Script Collection

Examination scripts are collected under secure conditions and returned to WEQSC for central marking and moderation.

Marking and Moderation

Marking is conducted by WEQSC-appointed examiners against the standardised marking scheme. Moderation is conducted to ensure consistency across all candidates and all schools.

Results

Marks are released to the school and to the candidate through the Portal upon completion of moderation.

Examination Irregularities

Any conduct compromising the integrity of a WISE examination — including unauthorised access to question papers, impersonation, use of prohibited materials, or collusion — is an Examination Irregularity and is dealt with under the Accountability section of this portal.

Final Grade Composition

The final grade in each subject is composed of:

• Internal Assessment — 40% of the total mark;
• WISE Examination — 60% of the total mark.

The aggregate score is the sum of the final subject grades across all subjects, expressed as a mark out of the maximum aggregate mark.

Bonus Marks

Bonus marks are additional marks awarded to a student's final score in the examination, in recognition of representation in sport, uniformed organisations, or co-curricular activity. Bonus marks are added to the aggregate score, not to individual subject scores.

Grade Point Average

The marksheet states the grade point average across subjects.

Credential Issuance

Where a student's results have been finalised and the student has met the requirements for a WISE credential, the school may generate the credential through the Portal. The generated credential comprises a certificate, a marksheet, and a digital record.

Security

WISE credentials are secured with immutable cryptographic NTAG verification, ensuring that the credential cannot be altered after issuance and can be verified instantly and permanently by any third party.

Breach — Consequences

A breach of any provision of this page is subject to the audit regime and, where applicable, to the suspension and termination regime set out in the Accountability section of this portal.

Conclusion

The assessment and examination standards set out in this page are the foundation on which the integrity of the WISE credential depends. All assessment procedures not expressly set out in this portal must follow the Secretariat's official bylaws.