Wednesday, February 28, 2018

difference between a levels, SAM and WACE

The system of assessment is external exam based and a more familiar pathway for those proceeding from ICGSE or O level as it's exam based ,something our students are used to with exam drills and practice.Moreover,the textbooks are designed to give students practice in exam and there is a wealth of online past year exams to refer to.But the Australian system is 50% coursework based with continuous assessments which is used to calculate the final score.Students need to be continuously on their toes and face consistent stress weekly and cannot fall behind in their homework and coursework.SAM or SACE has a longer history in Malaysia so the teachers have a better idea of the curriculum and framework.WACE does not have fixed textbooks,or the materials like novels and movies being Australian based are hard to obtain in Msia and listening tests being Australian accented has insufficient textbooks unlike British based teaching materials.Besides,the system makes students sit for compulsory maths and english literacy tests when some students have already sat and obtained IELTS marks.The students need to fill in eligibility forms and get school certs and etc to see if they qualify to sit for the test.
     So the South Australian system is simpler to apply for with less administrative work.Thank goodness we are ending the partnership this year as it burdens students and teachers with paperwork.

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