Background Paper No. 1 : Senior assessment and tertiary entrance in a nutshell

<p> The purpose of this paper is to describe senior assessment and tertiary entrance in Queensland in a nutshell. It does not purport to be an academic paper, a procedural manual, or the definitive description of senior assessment and tertiary entrance procedures in Queensland. Its focus is on describing and explaining the key features of the system to an audience that is not necessarily acquainted with the intricacies of the Queensland system. And it is simply an aide m&eacute;moire for those who are part of the system. Not all aspects of senior assessment and tertiary entrance are mentioned and technical discussion is kept to a minimum. This background paper deliberately separates the discussion of senior assessment from tertiary entrance. <ul> <li> Senior assessment is described in terms of subject-specific assessment and cross-curriculum testing. </li> <li> At present, achievement in senior studies is used in tertiary selection for senior students. </li> <li> The overall position (OP) is the primary but not the only selection device. The current tertiary entrance system is described in terms of Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) procedures, in which the OP and field positions (FPs) are involved. </li> </ul></p>