Queensland high school students will no longer strive for OP scores to gain entry to university from 2019.
Education Minister Kate Jones announced on Monday that those graduating in 2018 will be the last to receive the scores, which will be replaced the next year by an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, bringing Queensland in line with other states.
Ms Jones says that under the new model results will be based on a student's achievement in three school-based assessments and one external test, to be set and marked by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
In maths and science, the external assessment will make up 50 per cent of a student's overall result, while in most other subjects it will contribute 25 per cent.
"We believe that this is the right decision to ensure that young Queenslanders get the best start at life," Ms Jones said.
To prepare for the new system, about 20,000 year 11 students at 264 schools will undergo external assessment trials in May and June this year.
It will involve externally set and graded assessments in chemistry, English, geography, maths B and modern history.
Queensland's OP (overall position) system, which ranks students on a scale of 1 to 25, has been in place since 1992.
QUEENSLAND'S SENIOR ASSESSMENT CHANGES:
* The new model will use both school-based assessment and common external testing
* OP scores will be replaced by Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
* Final Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS) to be held in 2018
* ATARs calculated using students' subject results only
* Year 11 students in 2018 (current year 9 students) will be first affected by changes
(Source: Queensland Government)
