Dear Middle School Parents / Guardians

The 2016 set of NSW Australasian Competitions, the ‘International Competitions and Assessments

for Schools’ (ICAS) enrolments will be due shortly.

These are external competitions, set and marked by the University of NSW. We have no knowledge

of the content before the girls enter the competition, and the content is not necessarily linked to the

syllabus covered in New Zealand. We will not be using the ICAS results as formal assessment data

for reporting to parents.

All students receive a certificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they

answered correctly, their total score, as well as their average compared with the rest of the students

sitting the ICAS competition in New Zealand.

UNSW certificates are awarded for each year level in New Zealand approximately as follows:

* High Distinction to the top 1% of entrants.

* Distinction to the next 10% of entrants.

* Credit to the next 25% of entrants.

* Merit to the next 10% of entrants.

* Participation to everyone else – as you can see, a very wide range of scores.

Therefore, any student outside the top 46% in a selective field of entrants will gain a participation

certificate.

To help prepare for ICAS it is possible for students to attempt some previous questions, which are

available for download at https://www.eaa.unsw.edu.au/icas/download-practice-questions Year 7 should use paper D and Year 8 should use paper E.

Students are given the option of entering the ICAS Maths, English, Digital Technologies and

Science competition. Would you please complete the form below and return it to your daughter’s

tutor teacher at the latest by Thursday 31 March. We are unable to enter late applications for

students after this date.

The cost for entry will be charged to your daughter’s account:

Digital Technologies Wednesday 11 May NZD $8.50

Science: Tuesday 31 May TBC NZD $8.50

English: Tuesday 26 July NZD $8.50

Mathematics: Tuesday 16 August NZD $8.50

Yours sincerely

Margaret Talbot

Head of Middle School

2016 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools – Middle School

Parent/Guardian name (please print): _________________________________________________

Daughter’s name and class (please print) _______________________________________________

(Please circle where appropriate)

ICAS Science Competition entry YES PLEASE / NO THANK YOU

ICAS Maths Competition entry YES PLEASE / NO THANK YOU

ICAS English Competition entry YES PLEASE / NO THANK YOU

ICAS Digital Technologies Competition entry YES PLEASE / NO THANK YOU

Parent/Guardian signature __________________________ Date _____________

Please return this form to your daughter’s tutor teacher no later than THURSDAY 31 MARCH so

that the competition entry can be processed.