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Purpose: Information for students of courses with externally assessed folios. It includes advice
that should be applied under your school sector’s academic integrity policies and the guidelines
given for due dates to teachers. This should be read in conjunction with the TASC
Student Folio Endorsement Information Sheet.

Planning for your folio

What is a folio?

A folio is the term used by TASC to describe the substantial body of work you submit for external
assessment in some TASC-accredited Level 3 courses. It may consist of written work and/or a
product. Depending on the course, your folio might be called an Independent Study, Investigation
Project, Inquiry, or an Extended Design Project.

Where do I find information about my folio?

  • Each course with a folio requirement has a supporting document entitled External Assessment Specifications or External Assessment Guidelines. This document provides the specific requirements for your folio.
    • You should access these documents via the “Supporting documents including external assessment material” drop-down menu on the relevant course page on the TASC website.
  • TASC publishes due dates for all folio submissions on the Externally Assessed Folios
    webpage on the TASC website in March each year. Note: Your school may set its own
    timeline and due dates that you must follow.
  • Your school and teacher may also provide additional information, including details about
    what goes in your folio, specific due dates, drafting requirements, and work-in-progress
    schedules.

Producing your folio

What do I need to keep in mind while producing my folio?

  • Your folio must be submitted to your teacher by the due date they set. You will need to plan ahead by creating a timeline with mini goals to ensure you complete and submit your entire folio on time. You should speak with your teacher about their due date early in the course and make a note in your diary/personal schedule.
  • Ensure your folio contains all required elements and follows the specified formatting. Most folios consist of more than one element.
  • Your folio must adhere to the stipulated word, time and page lengths.
  • You must include your TASC ID in the header or footer of every page of your written work and on any product (where appropriate).
  • Do not include your name or your school’s name anywhere in your folio. This ensures that the Markers cannot be influenced by knowing who did the work or which school you attended.

How do I demonstrate the work submitted is my own and I have academic integrity?

  • You must explicitly acknowledge the sources of all information, ideas, or words that are not your own. There may be a course-specific referencing system, or your teacher may instruct you on which system to use.
  • You can find information on authenticity, academic integrity, and referencing in the
    Academic Integrity Guide on the TASC Academic integrity page. You must follow your
    school’s academic integrity procedures and talk to your teacher about the specific
    processes your school uses.
  • You will need to sign a Student Folio Declaration Form when you submit your folio to your
    teacher. Signing this form declares that your folio has been developed with academic
    integrity. Your teacher is also required to endorse the authenticity of your work when you
    submit it. To ensure they are able to do this, you must:
    • keep all drafts and have clear evidence of the development of your folio
    • meet drafting timelines
    • complete the folio with your teacher’s oversight and regularly liaise with your teacher
      about your folio’s development. This might include journaling your learning progress.

Submitting your folio

How do I submit my folio?

  • Your teacher will provide you with clear instructions of how to submit your digital folio to them prior to the due date.
  • Your folio must be submitted to your teacher by the specified due date in a digital form as one (1) PDF, except for courses requiring a separate file type to be included, e.g. an MP4 file.
  • Your submitted folio must not exceed 500 megabytes in size.
  • You must save your folio and/or ZIP file as your TASC ID e.g. 19A12345.pdf
  • Your teacher is required to submit your folio to TASC via an upload function in TRACS.
    When your teacher submits your folio, they must verify its authenticity and confirm it was
    submitted on time via the checkbox in TRACS. If they cannot endorse your folio, they must
    follow the school’s procedures for non-endorsement. Any breaches to the TASC External
    Assessment Rules     will be addressed by the TASC Deputy Director.

What happens if my teacher does not endorse the authenticity of my folio?

  • Your teacher is required to tell you and TASC that they do not endorse the authenticity of your folio and they will need to provide their reasons. It may be because it was submitted after the due date, or because they have not seen the development of your folio, or you have not provided clear evidence of how you showed academic integrity in your folio.
  • You have the right to request a review of your teacher’s decision to not endorse your
    folio. Your school will have clear procedures in place for you to follow. Speak to your
    school’s TASC Liaison Officer (TLO) for more information.
  • If you request a review, your school will undertake an investigation to gather evidence
    about your folio’s development. They will speak to you, your teacher and other
    relevant people at your school to determine the outcome of your folio’s authenticity.
    You will be informed of this outcome.
  • If endorsement cannot be given, your folio will be provided to TASC’s Conduct Review
    Committee to determine any penalties that are applied.
  • More information about breaches are outlined in the TASC External Assessment Rules on the TASC website.

Can I get an extension for my folio?

You can request an extension to your folio deadline for the following reasons:

  • sudden illness – accompanied by a medical certificate
  • death of a close relative
  • unexpected travel due to the death of a close relative.

To request an extension, you must provide your TASC Liaison Officer with a completed Externally Assessed Folio Extension Request form at least 48 hours before the TASC due to teacher date.

TASC reviews extension requests on a case-by-case basis. You will receive written notification from TASC about your extension request.

Assessment and feedback on my folio

What happens after I submit my folio?

  • Once you have submitted your folio to your teacher, they will submit your work to TASC.
  • Your folio will be assessed by TASC Markers who have knowledge of and experience with the course. All folios are marked by at least two Markers.
  • Markers will assess your work against the criteria and standards outlined in the course’s External Assessment Specifications/Guidelines.
  • Your folio results will be combined with your internal ratings from your teacher and any other external assessments, such as a written exam, to calculate your overall course award. The calculation method is detailed in the course document under ‘Award Requirements’ on the relevant course page.

Is my submitted folio returned to me?

  • If you submit your folio in hard copy form, you can request to have it returned. To do this, complete a Request for copy of written exams form on the TASC website.

Note: This form is only available after results are released in December each year, and the request period closes in April of the following year.