Across Pre-primary to Year 10, achievement standards indicate the quality of learning students should typically demonstrate by a particular point in their schooling. Achievement standards comprise a written description and student work samples.

An achievement standard describes the quality of learning (the extent of knowledge, the depth of understanding and the sophistication of skills) that would indicate the student is well placed to commence the learning required at the next level of achievement.

The sequence of achievement standards across Pre-primary to Year 10 describes progress in the learning area. This sequence provides teachers with a framework of growth and development in the learning area.

Student work samples play a key role in communicating expectations described in the achievement standards. Each work sample includes the relevant assessment task, the student's response, and annotations identifying the quality of learning evident in the student's response in relation to relevant parts of the achievement standard.

Together, the description of the achievement standard and the accompanying set of annotated work samples help teachers to make judgments about whether students have achieved the standard.