As was acknowledged by O’Loughlin and Arkoudis (2009), whose research has informed this current research, generalising from a small sample size is problematic (this one is even smaller than the 63 students in O’Loughlin and Arkoudis’s study). Nevertheless, taken together with these researchers’ findings, tendencies can be discerned. Because this current study was conducted using only results obtained after 1 July 2007, when half band scores were recorded for Writing and Speaking, some finer distinctions in score change can be observed. .
