VCE Information

The VCE is the Victorian Certificate of Education, it opens pathways to tertiary education, advanced certificate courses and the workforce.

The VCE is a highly-regarded qualification recognised all over the world. It offers studies in humanities, science, mathematics, technologies, arts, physical education and languages, as well as vocational studies.

• How is the VCE Structured?

• What do I have to do to achieve my VCE?

• Who decides if I have satisfactorily completed a VCE or VCE VM Unit?

• How should I decide which VCE subjects to do?

• Can I repeat a unit if I receive an N (not satisfactory)?

• What is a study score?

• Can I repeat a subject to achieve a better study score?

• What is an ATAR?

• What is a Non-ATAR VCE?

• What is the GAT and why is it important?

The VCE course is made up of subjects – like English and Biology – that are broken up into units. Most subjects are made up of 4 units: Units 1, 2, 3 and 4. A unit is one semester long.

You can study Units 1 and 2 of a VCE subject but you don’t get a study score by just finishing Units 1 and 2. If you complete Units 3 and 4 as a sequence in the same year, you can achieve a study score. A Unit 3 and 4 sequence means that you must undertake Unit 3 followed by Unit 4.

You must successfully complete at least 16 units, including:

• 3 units from the English group, including a Unit 3 and 4 sequence

• at least 3 other sequences of Unit 3 and 4 subjects.

Most students study between 20 and 24 units, at TC as students can start VCE early they can use 3+ years to complete their subjects instead of just using “year 11 and 12”.

There are 4 subjects in the English group that TC offers. They are English and English as an Additional Language, English Language, Literature, and VCE VM Literacy (only available for students enrolled in the VCE VM).

You can choose the remaining units needed for your VCE – at least 3 sequences of Units 3 and 4 in any subject. This could even be an extra English group subject on top of your minimum English units.

You can complete your VCE over more than 2 years. For example, some students start the VCE in FLE 3 10 with Units 1 and 2 of a subject and study Units 3 and 4 in FLE 4.

Your teacher determines if you have satisfactorily met the outcomes of a unit. This decision is based on the work you submitted and if you followed the VCAA and school rules and procedures.

Units 1 and 2 are marked by TC. Your teacher will set a range of assessments.

For Units 1 and 2 you will receive either S (satisfactory) or N (not satisfactory). Only the S counts towards your VCE.

Grades for Units 3 and 4 are more complicated. For Units 3 and 4 you will have grades calculated from A+ to E, or UG (ungraded) or NA (not assessed) for your assessment tasks, as well as an S or N.

For each VCE subject, there are 3 graded assessments for Unit 3 and Unit 4. Not all VCE VET programs have scored assessments. Those that do have 2 graded assessments.

Depending on the subject, these may be school-based assessments, external assessments or a mix of both.

There are 2 kinds of school-based assessments. They are:

• school-assessed coursework (SAC) – a set of assessment tasks that test your level of achievement in Units 3 and 4 outcomes of the study design

• school-assessed tasks (SATs) – set by the VCAA to test your practical skills and knowledge across the Units 3 and 4 outcomes of the study design.

Your teacher marks both SACs and SATs.

The VCAA statistically moderates school-based assessments at a Unit 3 and 4 level of all VCE subjects and VCE VET scored assessment programs. This helps make sure the marking system is fair to everybody doing the same subject, no matter which school they go to or who teaches them. School-based assessments are created by teachers, so it differs from school to school. The benefits of statistical moderation make school-based assessment results fair and equitable for all students.

External assessments are set and marked by the VCAA. They are the same for all students taking the same VCE subject. Usually this will be an examination – written, oral, performance, or in an electronic format. Music Composition also has an externally assessed task. You may be asked to submit a folio that contains exercises, an original work, audio recordings and documentation described in examination specifications published by the VCAA each year for an externally assessed task.

Subject experts mark your external assessments. All VCE subjects are marked to the same standard and go through many checks to make sure marking is fair and correct.

Exams are held in October and November. TC will give you plenty of notice of your exact exam dates.

Choose subjects that:

• interest you

• you are good at

• will help you do what you want after school – apply for university or a TAFE course, or get a job in your chosen field.

Take a look at VTAC: Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre course search to see pre-requisites for courses at university.

Yes, you can repeat units. If you repeat a unit, you must do the full unit again, including all assessments in a subsequent year.

There are no restrictions for repeating a unit, but you can only count the unit once towards satisfactory VCE completion. If you want to get a study score, you will need an S (satisfactory completion) for the Unit 3 and 4 sequence in the year you repeat the unit.

A study score shows how well you have performed in a study at Units 3 and 4 levels compared to everybody else in Victoria who took that study. Study scores calculated by the VCAA will be used by VTAC to calculate the ATAR.

The maximum study score is 50. Each year, and for every study, the mean study score is set at 30.

For a Study Score to be calculated, you must have an S result for both Units 3 and 4 of a study (i.e. S/S) and at least two grade results in the one year.

Yes. If you have completed a Unit 3 and 4 subject before your grad and you want to get a better study score, you can repeat that subject. However, you may obtain credit only once for each unit. If you repeat a unit, you are required to repeat the full unit, including all assessments for the outcomes specified for the unit, in the current study design for the year of repetition. If you wish to receive a study score when repeating VCE units you will need to satisfactorily complete the Unit 3 and 4 sequence in the year of repetition.

The ATAR is a figure that reflects your relative achievement compared to everyone else. It is based on study scores and is a figure (or ranking) between 0.00 and 99.95.

Before offering places, tertiary institutions often look at each student’s ATAR and the combination of VCE subjects they finished.

To receive an ATAR you must complete 4 Unit 3 and 4 sequences, including a VCE English subject and complete the graded assessments for those subjects.

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) calculates your ATAR. Go to VTAC for more about the ATAR and tertiary course options.

All students studying at least one Unit 3 and 4 VCE subject (or a scored VCE VET subject) as well as students doing VCE VM are expected to sit all or a section of the GAT. The GAT measures your general knowledge and skills in literacy, numeracy, mathematics, science, technology, humanities, arts and social sciences.

GAT results will include information on your performance against literacy and numeracy standards typically expected of those leaving school.

Your GAT results do not count directly towards your VCE or VCE VM, but they are used to help check that school-based and external assessments have been fairly and accurately assessed.

The GAT may also be used to calculate a derived examination score. If you are ill or affected by personal circumstances during a VCE external assessment, and if your result is unlikely to be a fair or accurate indication of your learning or achievement, you will be eligible to apply for a derived examination score.