2023 Victorian Senior Secondary Certificate Reform
Victoria is moving to a new integrated senior secondary certificate in 2023, which will be fully integrated by 2025. This will bring together the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) certificates. These reforms will ensure every student has the skills they need to find rewarding careers and reach their full potential.
VCAA (2022). Victorian Senior Secondary Certificate Reform
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the certificate that the majority of students in Victoria receive on satisfactory completion of their secondary education. The VCE provides diverse pathways to further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment.
The VCE course is made up of studies and units, some of which must be studied as a sequence.
A study is a subject, for example, English or Biology. It is made up of four units (Units 1, 2, 3 and 4), each of which is a semester in length.
For most students, VCE is completed over two years.
Students typically study Units 1 and 2 in their first year, and Units 3 and 4 in their second year.
You can study Unit 1 or Unit 2 of a subject as stand-alone units. However, you must enrol in Units 3 and 4 of a study as a sequence. This sequence needs to be completed in the same year if a study score is to be calculated.
Students usually study from 20 to 24 units (five or six studies) in Years 11 and 12.
You can take longer than two years to finish VCE if you need to. Some students start VCE in Year 10, and some study Units 3 and 4 in Year 11.
To achieve your VCE you must successfully complete 16 units including:
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- three units from the English group, two of which must be a Unit 3 and 4 sequence.
- at least three additional Unit 3 and 4 sequences.
Your teacher can explain the differences between the English group studies, or you can find out more about them on the VCAA website.
You can complete the remaining units, including the three sequences at Unit 3 and 4 level, in any study that interests you. This could even be an additional English group study on top of the units you take to meet the minimum English requirement.
Your teacher determines if you have satisfactorily completed a unit based on the work you produce and submit and your adherence to VCAA and school rules.
How do I achieve marks in the VCE?
Units 1 and 2 are marked by your school; your teachers will set a range of assessments to see how you are progressing. The assessments have deadlines and you will need to plan and submit your work on time. Deadlines can only be extended in special circumstances.
- For Units 1 and 2 you will receive either S (Satisfactory), or N (Non-Satisfactory). Your school may give you a grade for each unit, but only the S counts towards your VCE.
- For Units 3 and 4 you will have grades calculated from A+ to E, UG (Ungraded), or NA (Not Assessed) for your assessment tasks, as well as an S or N.
There are three graded assessments for each VCE study at Unit 3 and 4 level. All VCE VET programs with scored assessment have two graded assessments.
Depending on the study, these may be School-based Assessments and/or external assessments.
School-based assessments are set by your teacher and include School-assessed Coursework (SAC) that is completed at school, and School-assessed Tasks (SAT) that are completed at school and home. These are marked at your school. The VCAA checks the marks to make sure that all schools in Victoria are marking to the same standard. You can read about the rules for marking/assessment on the VCAA website, or you can ask your teachers.
External assessments are set and marked by the VCAA. They are the same for all students taking the same VCE study. Usually this will be an examination – whether written, oral, performance or in an electronic format.
Your external assessments are marked by assessors who are experts in their area of study. All VCE studies are marked to the same standard and there are multiple checks to make sure that marking is fair.
Exams are held each year in October and November. You will receive plenty of notice about the exact dates of your exams from your school.
What is a study score?
If you obtain at least two graded assessments and achieve an S for both Units 3 and 4 in a study in the same year, you will receive a study score. A study score is a number between 0 and 50 that indicates your ranking in terms of all students doing that study in that year.
What is an ATAR?
Tertiary institutions look at the ATAR and the combinations of VCE studies students have completed before offering places.
The ATAR is calculated by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) on the basis of study scores and is presented as a ranking between 0.00 and 99.95.
If you want to obtain an ATAR, you need to have at least four study scores, one of which must be from the English group.
You can find out more information about the ATAR, subject combinations and course choices through VTAC.
You should talk to your teachers or careers practitioner about how to structure your VCE program to best meet your needs.
VCE Vocational Major (VM)
The VCE Vocational Major (VM) is a vocational and applied learning program within the VCE designed to be completed over a minimum of two years. The VCE VM will give students greater choice and flexibility to pursue their strengths and interests and develop the skills and capabilities needed to succeed in further education, work and life.
It prepares students to move into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, university (via non-ATAR pathways) or directly into the workforce.
The purpose of the VCE VM is to provide students with the best opportunity to achieve their personal goals and aspirations in a rapidly changing world by:
- equipping them with the skills, knowledge, values and capabilities to be active and informed citizens, lifelong learners and confident and creative individuals; and
- empowering them to make informed decisions about the next stages of their lives through real life workplace experiences.
To be eligible to receive the VCE VM, students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 16 units, including:
- 3 VCE VM Literacy or VCE English units (including a Unit 3–4 sequence)
- 2 VCE VM Numeracy or VCE Mathematics units
- 2 VCE VM Work Related Skills units
- 2 VCE VM Personal Development Skills units, and
- 2 VET credits at Certificate II level or above (180 nominal hours)
Students must complete a minimum of three other Unit 3–4 sequences as part of their program. Units 3 and 4 of VM studies may be undertaken together over the duration of the academic year to enable these to be integrated.
The VCE VM can be tailored to the needs and interests of the student, to keep them engaged while developing their skills and knowledge. Students can also include other VCE studies and VET, and can receive structured workplace learning recognition.
Most students will undertake between 16-20 units over the two years.
All students studying at least one Unit 3 and 4 VCE subject (including a VCE VM Unit 3 and 4 subject) or a scored VCE VET subject are expected to sit all or a section of the General Achievement Test (GAT).
The GAT is a General Achievement Test that measures a student’s general knowledge and skills in written communication, mathematics, science, technology, humanities, the arts and social sciences. It also measures a student’s literacy and numeracy skills against a new standard, introduced in 2022.
The new standard will indicate whether students have demonstrated the literacy and numeracy skills typically expected of someone completing their secondary schooling – giving another indication of their readiness to move onto further education, training or employment.
The reformed GAT follows a comprehensive review conducted by the VCAA. It will see Victoria join other jurisdictions who already incorporate literacy and numeracy standards as part of their senior secondary reporting. The GAT will provide specific information on each student’s key skills for life beyond school.
The GAT is an essential part of the VCE assessment process.
While the GAT is important, it does not directly count towards a student’s final VCE results. GAT results are used to check that VCE external assessments and school-based assessments have been accurately and fairly assessed. GAT results may also play a part in determining the final score for a VCE external assessment if a student has a derived examination score approved for that assessment.
No special study is required. Past study of subjects like English, Mathematics, Science and History prepares students for the GAT by building their general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy, and reasoning.
For more information, see the GAT.
What is the GAT and why is it important?
The GAT is a General Achievement Test that measures a student’s general knowledge and skills in written communication, mathematics, science, technology, humanities, the arts and social sciences. It also measures a student’s literacy and numeracy skills against a new standard, introduced in 2022.
The new standard will indicate whether students have demonstrated the literacy and numeracy skills typically expected of someone completing their secondary schooling – giving another indication of their readiness to move onto further education, training or employment.
While the GAT is important, it does not directly count towards a student’s final VCE results. GAT results are used to check that VCE external assessments and school-based assessments have been accurately and fairly assessed. GAT results may also play a part in determining the final score for a VCE external assessment if a student has a derived examination score [link] approved for that assessment.
All students studying at least one Unit 3 and 4 VCE subject (including a VCE VM Unit 3 and 4 subject) or a scored VCE VET subject are expected to sit all or a section of the General Achievement Test (GAT).
No special study is required. Past study of subjects like English, Mathematics, Science and History prepares students for the GAT by building their general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy, and reasoning.
We recommend all our senior students and families visit the following VCAA pages to explore more, watch videos to best understand your senior education pathways, study and assessment systems under these new educational reforms. These education reforms are designed to give students a more specific and targeted educational pathway from secondary education either into the workforce or tertiary education. Recommended and content sources are:
