VCE Overview

Studies and Units

  • The VCE is designed to be completed by school students over a minimum of two years.
  • The VCE includes VCE studies and VCE VET (Vocational Education and Training) qualifications.
  • Each study is designed to provide a two-year program.
  • Units 1 and 2 level are nationally and internationally benchmarked to a Year 11 standard.
  • Units 3 and 4 level are nationally and internationally benchmarked to a Year 12 standard.
  • Units 1 and 2 can be completed as single units.
  • Units 3 and 4 are designed to be taken as a sequence.

Satisfactory Completion of VCE Units

  • Outcomes are the basis for satisfactory completion of a VCE unit.
  • Each VCE unit includes a set of two to four outcomes.
  • Satisfactory completion of units is determined by the school, in accordance with VCAA requirements.

Minimum Requirements for the Award of the VCE

The minimum requirement is satisfactory completion of 16 units which must include

  • three units from the English group (English Units 1-4, Literature Units 1-4), with at least one unit at Unit 3 or 4 level
  • at least three sequences of Units 3 and 4 studies other than English, which may include any number of English sequences once the English requirement has been met.
  • The 16 units may include an unlimited number of units of Vocational Education and Training (VET).

Assessment for Units 1 and 2

  • Student’s levels of achievement for Units 1 and 2 are determined by the school and not reported to the VCAA.
  • At Ruyton, students will be graded on a 10 point scale from A+ to E for internal assessment tasks. These grades will be reported to parents at the end of each semester.

Assessment for Units 3 and 4

  • At Unit 3 and 4 level, there are three Graded Assessments for each study, consisting of School-assessed Coursework (SACs), School-assessed Tasks (SATs) and examinations.
  • VCE VET subjects that have scored assessment have two Graded Assessments.
  • The Graded Assessments are different for each study and contribute towards the study score in different ways. Students who have completed at least two Graded Assessments, and have satisfactorily completed both Unit 3 and 4, will be awarded a study score.
  • Graded assessments are reported on an eleven-point scale as grades A+ to E or UG (ungraded).

General Achievement Test (GAT)

The GAT is an essential part of the VCE assessment procedures. Although GAT results do not count directly towards VCE results, they do play an important role in checking that School-assessed Tasks, School-assessed Coursework and examinations have been accurately assessed. GAT results are used in the calculation of the DES (Derived Examination Score). The GAT result may also be used by Tertiary Institutions in their selection processes.

School Assessment

  • There are two forms of school assessment – School-assessed Coursework and School-assessed Tasks. The score for each school-assessment is reported to the VCAA.
  • School-assessed Coursework is based on an assessment of each student’s overall level of achievement on the assessment tasks specified in the study design for assessing achievement of the unit outcomes. Schools provide a score for each component of coursework specified in the study design. The VCAA aggregates these scores into a single total score for each student which is then statistically moderated against the examination scores in the study. The GAT is also used in the statistical moderation.
  • School-assessed Tasks are set by the VCAA to assess specific sets of practical skills and knowledge. Teachers assess the students’ level of achievement on the basis of a rating against criteria specified by the VCAA. Schools provide a single score for each student which is then either confirmed or reviewed by the VCAA on the basis of the schools’ GAT results. This applies to Art, Product Design and Technology, Media, Visual Communication and Design.

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

The VCE can include components of nationally recognised VET qualifications from within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Training from a nationally recognised VET qualification can contribute towards the VCE through enrolment in a VCAA approved VCE VET program or a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

The overall ranking on a scale of zero to 99.95 that a student receives based on his/her study scores. The ATAR is calculated by VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre) and used by universities and TAFE institutes to select students for courses.