VCE Victoria

Background

Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is a graduate certificate issued to students who have completed high school education in Victoria, Australia.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) reviews and evaluates students'

exam scores and issues the VCE certificates to students after they pass the exams.

Requirements to Obtain a Certificate

The courses are offered in the 11th grade (year 11) and the 12th grade (year 12). Each subject has four units.

Generally speaking, students will complete the first and second units in the 11th grade, and the third and fourth units in the 12th grade. Only three or four unit scores are included in the total score of the certificate.
For example, English, consists of four units (units 1, 2, 3 and 4). Each unit is one semester in length, that is, half a year. For most students, the study period for VCE is two years. Students usually study 20 to 24 units (five or six subjects) in grades 11 and 12.

If needed, it may take more than two years for students to complete the VCE. Some students start VCE in the 10th grade, and some students take 3 and 4 credits in the 11th grade, which are different.

Evaluation Criteria

VCE currently has more than 90 courses for students to choose from, including mathematics, history, biology, geography, physics, politics, sports, information technology, economics, accounting, design technology, food technology, psychology, environmental science, literature, drama, health and Human development and so on.
Except English, VCE does not have any compulsory subjects, and students can choose other subjects. In addition, there are more than 20 VET (Vocational Education and Training) subjects.

Each school decides which VCE study and VET courses will be offered.

To obtain the VCE, you must successfully complete all 16 modules, including: English, one of which must be finished in the order of modules 3 and 4. The order of at least three units 3 and 4 for other subjects.

The assessment methods of VCE include School Assessments and Final Exams. School assessments are set by your course teacher, including School-assessed Coursework (SAC), as well as in school and School-assessed tasks (SAT) completed at home. External assessments are conducted by VCAA, usually in exam format, including written, oral, and electronic exams. The proportion of English subjects is 50/50, and the external and internal assessments are equally divided.

How is the Ranking Calculated?

The ATAR is calculated by the Victorian Higher Education Admissions Centre (VTAC) based on academic performance, and the highest score is 99.95.

If you want to get an ATAR, you need to get at least four study scores (study score), one of which must come from English.

Students can apply for university or vocational education based on this ranking. VCE is a prestigious high school diploma, recognized by schools both in Australia and overseas.