Reformed GAT to reveal if Victorian students meet basic skills

Victorian students’ literacy and numeracy skills will be revealed on their graduating certificates under a revamp of the General Achievement Test.

A reformed GAT will explicitly state whether students meet the minimum reading and mathematical requirements for someone completing secondary school.

Every Victorian student’s literacy and numeracy skills will be reported on their graduating certificates for the first time this year as part of a revamped General Achievement Test.

The reformed GAT will explicitly state whether students meet the minimum reading and mathematical requirements for someone completing secondary school in a bid to arm employers and tertiary institutions with more knowledge about a student’s basic skills.

While students are not advised to study for the standardised test, the changes will mean the assessment will carry more weight for prospective employers than in previous years, bringing Victoria in line with every other state.

In another first, Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students and thousands of other students undertaking an unscored VCE will als be required to sit the GAT.

The changes will mean a record 90,000 students are expected to take the GAT on the revised date on September 7.

Every student will receive a certificate stating whether they have either met or exceeded the state’s minimum literacy and numeracy standards.

Those who do not meet these requirements will not receive a certificate, but will still graduate if they pass their year 12 units.

A student’s GAT results will not affect their tertiary admission ranking (ATAR).

Victoria is the only state that does not explicitly report secondary students’ literacy and numeracy standards.

Education Minister James Merlino says it’s ‘vital’ for Victorian secondary school graduates to demonstrate basic numeracy and literacy skills. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The three-hour test will be divided into two sections.

Section A assesses literacy and numeracy skills, while section B examines English, mathematics, science, technology, the arts and humanities, with an increased focus on critical and creative thinking skills.

Education Minister James Merlino said it was “vital” for Victorian secondary school graduates to demonstrate basic numeracy and literacy skills to ensure they were prepared for further study or to enter the workforce.

“We heard from employers that they wanted simple and clear indicators on the job readiness of young people, building on our changes to the VCE system that will give students the academic and vocational skills they need,” he said.

The GAT will resume being held in June in 2023, when Victoria transitions to a new integrated secondary certificate that merges VCE and VCAL into one certificate.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) chief executive Stephen Gniel said: “Literacy and numeracy skills are developed and assessed over the course of students’ education, and the GAT will provide an additional measure of literacy and numeracy skills as students complete their senior school education.”