Information for parents about VCE

VCE parent? Here are the answers to the questions you don’t want to ask your kids (and everything in between).

MUCH like your teenager kids, the VCE has a language of it’s own — from VTAC to SAC and GAT, here’s all you need to know.

Can you fail the VCE?

Technically students cannot fail the VCE — not completing or passing enough units to get an ATAR can mean students don’t receive a score.

Can my child move schools or should we hold off until the VCE is completed?

You and your spouse are the best judges of whether or not a house or school move is a good idea and at what stage. When it comes to school, students may transfer at any time during their VCE studies with the consent of the new school. Students may transfer into the VCE from interstate during year 11, or up to the beginning of semester two in year 12.

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What is the GAT?

The General Achievement Test or GAT is a three hour test made up of two writing tasks (30 minutes each) and multiple choice questions (two hours). A student’s knowledge and skills in writing, mathematics, science and technology, humanities and social sciences and the arts are tested. No special study is required for the GAT. All students enrolled in a VCE Unit 3 and 4 sequence must sit the GAT. The GAT is held in June every year; in 2018, the GAT will be held on Wednesday June 13.

What is Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VCAT)?

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre or VTAC calculates and distributes the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). The ATAR replaced the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) in 2010.

What is ATAR?

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank or ATAR is the overall ranking on a scale of zero to 99.95 that a student receives, based on their study scores. The ATAR is calculated by VTAC and used by universities and TAFE institutes to select students for courses.

What is a Scored Assessment Task (SAT)?

A SAT is set by the teacher to assess students’ achievements of unit outcomes for School-Assessed Coursework (SAC). This assessment makes up a percentage of the final Study Score and therefore very important.

“A SAC really allows students to shine and show us what they know,” says Ana Tuckerman, a VCE teacher for over 15 years. “They’re especially important for students who struggle during exams.”

What is a Unit?

Most courses (or subjects) consist of four Units that are usually completed over two years, says Tuckerman.

“Students will most likely study Units 1 and 2 in Year 11 and Units 3 and 4 in Year 12, however some schools may allow students to take Units 1 and 2 in Year 10. It’s best to check with the school,” she says.

In order to qualify for the VCE, you need to complete a minimum of 16 units, but many students do 20-24 units.

What are Outcomes?

Outcomes are the skills and knowledge that students need to demonstrate throughout the year to satisfactorily complete a unit as specified in the VCE.

When embarking on the VCE both parents and students need to learn a new language.

What is a Study Score?

A score from zero to 50 which shows how a student performed in a VCE study (subject), relative to all other Victorian students enrolled in that same study in a result year. It is based on the student’s results in both school assessments and exams. The Study Score 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. A score of between 23 and 37 represents the middle range of students; a score of 38 or more indicates the student is in the top 15 per cent. If my child gets a high enough ATAR score for their chosen university course, are they automatically accepted?

No matter how high the ATAR, students must ensure they fulfil the entrance requirements for the course or they won’t be considered.

To be offered a place in a course students must:

•meet the minimum tertiary entrance requirements for Victoria

•meet any institutional entrance requirements

•meet any VCE prerequisites (or equivalent) for the course

•meet any selection requirements for the course; and

•be selected in competition with other eligible applicants.

Does school attendance count towards the final result?

All VCE units require 50 hours of class time. Students need to clock up sufficient class time to complete work. Each school sets minimum class time and attendance rules; if you are concerned it’s best to speak to your child’s school.

Does my child sit their exams anonymously?

Yes, students do not write their name on exam papers and use a unique Student Number instead. The Student Number replaced the Candidate Number in 2003.

How can my child ensure they get accepted into a university course?

Tuckerman says reading through the course guide and becoming familiar with courses on offer is a good start. “The student should keep their options open and have a range of course preferences — don’t limit yourself to two or three preferences,” says Tuckerman.

According to VTAC, to be eligible to apply for courses, the student needs to meet:

1. Minimum tertiary entrance requirements

2. Institutional entrance requirements

3. Course selection criteria

These may include interviews, folio presentations, auditions, additional forms, essays, letters or additional tests, to name a few.

Are there any mandatory VCE subjects?

At least 16 units need to be ticked off in order to complete the VCE. Regardless of how many units are completed, the following needs to be satisfactorily completed:

At least three units from the English group:

Foundation English Units 1 and 2

English Units 1 to 4

English as an Additional Language (EAL) Units 3 and 4

English Language Units 1 to 4

Literature Units 1 to 4

At least one of these units must be at Unit 3 or 4 level. VTAC advises that for the calculation of the ATAR, students must satisfactorily complete both Unit 3 and Unit 4 of an English sequence.

How are VCE subjects scaled?

A VCE study score provides an indication of your relative performance in a particular study. Scaling adjusts for differences in abilities of students undertaking different studies, so that the scaled scores are comparable across different studies. It ensures that students are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged on the basis of the studies they choose. All VCE study scores are scaled by VTAC.

How do we find out results?

All current VCE students will receive a statement of VCE study scores from the VCAA. However, only students who have applied for courses through VTAC this year and have paid their VTAC processing fees will be sent an ATAR statement in the mail. Results can be viewed online from 7am December 15. If you are confused about VCE results, ATAR or scaling, The Post Results and ATAR Service (PRAS) will offer expert advice for three days following the release of results (toll free number 1800 653 080).

What happens if my son or daughter misplace their VCE results — can we get another copy?

Former students can get another copy of their certificate or results by making an Application for Replacement of Results. If you want to obtain results on behalf of your son or daughter, you will need to supply either a signed letter of authorisation from the student stating their name, address and school details, stating that he/she permits you to act on his/her behalf or a certified photocopy of a Power of Attorney which gives you the right to act on the student’s behalf.

My son/daughter’s ATAR is lower than expected — what are the options?

The first thing to do is not panic, of course this is easier said than done. It’s important that as parents, you and your spouse are on the same page as to how to approach this topic with your child — above all, it’s important to reassure your child that their “unsatisfactory” or lower than expected ATAR score does not spell disaster.

Repeating the VCE is one option, but it shouldn’t be the only option — unless there is a real reflection on what went wrong along with an action plan to ensure success, they will be setting themselves up for a similar outcome. Students who experience severe illness or emotional trauma throughout the final year and therefore, are not performing at their academic best, should consider repeating.

It’s not necessary for your child to repeat the VCE if their ATAR falls short of the required entrance score for their desired course. It’s more than likely that a good student will continue to perform well at university level. For aspiring medicine students for example, a secondary route would be to study biomedical science and then apply to transfer into medicine. It also pays to check if a university has uncapped placements — scoring below the required ATAR doesn’t necessarily count your child out of the running! Students could also consider alternatives to university courses.

My son/daughter is in Year 10 and is thinking about VCE subjects — what are the good VCE subjects?

There are over 90 subjects to choose from, and arguably they could all be considered ‘good.’ Instead of getting caught up in the scaling trap and nudging your child in the direction of studying Specialist Maths for example, start with asking your child what they’re interested in studying at uni and look at the entrance requirements. If they’re interested in studying graphic design, specialist maths might not be the best route.

“The reality is, the more a student enjoys a subject, the more likely they are to perform better in them,” says Tuckerman. “I would advise against pushing your child into choosing a subject they have no interest in.”

For more information, visit www.vtac.edu.au