Hello curious spirits! As you step into Year 11, you're entering a crucial stage in your educational journey—the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). While the VCE might seem daunting, understanding how to navigate it is essential. Let's get a solid grip on what this all means, especially as you dive into the exciting realm of VCE Physics.
A Study Score is a ranking between 0 and 50 that reflects your performance in a subject, compared to all other VCE students who studied that subject in the same year. Here’s what the numbers generally mean:
30+ is the average score, meaning you've performed better than approximately half of the students.
35+ indicates you are in the top third of the state for that subject.
40+ places you in the top 8% of the state, which is considered excellent.
45+ is outstanding, landing you in the top 2%.
These scores are crucial as they are scaled to balance out the perceived difficulty of subjects and ensure fairness in ATAR calculations.
The ATAR is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that ranks you relative to all other students across the state. It is calculated from your Study Scores, converting them into scaled scores and then aggregating them. Here is how it typically breaks down:
English: Mandatory and one of the top four scores.
Three other subjects: Highest scores from your next three highest subjects.
Fifth and sixth subject: Contributions from these can also be included but at a lesser percentage.
A high ATAR (e.g., 80+ or 90+) is essential for admission into more competitive university courses like Medicine, Law, or Engineering. For instance, a typical engineering course might require an ATAR of 80, while selective courses like Medicine often require 95+.
In VCE Physics, School-assessed Coursework (SACs) are essential evaluations like tests, assignments, or practical experiments that determine your proficiency in the subject. Successfully completing these SACs earns you a 'Satisfactory' (S) result, indicating you've met the curriculum standards, while failing to do so results in a 'Non-Satisfactory' (N).
Your performance in SACs for Unit 3/4 directly influences your Study Score, which plays a crucial role in calculating your ATAR, pivotal for university admissions. Thus, excelling in SACs is key to achieving both your VCE certification and your educational aspirations.
The Study Design for VCE Physics outlines the curriculum and establishes the framework within which students will be assessed. It includes the content to be taught, the outcomes to be achieved, and the assessment processes. The study design ensures consistency in teaching and assessment across all schools offering VCE Physics.
VCE Physics is structured into four units, each comprising various Areas of Study (AOS):
Unit 1: How is energy useful to society?
AOS 1: How are light and heat explained?
AOS 2: How is energy from the nucleus utilised?
AOS 3: How can electricity be used to transfer energy?
Unit 2: How does physics help us to understand the world?
AOS 1: How is motion understood?
AOS 2: Options - How does physics inform contemporary issues and applications in society?
AOS 3: How do physicists investigate questions?
Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity?
AOS 1: How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?
AOS 2: How do things move without contact?
AOS 3: How are fields used in electricity generation?
Unit 4: How have creative ideas and investigations revolutionised thinking in physics?
AOS 1: How has understanding about the physical world changed?
AOS 2: How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion, or light?
Units 1 and 2 are generally completed in Year 11 and cover foundational physics concepts. These units aim to establish a base of knowledge and skills essential for tackling the more complex topics in Units 3 and 4. Assessments for Units 1 and 2 are carried out internally within schools and do not contribute towards the ATAR.
Units 3 and 4, taken in Year 12, are integral to the VCE external assessments. The outcomes of these units are critical as they directly contribute to the ATAR.
School-assessed Coursework (SACs): These contribute significantly to the final study score in VCE Physics. For Unit 3, SACs account for 30% of the study score, while in Unit 4, they account for 20%.
External Examination: The end-of-year exam for Units 3 and 4 contributes 50% to the study score. This exam tests comprehensive knowledge and understanding across all units.
SAC 1 Energy and Earth Poster Task
SAC 2 Nuclear Physics Written Test
SAC 3 Circuits Practical Skills and Calculations Test
SAC 1 Mechanics Written Test
SAC 2 Light and Waves Written Test
SAC 3 Investigation (Poster + Logbook)