Choice of Program

At Roxburgh College you can complete your Senior School studies in either one of two ways: 

1) The VCE program - This course allows you to obtain your VCE Certificate and an ATAR Score.
2) The VCE-VM - This course allows you to obtain the VCE-VM certificate. There is no ATAR with this certificate.

 Both the VCE, VVE-VM have the following additional requirements:
• Attendance must be 90% or above
• All Coursework must be completed to the required standard as outlined in the Study Designs for each subject
• Assessment Tasks & SACs must have a 50% or above score to be awarded as satisfactory 

VET subjects in your VCE or VCE-VM program 

Consider taking on a VET subject as it can increase your opportunities and you can gain two qualifications instead of one. On the successful completion of your VET course, as well as the successful completion of your VCE or VCE-VM, you will also get a Vocational Education Certificate. 

It is also important to note that VET subjects have equal status with all other VCE subjects 

All VET units offered by Roxburgh College at Units 3 & 4 level will contribute to your ATAR, but the subject only has a study score if it has an exam, and you sit the exam. 

After completing Year 12 your opportunities include:
• Degree courses at university, Diploma and Certificate courses at TAFE
• Further training as an Apprentice or Traineeship with an employer. 

How many VET subjects can I complete in my VCE?
In Year 11 you complete no more than 2 VET subjects (4 units) as part of your VCE. 

ATAR 

Satisfactory Completion of the VCE 

The minimum needed to obtain your VCE is to achieve a Satisfactory (S) result for 16 units. 

This must include: 

• At least three units of English, including Units 3 & 4
• Three sequences of Units 3 and 4 in studies other than English. No more than two of these sequences should be VET sequences
• At least 90% attendance of all classes. Prolonged absence, including overseas travel, will mean that you will severly restrict your ability to gain an (S) for the units during that semester 

Getting an ATAR Score 

The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is not a score out of 100—it is a rank. It shows a student’s achievement in relation to other students. 

It is used by tertiary institutions to offer students places in their courses. 

To receive an ATAR you must:
• Satisfactorily complete both units 3 & 4 of English (or equivalent)
• Satisfactorily complete both units 3 & 4 of at least three other subject (VCE or VET)
• Have a minimum of 16 VCE units 

How is the ATAR calculated? 

Students study 5 subjects in year 12. 

Each subject receives a study score out of 50 (derived from School Assessed Course work and external examinations) 

The subject aggregate is calculated by adding up the following:
• The study score of English (units 3 & 4)
• The study score of the next three best subjects
• 10% of the 5th subject’s study score and 10% of the 6th if available. 

The aggregate is then placed on a scale relative to all the aggregate scores in the state and an ATAR is allocated to the student. 

VCE Prerequisites and Sequences

 The VET & traditional VCE studies that will be offered at Roxburgh College are shown on page 30. Units 3 and 4 are joined together because you must take them as a sequence.

In some subjects you cannot do Units 3 & 4 without having completed Units 1 & 2. 

We recommend that you take Units 1 & 2 of all subject sequences you are planning to undertake for Units 3 & 4. Some studies such as Maths, offer more than one sequence of Units 3 and 4. You can take more than one of these sequences, however, you must take the Units 3 and 4 that go together 

Choosing VCE Units - a checklist 

You are not on your own in making these important decisions. Your Family and all your teachers, including the Careers Teacher, your Year Level Co-ordinator and the Subschool coordinator are there to help you. 

To make the best decisions about your future you should: 

• Attend your counselling session
• Carefully read this Handbook & the VTAC guide
• Research all the programs
• Discuss the options with your parents
• Get advice from your teachers and the Careers Co-ordinator 

Bonus Points and Scaling 

Our advice has always been that subjects should be chosen thinking about your strengths and interests. You need to be aware of prerequisites for courses you are interested in. However, you should be aware that there is an incentive scheme in Languages to encourage the study of foreign languages which involves bonus points on top of the study score. If you are good at Languages, this is something you might consider. Not all Languages receive bonus points. 

Similarly, in some subjects the study score is increased because of the perceived difficulty of the subject. In some subjects, the study score is scaled down. This should not affect your choice of subjects - if you work hard at subjects that interest you, you will do well.