RSC Subject Selection Website - Senior Pathways Explained

Upon finishing secondary school, students will be awarded one of several types of certificates by the State Government of Victoria that acknowledge the successful completion of Years 11 and 12 and allow entry into tertiary institutions. These include:

- Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
- Victorian Certificate of Education - Vocational Major (VCE VM)
- Victorian Certificate of Education - Baccalaureate (VCE)
- Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)

As students entering the Senior School, you need to be considering what exactly the next few years will look like as you finish school. For most students, the end of school will involve completing the VCE pathway, a robust and challenging curriculum that teaches important skills across a range of knowledge areas, or the VCE VM pathway to focus more on preparing for the workforce. This site will help you understand everything you need to know about the VCE, VCE VM, VET and other pathway options.

To help you make informed decisions about your pathway, it's important to consider what you have learned about yourself through the careers curriculum, review your Career Action Plan, and research the prerequisites of any courses you may be interested in doing after secondary school by visiting tertiary institution websites and going to Open Days. A good checklist when choosing subjects for your pathway is:

1. Am I interested in this subject?
2. Does this subject play to my strengths?
3. Do my subjects cover any prerequisites I need for particular courses?
4. Do my subjects help me build a broad knowledge base so I am more likely to be successful once I get in to a course?

A great website to research courses is https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/ TAFE courses can be explored on the individual institution's website (i.e. Chisholm, Holmsglen, Kangan, etc)

What is the VCE pathway?

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is a major senior secondary certificate awarded to senior students in Victoria. The VCE is typically undertaken across the final two years of high school, with students allowed to select from a variety of different subjects based on their personal interests and future aspirations. Obtaining a VCE helps students gain entry into tertiary education institutions, like university and TAFE.

VCE Structure

Each VCE subject is made up of four, semester-long units, with Units 1 and 2 typically taken in Year 11, and Units 3 and 4 completed in Year 12. Students must complete at least 16 units of study to receive a VCE, including at least 3 units from within the area of English. It is assumed that students undertaking the VCE at RSC will complete 12 Units in Year 11, and 10 Units in Year 12.

Students may apply to complete an accelerated subject, meaning they complete Units 1 and 2 of a subject while in Year 10, and Units 3 and 4 while in Year 11. This can help students gain valuable experience into how VCE subjects work before entering a full Year 11 program, and the extra subject can also contribute to their final ATAR score. See the Apply to Accelerate page for more information.

More information available on the VCE subjects page.

VCE Results

This pathway generates study scores for all subjects, resulting an ATAR which can be used to apply directly to university courses after Year 12. This is therefore referred to as a 'scored' pathway.

The VCE certificate will include a Statement of Results that will list: subject completion results, study scores, performance against the literacy and numeracy standards, as well as the type of certificate awarded.

What could a VCE program look like?

Every students program can be tailored to suit their aspirations, interests and strengths as well as meeting the requirements. Click here to view a few of the typical program structures we often see students selecting.

Click here to view the VCE subject descriptions.

What is the VCE Baccalaureate certificate?

The VCE Baccalaureate is an additional form of recognition for students who choose to undertake the demands of studying both higher level mathematics and a language in their VCE program of study. The benefits may include:

Recognition of Achievement: It provides a formal acknowledgement of a student's academic achievements, particularly in areas of mathematics and languages, beyond the standard VCE.
University Applications: While not a direct entry requirement for all universities, the VCE Baccalaureate can be viewed favorably by tertiary institutions, potentially enhancing university applications.
Encourages Study of Key Subjects: It encourages students to pursue a broader range of subjects, including a higher-level mathematics and a language, which are often seen as beneficial for future studies and career paths.
Holistic Education: It promotes a more well-rounded education by encouraging students to develop skills in both mathematical and linguistic areas, which can be advantageous in various academic and professional fields.
Portfolio Enhancement: The certificate can be included in a student's portfolio, showcasing their academic strengths and achievements to potential employers or further education providers.

How do you complete the VCE Baccalaureate?

To be eligible to receive the appellation of ‘VCE Baccalaureate’ on their VCE certificates, students must satisfactorily complete the VCE and receive a study score for each prescribed study component. The VCE program of study must include:

- Unit 3/4 English or Literature or English Language with a study score of 30 or above (or Unit 3/4 EAL with a study score of 33 or above)
- Unit 3/4 Mathematical Methods
- Unit 3/4 VCE Language (Indonesian, Japanese or other)
- at least 2 other Unit 3/4 subjects

Students don't need to enrol in this pathway. If you meet the above requirements at the end of Year 12, then your VCE certificate will automatically be upgraded to a VCE Baccalaureate certificate (otherwise the standard VCE completion will be issued).

What is an ATAR and how can I maximise it?

Your ATAR is an overall ranking of your VCE achievement comparative to other Year 12 Victorian students in that year. This ranking is assigned by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC)

For every Unit 3/4 subject completed, the school-based assessments and external exam are combined to create your study score. These study scores are then scaled according to the subject difficulty and your best 4 to 6 results are combined to create an overall score, which is represented as a ranking - the highest achieveable is 99.95.

There are a number of factors that can help maximise performance from course selection to final exams:

Selecting Subjects
- - Choose subjects that you are interested in (i.e. think about your passions and aspirations)
  - Consider how capable you are to perform well (i.e. the literacy and numeracy demands)
  - Consider the impact of scaling on the subject (i.e. more difficult subjects are adjusted up)
  - If you're ready, accelerate to complete one or two Year 12 subjects in Year 11 (i.e. graduate with at least 6 study scores) - this needs to start with accelerating into to Year 11 as a Year 10 student (see Apply to Accelerate page)
Learning Content
- - Very high rates of attendance and classroom participation
  - Ask questions and seek help when unsure
  - Complete coursework by due dates
  - Seek and reflect on feedback
Completing Assessment
- - Create revision notes and summaries
  - Complete revision activities and practice assessments (both in class and as homework)
  - Seek and reflect on feedback
  - Develop exam/assessment techniques and strategies specific to each subject's exam/assessments

What is the VCE VM pathway?

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Vocational Major (VM) is a two-year applied learning course that helps students develop an important combination of knowledge and skills to confidently approach further training or employment. The VCE Vocational Major curriculum was designed for students who prefer learning in practical environments and putting their skills into action. VM replaced the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) at the beginning of 2023, placing even greater emphasis on providing a wide range of relevant opportunities and vocational education.

Who should do the VCE VM?

The Vocational Major is designed for students looking to transition into apprenticeships, traineeships or the workforce directly after school. Students doing the VM are often learners who thrive in situations where they can put their skills into practice. By offering work placements and a greater emphasis on VET and employment skills, the VM is a targeted pathway program to give these students the greatest opportunity to succeed in school and beyond.

Requirements of the VCE VM

Students can select from a wide range of VCE VM, VCE and VET subjects to design a program targetted to their individual strengths and interests. Each subject is made up of four, semester-long units, with Units 1 and 2 typically taken in Year 11, and Units 3 and 4 completed in Year 12. Students must complete at least 16 units of study to receive a VCE VM. A minimum number of units for each of the following subject areas must successfully completed to satisfy the requirements.

3 x Literacy - either VM Literacy or VCE English
2 x Numeracy - either VM Numeracy or any VCE Maths
2 x Work Related Skills
2 x Personal Development Skills
4 x VET (including weekly Structured Workplace Learning)
The remaining units can be made up with VCE VM, VCE or VET subjects

More information available on the VCE VM subjects page.

VCE VM Results

This pathway does not generate any/enough study scores for an ATAR to be calculated. This is therefore referred to as a 'unscored' pathway.

The VCE certificate will include a Statement of Results that will list: subject completion results, performance against the literacy and numeracy standards, as well as the type of certificate awarded.

What could a VCE VM program look like?

Click here to view the VCE VM subject descriptions.

What is the Victorian Pathways Certificate?

The purpose of the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) is to:

- equip students with the skills, knowledge, values and capabilities to be active and informed citizens, lifelong learners, and confident and creative individuals.
- empower students to make informed decisions about the next stages of their lives by providing them with the best opportunities to achieve their personal goals and introducing them to workplace experiences.
- offer a highly inclusive option to see all students able to successfully complete a Year 12 certificate.

VPC enrolment may be suitable for a student who:

- has had a highly modified program during their F-10 years
- is re-engaging into the school environment
- has had a transient experience with previous school enrolments
- meets the eligibility for the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) / Disability Inclusion Profile
- receives support from the top three levels of the NCCD: extensive, substantial and supplementary
- has additional or complex social and wellbeing needs that cannot be supported in the VCE or VCE VM through other supports

Possible future pathways for VPC students include:

- completion of the VCE or VCE VM (through TAFE)
- apprenticeships and traineeships
- VET
- employment

At Rosebud SC, students who may need to complete the VPC will be enrolled in a VCE VM program. The decision about whether a student is better suited to VPC rather than VCE VM will be decided on a case-by-case basis during Unit 1. Course counselling and advice will be provided to the student and family throughout this process.

What is VET?

Vocational Education Tertiary (VET) allows students to include vocational studies within their senior secondary certificate. Students undertake nationally recognised training from either accredited state curriculum or national training packages. These VET programs may be undertaken in a variety of settings and offer students the opportunity to undertake Structured Workplace Learning (SWL), combining classroom learning with hands-on training and practical industry experience.

Why choose VET as part of a senior secondary certificate?

VET offers students the opportunity to:

- Explore career options and pathways
- Gain practical workplace experience
- Work and learn in an ‘adult’ environment
- Gain a nationally recognised qualification (with VCE contribution)
- Build work readiness skills

More information available on the VET subjects page.

What would it look like to include VET in a VCE program?

VCE students can select a VET course as one of their optional VCE subjects. They will require four semesters to complete the entire course. The structure of what this looks like can be viewed here.

Click here to view the VET course descriptions.

What would it look like to include VET in a VCE VM program?

VCE VM students must select at least one VET course as one of their required subjects. They will require four semesters to complete the entire course. The structure of what this looks like can be viewed here.

Click here to view the VET course descriptions.

What is a School-Based Apprenticeship?

School based apprenticeships provide students with a pathway to transition from school to the workplace. An SBAT allows a student to commence their apprenticeship while still completing their senior studies. This flexible option works well for students on the VCE VM Pathway.

School based appreticeships are supported by Head Start. For more information visit their website by clicking this link.

What would it look like to include an SBAT in a VCE VM program?

A program involving an SBAT will have the same requirements as a VCE VM program. Students will need to be prepared to use independent study periods to catch up on work missed during workplace and training days. Click here to view examples of VCE VM programs.

It is possible to complete an SBAT as part of a VCE program, but in most cases not recommended.

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