Victorian Certificate of Education
The VCE is the certificate most students in Victoria receive on satisfactory completion of their secondary education. It is an outstanding qualification that is recognised around the world. The VCE provides diverse pathways to further study or training at university or TAFE, and to employment.
The VCE is usually done in Years 11 and 12 but can be started in Year 10. About half of Victorian Year 10 students take some VCE units.
There are over 90 VCE studies, or subjects, and over 30 VCE/VET programs to choose from. You will find complete lists of VCE studies on the VCAA website. To be awarded the VCE students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 16 Units. Each Unit equals a Semester length study.
When selecting a VCE program for Units 1 and 2, it is acceptable to select a variety of subjects, as in Year 12 you will be reducing the number of Units studied. However, students need to be aware that certain subjects are required for Unit 3 and tertiary courses. Before selecting a course, students need to check Tertiary prerequisites. What skills and knowledge do these courses expect students to have? Remember, choosing too wide a range of subjects means there are more likely to be timetable clashes.
It is important to look at the details of individual University and TAFE courses. Consult the COURSESEARCH and the Prerequisites for 2022 (published July 2019) which lists Tertiary prerequisites for the year in which students will enter university or TAFE. If you have any further questions, make an appointment with Mrs Greaves.
What should you consider when choosing your studies?
All Year 10 students have attended Morrisby Careers Profile interviews following the testing completed on July 27.
This information should be consulted prior to making you subject choices.
For a list of frequently asked questions about the VCE, click here.
It is a College requirement that all Year 12 students undertake a full VCE program which consists of an English Unit 3-4 and four other Unit 3/4 sequences.
All students will also study House RE.
Individual students who are unable to meet these requirements will need to provide medical and/or other evidence to support their case.
An interview with the VCE Panel, the student and his parents/guardians will be organised to discuss the situation.
Before making a final selection of subjects students should make sure that they satisfy the requirements of Tertiary or post-secondary courses they wish to enter, or the conditions of the employment they intend seeking – see Mrs Greaves if unsure.
There are minimal prerequisites for entry into Units 3 & 4; however, students are advised that in some subject areas the expectations of the course and the skills required for necessary completion mean that it would be very difficult to commence them entirely at the Unit 3/4 level. See specific subject pages for details.
For various reasons, students may wish to undertake one or more VCE Units at another provider (e.g.: Distance Education Victoria, Victorian School of Languages etc.). St Bede’s College, however, will still be regarded as the HOME SCHOOL and WE must therefore enrol you.
As such, we must be notified regarding the undertaking of these studies by:
a) Contacting the Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning), Ms Haggett.
b) You must then enrol in units outside St Bede’s College and pay your fees (if applicable).
c) Provide necessary enrolment forms from your institution to St Bede’s College.
If this applies to you, please contact the College prior to the end of 2020.
1. Satisfactory Completion of a Unit
You will receive "S" (for "Satisfactorily completed") or "N" (for "Not Satisfactorily completed") for each Unit depending on whether or not you have satisfactorily completed the Outcomes.
2. Level of Performance
In Units 1 and 2 there will be some graded assessment tasks and percentages for these tasks will be included on your reports, however they will not be included in your official statement of results from VCAA. You do not receive a study score in Units 1 & 2.
3. Assessment for Unit 3 & 4 Studies
Each study will have a number of assessment components. These will consist of school assessed coursework and/or school assessed tasks and at least one examination. All school assessments will be based on specific outcomes.
4. General Achievement Test (GAT)
All students doing any VCE Units 3-4 will undertake the GAT. The GAT is a three hour test, measuring levels of general achievement across three broad areas:
Written communication
Mathematics, Science, Technology
Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences
Amongst other uses, GAT results are used to monitor school assessment. The GAT is held in mid-June each year.
5. The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank)
The Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) is an overall percentile rank reflecting a student’s Year 12 achievement compared to the age group in a given year. The ATAR allows tertiary institutions to competitively rank students who have completed different combinations of VCE studies. It is calculated by VTAC solely for use by institutions for admission into some tertiary courses. The ATAR is reported as a number between 0.00 and 99.95 with increments of 0.05. A student with an ATAR of 75.00 has achieved VCE results above 75 percent of the Year 12 age group.