Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE): Requirements, Structure, and Assessment

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete their studies in Years 11 and 12 in Victoria, Australia, and in some international schools located in China, Malaysia, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. It serves as a pathway to further education, training, and employment.

VCE Structure and Studies

All VCE studies are organised into units. VCE subjects typically consist of four units with each unit covering one semester of study. Each unit comprises a set number of outcomes (usually two or three); an outcome describes the knowledge and skills that a student should demonstrate by the time the student has completed the unit.

The VCE course is made up of studies and units, some of which must be studied as a sequence. A study is a subject, for example, English or Biology. It is made up of four units (Units 1, 2, 3 and 4), each of which is a semester in length. For most students, VCE is completed over two years. Students typically study Units 1 and 2 in their first year, and Units 3 and 4 in their second year.

There are currently 128 VCE studies, ranging from diverse fields such as the humanities, science, technology and mathematics. Although a student may choose to study any VCE subject in theory, this is dependent on availability of the specified study at the student's school.

Units 3/4 of a subject must be studied in sequential order, whereas units 1/2 can be mixed and matched. On completing a unit, a student receives either a 'satisfactory' (S) or 'non-satisfactory' (N) result. You can study Unit 1 or Unit 2 of a subject as stand-alone units. However, you must enrol in Units 3 and 4 of a study as a sequence. This sequence needs to be completed in the same year if a study score is to be calculated. Students usually study from 20 to 24 units (five or six studies) in Years 11 and 12. You can take longer than two years to finish VCE if you need to. A student must study at least four subjects to be awarded the VCE.

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VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM)

All VCE and VCE-VM students are required to complete a minimum of sixteen units in total, eight of which must be Unit 3 & 4 sequences. The VCE VM is a very flexible certificate, and so long as the base requirements are met, any other studies can also be included - within the scope of each school's own policies and capacity.

Assessment

VCE studies are assessed both internally (in school) and externally (through the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)). "School assessed coursework" (SACs) are the primary avenue of internal assessment, with assessment in every VCE study consisting of at least one SAC.[9] SACs are tasks that are written by the school and must be done primarily in class time; they can include essays, reports, tests, and case studies. Some studies in the visual arts and technology areas are also assessed via "school assessed tasks" (SATs). SATs are generally practical tasks that are examined in school.

External assessment is conducted in the form of examinations set by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority for units 3/4 studies. As of 2013, only the General Achievement Test (GAT) will be examined in June, with all subjects now only having one external assessment with the exceptions of mathematics subjects, LOTE studies, which consist of both a written and oral external test, performance studies, which consist of both a written external test and a performance, and Extended Investigations, which consist of an oral presentation and a Critical Thinking Test. Subjects in the LOTE field (languages other than English) are also assessed in the form of oral examinations. Subjects in the Dance, Drama/Theatre Studies and Music fields, as well as Extended Investigations, are assessed by a performance for a VCAA panel of examiners as part of their external assessment.

The GAT is an essential part of VCE external assessment. It provides the basis for a quality assurance check on the marking of examinations, and for deriving an indicative study score if the student misses the external assessment with a valid reason.

Study Scores and Grading

Students will be eligible for a study score of between 0 and 50 if they have completed at least two Graded Assessments, and have satisfactorily completed both units 3/4 of a VCE study. Study scores are calculated by combining the standardised scores for each Graded Assessment with specific percentages, then ranked against all students in the subject according to a normal distribution, where the mean is 30 and the standard deviation is 7, with most study scores falling between 23 and 37.

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Derived Examination Score (DES)

If a student is ill or affected by other personal circumstances during an external assessment, and whose result is unlikely to be a fair or accurate demonstration of their learning or achievement, they may apply for a derived examination score (DES). Long-term illness or other ongoing conditions that have been present over the year are not eligible for a DES. Students will need to supply independent evidence to apply for a DES, and will be examined case by case by VCAA.

Scaling

Scaling is the process that adjusts VCE study scores into ATAR subject scores. The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) adjusts all VCE study scores to equalise results between studies with stronger cohorts, and those with weaker ones. Contrary to common perception, scaling is not based on the difficulty of the subject, as each study score is in fact a ranking. The score adjustment ensures that in those subjects where it is easier to overtake the cohort, the score is adjusted downward, while in subjects where it is difficult to score highly, it is moved upwards.

Mathematics subjects and language subjects have additional scaling rules. In mathematics subjects (General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics), all three studies are scaled against each other in addition to being scaled against all other studies, then the higher of the two scaling scores will then be used. This is due to mathematics having a distinct hierarchy of studies with varying difficulties, so students studying the harder subjects will not be disadvantaged by the level of difficulty. In LOTE (Languages Other Than English) subjects, study scores are adjusted by adding up to five to the initial scaled study score average.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

ATAR in Victoria is calculated by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) every year using student results provided by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). The aggregates, which can range from 0 to, theoretically, over 220, are then mapped to percentiles for conversion to an ATAR. Students must pass an English subject in order to qualify for an ATAR as well as the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).[17] The primary four results must be taken from VCE or Vocational Education and Training (VET) Units 3 and 4 sequences, while the increments can also include other results, such as interstate study or university extension studies. There are also other rules, such as only two studies from the same subject area can contribute to the "primary 4". The group of students with the highest aggregates will be assigned the highest ATAR of 99.95.

It is possible for students to complete an unscored VCE. Under this option, students still have to pass their coursework to be awarded the VCE course, but do not sit final exams and are not given an ATAR.

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GPA calculation

For this credential, the value of each course is calculated by averaging the grades listed on the Statement of Results under grades 1-3. Grades listed under “Study Score” are not used for a GPA calculation. For these courses, one Carnegie unit may be applied (in total) to the series of three grades, weighted evenly.

Examination Issues and Controversies

The VCE has faced various issues and controversies over the years:

2011 English Exam: The Age newspaper accused VCAA of plagiarism and breach of copyright.
2012 History: Revolutions Exam: A doctored picture was used in the exam, in which a large robot had been edited in to the background of the scene.
2016 Results Release: A computer error allowed some students to receive their ATAR score and VCE results earlier than intended, leading to complaints of unfairness.
2018 English Exam: A fictional writer scathingly attacked a café franchise named "Calmer Coffee" opening in his local town, criticising its unfriendly staff and unwelcoming ambience that he described as "an assault on the senses". After the exam completed, students discovered that a real "Calmer Cafe" existed in Aberfeldie, a suburb just north-west of Melbourne. The café's manager, Elise Jenkins, shares the same surname as the exam question's fictional writer. Within hours, the café received over 100 negative reviews on Google Maps from Year 12 students, bringing down its rating from nearly 5 stars to as low as 3.3.
Mathematics Exam Errors: Several errors have been identified in VCE mathematics exams, leading to investigations and amended exam papers. An open letter to the Victorian Education Minister signed by nearly 70 University mathematicians states that these questions "are unacceptably flawed. The Bennett Report substantiated the allegations of significant and serious errors in the 2022 Specialist Mathematics exams. One of the recommendations is that the VCAA work with mathematics and science academics when drafting and proofreading exams, to improve quality control before the tests end up on students' desks. On 2 May 2024 the VCAA published amended copies of the Specialist Mathematics Examinations 1 and 2 and examination reports. Four questions containing serious mathematical errors (which the VCAA had previously denied existed on multiple occasions) were redacted. The VCAA has made no official comment on the 'human cost' of these exam errors and whether teachers and academics who were ignored when they repeatedly alerted the VCAA of these errors should now receive an apology.
2022 Geography Exam: Colour blind students were given red-green scaled maps.
Chinese Language Exam: Two high schools gave Chinese language students the wrong exam paper.

Tips for VCE Students

The remaining half of the school year is a particularly important time for Senior School students preparing for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).

Create a study routine: Sit down and plan your workload - consider when exams or assignments are due. Work back from those dates and draw up a work and study plan that breaks tasks into manageable chunks.
Sleep well: Many young people aren't getting enough sleep, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies. A 2019 report found that half of 16-17 year olds don't get enough sleep on school nights. Government health guidelines recommend that children up to age 13 should have 9-11 hours of sleep, and students aged 14 and upwards have 8-10 hours each night.
Eat well: The London School of Economics recommends that students look at what they eat as they prepare for exams. Some foods are known to improve alertness, memory and energy levels-all important during busy study times. Aim to drink around 1.2 litres of water a day to help brain function. Avoid high-sugar foods as after a sugar rush, blood sugar levels can suddenly drop and cause tiredness. Eat plenty of protein-rich foods such as nuts, oats, eggs, dried fruits and yoghurt and avoid too much caffeine, which can lead to headaches. Green tea is believed to help concentration and is a healthier beverage choice.
Consider adding a sixth subject to your VCE: Studying a sixth VCE subject online at Haileybury Pangea allows for flexibility and self-paced work on a subject of your choice. Many students are juggling multiple personal and academic commitments, so being able to study a sixth subject in a way that fits in with their schedule means they can pursue their interests and access the advantage this offers. An additional VCE subject also adds 10% to your overall ATAR score.
Make time for friends and relaxation: Keeping up activities beyond school study is important. Maintaining an involvement in sport or other recreational activities is important to wellbeing and helps to maintain a sense of balance.
Focus on what you can control: Dr Chelsea Hyde, Educational Psychologist at Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, says it’s important to help students reduce stress by encouraging them to focus on what they can do and what they can control, such as keeping up with schoolwork and setting goals for the future.
Ask for help when you need it: Remember you are surrounded by people who want the best for you and want to see you succeed - your family, friends, and teachers.

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