Scotch College

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)

THE VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (VCE)

For a student to obtain his VCE, he must complete the requirements listed below. It is essential that each student accept responsibility for his course of study over the two years of his VCE studies. His Head of Year, Tutor and the Scotch College Course and Careers Centre will assist your son to select and complete an appropriate VCE program, which will lead to university, TAFE, apprenticeships, work, etc.

The minimum requirement for the award of the VCE is satisfactory completion of 16 Units. For the calculation of a student’s ATAR, satisfactory completion of Units 3/4 of English (including ESL), Literature or English Language is required. Scotch offers:

• English Units 1, 2, 3 & 4
• Literature Units 1, 2, 3 & 4
• ESL Units 3 & 4
• English Language Units 2, 3 & 4

A student also needs three sequences of other Unit 3/4 studies, including a VET subject if it is currently accredited to be counted towards an ATAR. A small number of Scotch College students study one VET subject; each student should check the status of his VET subject to determine whether it is Certificate II or III and whether it can be used in his calculation of his ATAR. Scotch College does not offer VET on campus; therefore, students enrolled in VET programs must travel to other campuses.

• Unit 1 is usually studied in the first semester of Year 11
• Unit 2 is usually studied in the second semester of Year 11
• Units 3/4 are studied sequentially in either Year 11 or Year 12
• some Units 1/2 subjects can be studied in Year 12
• some Units 3/4 subjects can be studied in Year 11

The VCE is usually completed over two years, but students may accumulate Units over any number of years. It is possible for students returning as adults and students who have received credit for a full Year 11 to complete their VCE in a single year.

VTAC calculates a student’s ATAR and communicates that ranking to universities and Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE) institutes.