2023 Senior School Handbook

VCE/VET/VM Programs

What do I have to do to get my VCE?

The VCE is a senior secondary certificate of education designed to be completed by school students over a minimum of two years. Units 1 and 2 can be completed as single units and Units 3 and 4 must be taken as a sequence in the same calendar year.

 

The VCE is awarded on the basis of satisfactory completion of units according to the following requirements:

  • Satisfactory completion of a minimum of sixteen (16) units of study across Year 11 and 12 which must include:
  • Three units from the English Group including a Unit 3-4 sequence.
  • At least three sequences of Unit 3-4 Studies other than English

Note: The three units of English including a 3-4 sequence may include units from across the English group.

 

Students in Year 11 may choose from the following English Units:

  • Semester 1: Unit 1 English, English Language, Literature or EAL
  • Semester 2: Unit 2 English, English Language, Literature or EAL

Please refer to the English section of the VCE Studies section of this booklet for further details.

 

In Year 12 students must study a sequence of English units.

 

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) advises that for the calculation of a students’ Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), satisfactory completion of both Units 3 and 4 of an English sequence are required.

VET Programs

VET (Vocational Education Training) in schools program combines general VCE studies with vocational training and experience in the workforce. VET programs have become fully integrated into the VCE. This means that they have been developed as independent studies at Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 level. All VET programs have full VCE study status.

 

VET provides additional breadth to the VCE and gives students a nationally recognised training credential endorsed by industry and an ability to articulate into further education and training courses.

  • VCE VET units contribute a Unit 1-4 sequence in their own right for the completion of VCE.
  • Up to two of the three sequences other than English can be approved VCE VET Unit 3 and 4 sequences.
  • Full VCE study scores are now available for most VET Units 3 and 4.
  • VET subjects must be started at either the beginning of Year 10 or Year 11 and cannot be picked up part-way through the year.

VCE – Vocational Major ( for Yr 11 2023 students only and Yr 12 students 2024) 

In 2023 the VCAA have added a new strand of the VCE, the VCE Vocational Major. The VCE Vocational Major is a two year vocational and applied learning program within the VCE. The program aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge, confidence and agency needed to prepare for the world of work and further education and training. Students who choose to study the Vocational Major will follow the following structure:

 

 

To meet the completion requirements students will need an “S” for 16 units, over the two years which must include: 

  • 3 VCE English  units 
  • 2  VCE Mathematics units 
  • 2 Work-Related Skills units 
  • 2 Personal Development Skills and 
  • 2 VET credits at Certificate II level or above (180 hours)
  • Students can include VCE Units in their learning. 

VM Students do not have to sit examinations and therefore will not get an ATAR. Students who wish to take the Vocational Major generally wish to transition to work or TAFE after leaving school. There are many opportunities for these students who will be considered job-ready. Generally, these students do not want to pursue a university course.

 

 Students who choose the Vocational Major will typically be more interested in work and can use part-time jobs as their structured workplace learning. Students will not get a % result on their Learning Tasks. Competency will be demonstrated in the classroom and students will get an “S” when they show that they have met the outcome satisfactorily. Vocational Major students will have to do Section A of the GAT, the Literacy and Numeracy test.

Attendance Requirements

To satisfactorily complete a unit, a student is expected to attend all timetabled classes. Where a student has completed work but there has been a substantive breach of class attendance, the student may be awarded an N.

 

The only types of absence that will not be used as part of the attendance requirement calculations are:

an approved absence due to extenuating circumstances, e.g. Funeral of family member or a school based activity to which approval has been granted. 

 

For an absence to be classed as 'approved', an authorised, correctly dated medical certificate is required. A note from a parent/guardian is NOT acceptable,

How Do I Gain Tertiary Entry?

The VCE is the foundation qualification for entry to all tertiary institutions. You should check at the start of the year that you're doing the correct subjects for entry into your projected course. Your results on your school assessed coursework, school assessed tasks (where applicable) and other requirements and examinations will determine tertiary entry for 2023/2024/2025.