The 2023 GAT

Please be aware that all year 12 students (both VCE and VCE(VM) and any student sitting a unit 3&4 subject students will be required to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Thursday June 15th.

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a pen-and-paper test of general knowledge and skills taken by students in the course of completing their senior secondary studies.

The GAT plays an important role in the quality assurance of VCE assessments and also provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate they meet the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Standards expected at a senior secondary level.

No special study is needed. Past study of subjects like English, Mathematics, Science and History prepares students for the GAT by building their general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy and reasoning.

The GAT plays an important role in the quality assurance of VCE assessments and also provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate they meet the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Standards expected at a senior secondary level. Therefore it is important that students sit the GAT and put in their best effort.

The GAT is split into two exams that are on the same day, they are named section A and Section B.

All students in year 12 will sit section A (both VCE and VCE (VM), only students doing VCE (not VM) will sit part B. VCE(VM) students are permitted to leave at the end of Part A.

Section A is a literacy and numeracy assessment comprised of:

• a two-part writing task
• 50 numeracy multiple-choice questions
• 50 reading multiple-choice questions

Section B is a general knowledge a general knowledge and skills assessment comprised of:

• an extended writing task
• 25 mathematics, science and technology multiple-choice questions
• 25 arts and humanities multiple-choice questions

Statement of results

A GAT Statement of Results is mailed to each student. Student literacy and numeracy skills are assessed against new standards in reading, writing and numeracy introduced into Part A of the GAT.

The GAT Statement of Results indicates if the student has met the standard, not met the standard, or met the standard and demonstrated a level of excellence.

In addition, where a student has completed both Sections A and B their results will include a score for each GAT component. The components are:

• Writing (Section A) and written communication (Section B)
• Numeracy (Section A) and mathematics, science and technology (Section B)
• Reading (Section A) and humanities, the arts and social sciences (Section B)

The timeline of the day will be as below:

The 2023 GAT will be held on Thursday 15 June as follows: