Australia VCE and ATAR explained

What is VCE?

VCE, full name Victoria Certificate of Education, is a graduation certificate awarded to high school students who have successfully completed high school education in Victoria. As a five-star course in Australia, the VCE course is one of the four major high school course systems in the world, along with A-Level and IB. Although VCE is the college entrance examination system in Victoria, its results are recognized by universities in all states of Australia and other countries1. VCE requires at least 4 courses to be selected, and only 6 courses are taken at most. Most students will choose 6 courses. In addition to the mandatory English (EAL), you can choose any other 5 courses.

What is ATAR?

ATAR, full name Australian Tertiary Admission RankATAR is the university entrance examination in Australia. ATAR does not represent a score, but a ranking among students. The scores range from the lowest 0 to the highest 99.95. It is also the main reference standard for Australian universities when admitting students. For example, if a student's ATAR is 70, it means that TA is ranked in the top 30%. ATAR is calculated based on one of the following schemes, the best 5 subjects: 5 general subjects or 4 general subjects + 1 applied subject or 4 general subjects + 1 vocational course.

What are the VCE examination subjects?

The VCE curriculum offers over 129 subjects for students to choose from. These subjects include but are not limited to:

• English: English is a compulsory subject and there are a variety of English courses to choose from, including English as a Second Language (EAL).
• math: Includes mathematics courses at different levels.
• science: Including physics, chemistry, biology, etc.
• Humanities: Including history, geography, politics, etc.
• Business Economy: Including economics, accounting, etc.
• Art: Includes performances of music, art and dance.
• information Technology.
• Health and Sports.
• Other languages.

Students complete Units 1 and 2 in Year 11, and only Units 3 and 4 in Year 12. Only Units 3 and 4 are counted towards the final grade in the college entrance examination. Generally, students will choose 5-6 VCE courses in Year 11. Except for English (EAL), which is a compulsory subject, all other courses are electives.

When are the VCE exams?

VCE exams are usually held between October and November each year. The specific exam time may vary depending on the year and subject, so it is recommended that students check the official website of the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Agency VCAA in advance to obtain the latest and most accurate exam timetable.

Here are some things to note about the VCE exam:

• Please check the test time carefully and arrive at the test venue at least 30 minutes in advance.
• On days with two exams scheduled, the afternoon session starts at 2:00 p.m.; on all other days with three exams scheduled, the afternoon session starts at 3:00 p.m.
• Each exam includes 15 minutes of reading time (unless otherwise specified).

What is the relationship between ATAR and VCE?

The relationship between VCE (Victoria Certificate of Education) and ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is very close. VCE is the high school course in Victoria, while ATAR is the university entrance examination in Australia.

VCE results are the basis for calculating ATAR. Students' performance in VCE courses will be converted into an ATAR score, which will determine whether students can enter their chosen university course. ATAR is a score of 0-99.95, representing the student's ranking among students of the same grade1. For example, if a student has an ATAR of 70, he or she will be ranked in the top 30% of all students.

Simply put, VCE is your study and examination in high school, while ATAR is calculated based on your results in VCE and is used for university application scores.

How is ATAR calculated?

The calculation method of ATAR is based on the comprehensive calculation of students' high school academic performance, which mainly includes the following four steps1:

• Original score conversion: Convert students’ scores in each subject into standard unified scores.
• Scaling: Estimate the final grade for each course based on the original learning score.
• Rank: Based on the aggregation, VTAC then assigns each student a percentile rank using a 100-point scale. All students with the same aggregation receive the same percentile rank.
• ATAR calculation: Finally, the percentage grade is converted to an ATAR, which is the percentage of students who successfully completed the VCE in the same year. The ATAR is a number between 0 and 99.95, in increments of 0.05.

Specifically, ATAR is calculated as follows:

• Your highest calculated score in any English subject, plus
• Your next three highest calculated test scores, plus
• 10%The grades for your fifth and sixth subjects.

Are there other education systems available after high school graduation in Australia?

After graduating from high school in Australia, students can choose from a variety of educational pathways:

Direct entry to university: After graduating from high school in Australia, students can directly enter undergraduate courses at Australian universities. This is the most common path, and students can choose the right university and major based on their interests and professional goals.

University Preparation：For some students who need to improve their academic ability or English level, they can choose to study a one-year university preparatory course (Foundation) and then enter university.

Some students may choose to study a Diploma, which is equivalent to the first year of university in Australia. After completing this course, students can directly enter the second year of university.

Vocational Education and Training：In addition, some students may choose to attend a vocational education and training college (TAFE) to obtain a vocational qualification certificate or diploma. These courses usually focus more on the development of practical skills and are a good choice for students who want to enter the workplace directly.

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