VCAA
Satisfactory completion of VCE and VCAL
VCE
To get your VCE you need to satisfactorily complete at least 16 units.
Out of these 16 units, at least three must be from the English group listed below including a Unit 3–4 sequence.
The English group consists of Foundation English (Units 1 and 2), English (Units 1–4), Bridging English as an Additional Language (Units 1–2), English as an Additional Language (Units 3–4), English Language (Units 1–4) and Literature (Units 1–4).
You also need to complete three other sequences of Units 3 and 4 studies. These can be VCE studies and/or VCE VET programs.
To calculate an ATAR, VTAC requires:
- satisfactory completion of both Units 3 and 4 of an English group study
- study scores for the English group study
- three other Units 3 and 4 sequences in your VCE program.
VCAL
The VCAL is offered at three levels – Foundation, Intermediate and Senior.
To get your VCAL, you need to successfully complete a learning program that contains at least 10 credits (units).
This program must include:
- a minimum of one credit for each of the VCAL curriculum strands (Literacy and Numeracy Skills, Industry Specific Skills, Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills)
- a minimum of two VCAL units
- one credit for numeracy
- six credits at or above the VCAL level attempted (Foundation, Intermediate or Senior). One of these credits must be for Literacy, and one for Personal Development Skills.
If you are completing the VCAL Intermediate or Senior level, your program must also include VET units of competency totalling at least 90 hours.
Your VCAL program may also include VCE studies and Further Education units. One credit is awarded for 90 hours of a Further Education unit.
VCE Baccalaureate
The VCE Baccalaureate is an additional form of recognition for students who successfully meet the demands of studying a higher-level mathematics subject and a language in their VCE program.
You will receive the VCE Baccalaureate if you satisfactorily completed the VCE and received a study score for each prescribed study component.
Your VCE program of study must have included:
- a Units 3 and 4 sequence in English, Literature or English Language with a study score of 30 or above; or a Units 3 and 4 sequence in English as an Additional Language (EAL) with a study score of 33 or above
- a Units 3 and 4 sequence in either Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics
- a Units 3 and 4 sequence in a VCE Languages study
- at least two other Units 3 and 4 sequences.
Students who achieve the VCE Baccalaureate will receive a VCE Baccalaureate certificate instead of a VCE certificate. Their VCE Statement of Results will also indicate that they have met the requirements of the VCE Baccalaureate.
The VCE Baccalaureate does not confer any form of bonus in the calculation of a student’s ATAR.
Your results package — VCE
WHAT THE VCAA WILL SEND TO YOU
On Wednesday 30 December you will have access to your final results via registered email, VCE Results and ATAR app or online at resultsandatar.vic.edu.au.
A results package will also be delivered to you in the mail from Wednesday 6 January 2021 (it may be Thursday for areas some distance from Melbourne).
The package will contain:
- A Statement of Results which lists:
- all Units 1 and 2 and Units 3 and 4 studies attempted
- the unit results (S or N)
- school-based assessment grades
- SAT grades (where relevant)
- examination grades
- study scores.
- A General Achievement Test (GAT) statement
If you did not sit the GAT or were granted exemption, you will not receive this statement
- A letter signed by the Chair of the VCAA
- If applicable, a letter advising the outcome of any Derived Examination Score (DES) applications
- Statement of Marks/Inspection of Examination Response Materials application form
- Statement of Results information brochure
- A VCE VET or VET/FE Statement of Results if you have satisfactorily completed units of competence in a VCE VET program, a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship or a VET/Further Education (FE) Certificate.
You will not receive your Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE Baccalaureate in the mail. These certificates are sent to your school for distribution.
VET Certificates are not sent out by the VCAA. Speak to your school or Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to obtain your certificate.
WHAT THE VCAA WILL SEND TO YOUR SCHOOL
Schools will receive a package that contains:
- Statements of Results for all students only studying Units 1 and 2 studies
- The Victorian Certificate of Education and VCE Baccalaureate for all students who have successfully fulfilled the requirements of their VCE or VCE Baccalaureate.
Ask your school for your certificate.
Students in Year 11 who have completed one or more units at Units 3 and 4 level will not receive a Victorian Certificate of Education until they have completed the minimum requirements for the VCE.
Your results package — VCAL
WHAT THE VCAA WILL SEND TO YOU
If you have results in a scored study, such as a VCE Units 3 and 4 or VCE (VET) Study, you will have access to your final results via registered email, VCE Results and ATAR app or online VCE Results and ATAR app or online from 7.00am Wednesday 30 December 2020.
A results package will also be delivered to you in the mail from Wednesday 6 January 2021 (it may be Thursday for areas some distance from Melbourne).
The package will contain:
- A Statement of Results which lists VCAL and VCE unit results
- A GAT (General Achievement Test) statement
If you did not sit the GAT or were granted authorised absence, you will not receive this statement
- A letter signed by the Chair of the VCAA
- If applicable, a letter advising the outcome of any DES applications
- Statement of Marks/Inspection of Examination Response Materials application form
- Statement of Results information brochure
- A VCE VET or VET/Further Education (FE) Statement of Results if you have satisfactorily completed units of competency in a VCE VET program, a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship or a VET/FE certificate.
You will not receive your Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning in the mail. This is sent to your school for distribution.
VET Certificates are not sent out by the VCAA. Speak to your school or Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to obtain your certificate.
WHAT THE VCAA WILL SEND TO YOUR SCHOOL
Schools will receive a package that contains:
- Statement of Results for VCAL students that have not undertaken scored assessment.
- The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning for all students who have successfully completed their VCAL.
Ask your school for your certificate.
Vocational Education & Training (VET) Results
RESULTS AND CERTIFICATES
If you undertook a VCE VET program, a VET qualification or apprenticeship or traineeship as part of your VCE or VCAL, you'll receive your VET Statement of Results in the mail from Wednesday 6 January 2021 (it may be Thursday for areas some distance from Melbourne).
VET Certificates are not sent out by the VCAA. Speak to your school or Registered Training Organisation (RTO) for your certificate.
BLOCK CREDIT
If you have undertaken VET or Further Education (FE) qualifications that aren’t on the approved list of VCE VET programs and School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships, you may have received credit towards your VCE. This credit is called Block Credit Recognition.
Under Block Credit Recognition, credit toward the VCE is determined by the Australian Qualifications Framework level at which the units of competency/modules are recognised, and the nominal hours of training completed.
Find out more about Block Credit
Interpreting your VCE Statement of Results
If you have graduated, one of the following will appear on your Statement of Results: This student has been awarded the Victorian Certificate of Education or This student has been awarded the Victorian Certificate of Education (Baccalaureate).
If you have not graduated, your Statement of Results will have the words: This student needs to obtain satisfactory results in further units of study in order to be awarded the Victorian Certificate of Education.
UNIT RESULTS
Next to each study you’ve undertaken, in Units 1 and 2 and Units 3 and 4, there will be a symbol telling you if you have completed each unit satisfactorily.
An S/S means that you’ve satisfactorily completed both units. An S/N or N/S means that you haven’t completed one of the units satisfactorily. An S/- or -/S means that one unit has been satisfactorily completed, and one has not been attempted. This is quite common at the Units 1 and 2 level.
GRADES
On your Statement of Results, there are three grades listed for each VCE study in the column marked ‘GRADES’. These three grades cover exams, coursework (SACs) and School-assessed Tasks/folio (SATs).
For example, for Health and Human Development the three Grades are:
1 – Unit 3 coursework (contributes 25% of Study Score)
2 – Unit 4 coursework (contributes 25% of Study Score)
3 – Written exam in November (contributes 50% of Study Score).
Marks for the Grades range from A+ to UG (ungraded because of very low marks).
NA means that the Graded Assessment was not attempted or assessed.
VCE VET programs with a Study Score only have two Grades.
STUDY SCORE
A study score shows how well you have performed in a study at Units 3 and 4 levels compared to everybody else in Victoria who took that study. Study scores calculated by the VCAA will be used by VTAC to calculate the ATAR.
The maximum study score is 50. Each year, and for every study, the mean study score is set at 30. A score of between 23 and 37 shows that you are in the middle range of students; a score of 38 or more indicates that you are in the top 15%.
For studies with large enrolments (1000 or more):
- 2% of students will get a score on or above 45
- 9% of students will get a score on or above 40
- 26% of students will get a score on or above 35
- 53% of students will get a score on or above 30
- 78% of students will get a score on or above 25
- 93% of students will get a score on or above 20.
The three Graded Assessments for each study (two for VCE VET) are used to calculate a Study Score.
For a Study Score to be calculated, you must have an S result for both Units 3 and 4 of a study (i.e. S/S) and at least two grade results in the one year. UN means the Study Score is not available because either you have an N for one of the units, or you have more than one Grade reported as NA (not assessed).
The VCAA calculates Study Scores on the basis of the numerical score attained on each Graded Assessment. Each grade corresponds to a band of numerical scores.
This is why some students receive the same letter grades and yet have a different Study Score.
Example:
|
Student 1 |
Student 2 |
|
|
Mathematical Methods |
Study Score: 35 |
Study Score: 38 |
|
Grades |
A+ A+ B |
A+ A+ B |
|
Numerical score |
89 92 43 |
98 92 57 |
The numerical scores are not recorded on the VCE Statement of Results but you can obtain the numerical scores by applying for a Statement of Study Score.
Applications for Statement of Study Score close Friday 19 February 2021.
Interpreting your VCAL Statement of Results
If you are undertaking VCAL and have not taken any VCE Units 3 and 4 studies, you will receive a Statement of Results through your school. If you have taken VCE Units 3 and 4 studies, your Statement of Results will be mailed to you by the VCAA.
If you graduate from VCAL, you will see these words at the bottom of the Statement of Results:
This student has been awarded the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning.
Satisfactory completion of accredited VCAL units will be reported on your Statement of Results as S. Non-satisfactory completion of a VCAL unit will not be reported on your Statement of Results.
Your Statement of Results will also list all VCE units studied and whether or not you completed them satisfactorily. Satisfactory completion is reported as an S. Not meeting the requirements for satisfactory completion is reported as an N.
If you have completed VCE VET units these will be shown on your Statement of Results, and if you have completed a full VCE VET program you will receive a separate certificate from the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in addition to your VCAL.
Derived Examination Score (DES)
Students are eligible to apply for a Derived Examination Score (DES) if:
- they experience the onset of an illness or the occurrence of an injury or personal trauma in the period before or during a performance, oral or written examination; or
- they experience a serious intervening event that has affected their performance in the examination or has prevented them from attending the examination.
Students must have supplied appropriate, independent evidence within 7 days of their last external assessment in the relevant assessment period for a DES application to be considered. Students cannot apply for a DES once final VCE results have been released.
If you have been approved for a DES, this will be stated on the letter in the results package.
The DES is calculated by the VCAA and may be used as your examination result where you have met the eligibility requirements.
VCAA uses every piece of information available to determine a DES. This includes moderated coursework scores, school-assessed task scores, GAT scores, other examination scores if applicable, and indicative results provided by the school.
When a DES application is approved, the highest mark will be used – either the DES calculation or the actual examination score.
A DES only affects examination results. It does not impact scores/grades for coursework or school-assessed tasks.
Find out more Derived Examination Scores
Why have my school-based assessment scores changed?
The VCAA applies the statistical moderation process to all school-based assessments.
This is the process of ensuring that comparable assessment standards are applied to students from every school in Victoria who are enrolled in a particular study.
In other words, the VCAA uses statistical moderation to make sure that when it comes to school-based assessments, an A+ in one school is the same as an A+ in all schools across the state.
Using examination results (including the GAT), the statistical moderation process realigns the scales and adjusts schools’ assessments to the same standard so that judgements of a student’s performance will not vary across different schools.
Don’t worry, the process of statistical moderation does not change the exam results!
REASONS FOR SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT SCORES DECREASING
- Examination results did not reflect the spread and depth of the school’s assessments
- School may have set easier internal assessment tasks than the examination standard
- School may have marked easier than the examination standard.
REASON FOR SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT SCORES INCREASING
- Spread and depth of examination results were stronger than the school’s assessments
- School may have set more challenging coursework assessment compared with the rest of the state
- School may have marked harder than the examination standard.
REASONS FOR SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT SCORES STAYING THE SAME
- Examination results reflected the spread and depth of the school assessments
- School may have set internal assessment tasks of the same level of difficulty as the examination
- School may have marked to the examination standard.
Find out more about Statistical Moderation
Statement of Marks and Inspection of Examination Response Materials
STATEMENT OF MARKS
You can apply for a Statement of Marks to find out the maximum mark that you can get for each question on an exam, and the mark you obtained.
The Statement of Marks will also give you the correct answers to the multiple-choice questions, where applicable.
Personalised Statement of Results application forms are included in the results package sent to each Year 12 student in January 2021.
Statement of Marks and Statement of Study Score are free.
Applications for Statement of Marks and Statement of Study Score close Friday 19 February 2021.
Applications received after this date will not be processed.
Find out more about Statement of Marks
INSPECTION OF EXAMINATION RESPONSE MATERIAL
If you want to find out more about your exam results, you can apply to inspect your completed exam papers (known as ‘scripts’) and audio recordings where relevant.
You must obtain the relevant Statement of Marks prior to the inspection and, if possible, arrange to have the study teacher present.
Inspections take place at your school with the principal’s permission. When schools are closed, inspections can take place at the VCAA. You are required to make an appointment with the VCAA to hold the inspection.
You can look at your exam paper for 15 minutes. There won’t be any marks or assessors’ comments on the paper. It’s best if you look at it with a teacher present and with a copy of the Statement of Marks on hand.
Personalised Statement of Results application forms are included in the results package sent to each Year 12 student.
A fee of $25.55 is charged for each examination response inspection, whether you inspect it at your school or at the VCAA.
Applications for Inspection of Examination Response Materials close Friday 19 February 2021.
Applications received after this date will not be processed.
Find out more about Inspection of Examination Response Materials
GAT (General Achievement Test)
You would have been required to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) in October this year if:
- you were enrolled in at least one VCE Units 3 and 4 sequence; or
- you were enrolled in at least one VCE VET scored Units 3 and 4 sequence.
Although GAT results do not count directly towards your VCE results, they play an important role in checking that school-based assessments and examinations have been accurately assessed, and in calculating Derived Examination Scores (DES) where applicable.
The GAT is used in these ways because achievement on the GAT is one predictor of achievement on other assessments. If students have done well on the GAT, then their achievements are likely to be high on their school-based assessments and examinations.
If your final examination score is significantly different from the score predicted by the GAT, school indicative grades, other scores for the study, and scores for SACs and SATs, your examination will be assessed again.
Scores may go up or stay the same but will not go down as a result of this final check.
GAT results may also be used as part of the DES calculations. The calculation for a DES uses all of your available scores in the affected study, and the indicative grade for the examination and the GAT component scores.
Find out more about how the GAT relates to school-based assessments and examinations.
GAT RESULTS
If you sat the GAT, a statement of GAT results is mailed to you with all the other VCE results. You will have the following statement on your Statement of Results:
This student has obtained results in the General Achievement Test in 2020.
Your Statement of Results will indicate whether you obtained results in the GAT or had an authorised or unauthorised absence from the GAT.
If you had an authorised GAT absence, you will have the following statement on your Statement of Results:
This student has not obtained results in the General Achievement Test in 2020 owing to an authorised absence.
A student with an unauthorised GAT absence will have the following statement on their Statement of Results:
This student has not obtained results in the General Achievement Test in 2020 owing to an unauthorised absence.
The GAT statement will show your raw score out of:
- 40 for written communication
- 35 for mathematics, science and technology
- 35 for humanities, the arts and social sciences.
For the GAT, the state mean for each area of study refers to the average for all students in the state. For example, a state mean of 22/40 indicates that the average for all the students in the state was 22 out of a possible 40.
Non-arrival of results
If your Statement of Results has not arrived, it could be because you changed your address during the year and your school did not tell the VCAA. You should check at your old address and with Australia Post.
If you did not change your address and your results have not arrived by the afternoon of Monday 11th January 2021, please contact the VCAA:
(03) 9032 1700