Our school qualifications
When you leave school, you want to have some options. You could be planning to go to university in Australia, or somewhere else in the world, or going straight into the workforce. A Victorian school qualification will give you the boost you need to start the next phase of your life.
Prepare for your future with the VCE exam
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is well respected by education systems, universities and employers around the world. Our qualifications are designed to prepare you for your chosen pathway to further study and a career.
VCE Victoria – more than a high school certificate
Results from your VCE exam will open doors into future worlds of work and a university course. VCE completion shows that you’ve reached the highest level of schooling in Australia but it’s also the starting point for a lifetime of education.
Employers across the globe will take your VCE qualification and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR)score as a serious achievement. If you’re planning to work overseas it can give you the ‘edge’ when you’re hunting for a job.
An exciting array of subjects
You can choose from over 90 subjects (‘studies’) in the VCE, including languages. Each school usually offers between 20 and 30 studies, depending on the number of students. You can also do studies outside your school, such as:
- languages through the Victorian School of Languages
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects through a registered training organisation such as a TAFE college.
Designing your course – VCE unit structure
Your VCE program should be made up of 20 to 24 units, usually taken over two years. You must satisfactorily complete at least 16 units to obtain a VCE, with at least three units from the English Group, which includes English as a Second Language.
Each VCE 'study' is broken up into four units numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, each half a year or a semester (two terms) in length. Units 1 and 2 are mostly taken in Year 11, but can be taken in year 10 or year 12. Units 3 and 4 determine your ATAR score. They build on units 1 and 2 and are mostly taken in the final year at school.
You could start the VCE early and study over three years
The VCE is usually done over two years in Years 11 and 12. But you can start in Year 10 and most Victorian schools offer some VCE units to their Year 10 students. You can vary how many units you take in each year.
University extension studies
You can also do university extension studies to:
- add weight to your final ATAR score
- support your entry into your chosen university
- fast track your degree by giving you credit towards your first year of your course.
ATAR scores and university entrance
When you complete your VCE, you get an ATAR – a score worked out by comparing students across all of their studies. It ranks how well you performed against the rest of the Australian student population.
Your ATAR score determines which Australian university you can go to and the degrees you can study. Many university courses have prerequisite studies and/or require certain combinations of studies and additional entry requirements. Before you start your VCE, make sure you seek in-depth advice on course selection.
Enter universities across the world with your VCE
All Australian universities and many international universities recognise the VCE exam results for university entrance. The VCE is a senior high school qualification comparable to:
- UK A levels
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- US SAT and ACT tests.
Find out more
For more information, talk with your school’s career counsellor. You can also download Where to Now? Guide to VCE, VCAL and Apprenticeships and Traineeships for 2010.
