Victorian Certificate of Education

The VCE is a secondary certificate leading to higher education at a university or TAFE and/or into different career fields. The VCE is designed to allow a pathway to be developed to suit the needs of the majority of students completing their secondary education.

Students should aim to select units that will give them a sound general education – meeting the minimum requirements will ensure this.

Students should also select units that will develop the knowledge and skills they need to continue their study into VCE and beyond secondary schooling.

VCE Structure

The VCE is organised in semester-length units of study: Semester one – over the first six months of the year; Semester two – over the second six months of the year. The VCE is generally completed over a two – year period, however, there is flexibility for completion over an extended period if necessary. Units 1 and 2 are usually Year 11 level subjects which have school-based Assessment Tasks. Units 3 and 4 are generally Year 12 level subjects with Unit 3 and Unit 4 sequences.

Students are assessed via school-based SACs (School Assessed Coursework) or SATS (School Assessed Tasks) and external examinations. Students can enter most, but not all, studies at Units 1, 2 or 3. It is possible to attempt a Unit 3 or Unit 4 subject in the first year of the VCE and/or select Units 1 and 2 in the second or third year of the VCE. Over the two years of the VCE, full-time students will undertake 22 units.

During VCE studies, students must successfully complete at least SIXTEEN units of study which can include VET studies.

These sixteen units of study MUST include:

3 units of English

3 sequences of Units 3 & 4 in studies other than an English Study.

VCE Reporting Process

In addition to Student Progress Reports each Cycle at Brauer College, The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) will issue all students with a Statement of Results at the end of each year. A student’s overall achievement for each Unit 3 & 4 study will be calculated and reported as a Study Score on a scale of 0 to 50. On completion, a VCE certificate is awarded to each student. Progress reports are issued during Term One and in conjunction with the Parent -Teacher – Student conversations. A College descriptive report will be provided for all students at the end of Semester One. In Semester Two, Year 11 students will receive a descriptive report. Students receive on-going assessment, advice and feedback from their teachers.