Skip to main content
HomeSenior SchoolYears 11 and 12
VCE Curriculum Guide

VCE Curriculum Guide

Two female students working together on papers at a table with a laptop in the background.

Senior Pathways

Your Guide to VCE at Korowa

This guide provides an overview of VCE at Korowa, including course requirements, assessment and reporting, tertiary pathways, accelerated learning opportunities and the support available to students throughout their senior years. It is designed to help students and families understand the VCE and make informed decisions as they plan for the future.

Choose Your Subjects

See all VCAA Study Designs

contents

Heading 2
Heading 3

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)

The VCE requirements are set by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). To be awarded the VCE, students must satisfactorily complete at least 16 units of study. This must include a minimum of:

  • An approved combination of three units from the group of English studies, which will include English Units 1 and 2 and either English Units 3 and 4 or Literature Units 3 and 4;
  • Three (3) sequences of Units 3 and 4 in studies other than English.

Each study consists of four semester length units:

  • Units 1 and 2 may, in some studies, be taken separately. Units 1 and 2 are assessed internally.
  • Units 3 and 4 must be taken as a sequence. Units 3 and 4 are assessed externally.

The VCE (Baccalaureate)

The VCE (Baccalaureate) is an appellation awarded to students who choose to undertake the demands of studying both a higher-level Mathematics and a Language. To qualify for this award, a student’s VCE program must include:

  • A Unit 3–4 sequence in English, Literature or English Language with a study score of 30 or above; or a Unit 3–4 sequence in EAL with a study score of 33 or above
  • A Unit 3–4 sequence in either Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics
  • A Unit 3–4 sequence in a VCE Language
  • At least two other Unit 3–4 sequences

Other VCE Options

VET (Vocational Education and Training) Courses

All VET programs have full VCE study status, and contribute as units towards the satisfactory completion of the VCE. On successful completion, students are awarded their VCE as well as the VET certificate. VET programs provide additional breadth to the VCE and give students a nationally recognised vocational qualification.

VET enrolments off-site incur additional charges, as they are offered by an external Registered Training Organisation.

A VET program is made up of Units of Competency. In some courses, students are also required to complete Structured Workplace Learning. To be awarded the VET Certificate, students must successfully complete all Units of Competency in accordance with the prescribed assessment criteria.

Structured Workplace Learning is essentially work experience for a stipulated number of hours in an industry setting where students will have specific tasks to undertake to demonstrate competency. Students will also be assessed on the job.

VCE students completing VET courses off-site will incur an additional fee

This fee depends on the course and training provider. Some courses involve additional materials and may be more expensive. Fees will be charged to parents through school fees. An estimated cost will be provided when students complete their expression of interest or enrolment forms at the end of Term 4.

Note: Students completing VET CHC32015 Community Services will not incur additional fees, as this is completed at Korowa.

University Extension Subjects

Extension Programs are for high-achieving students seeking academic challenge. They provide the opportunity to study a university subject alongside VCE subjects. Participants learn with first-year university students who share their interests, thereby gaining valuable insight into university life while still at school.

Extension Program subjects can be used as a fifth or sixth subject in the calculation of your ATAR. Depending on your results, you could receive a valuable contribution of 3 to 5 points to your ATAR aggregate (the score used to calculate your final ATAR).

You may receive credit for your Extension Program studies. This could mean that you finish your degree faster or take a lighter study load in first year. Reputable University Extension Programs include: The University of Melbourne Extension Program, Deakin Accelerate and The RMIT Extension Program.

Modifying a VCE Program

It is important that students plan their VCE program carefully according to the recommendations in the Curriculum Guide. Once the semester has begun, unit changes can occur until the closing date. Changes can only be made if there is room in the class to accommodate student movement and if the timetable allows for it. Changes in the VCE student program are not possible at the end of Semester 1 for Units 3 and 4, as these units are studied as a sequence and are scored as such for the purposes of the VCE and tertiary selection.

Planning Your Studies at VCE 

A VCE program should comprise studies you enjoy and will do well in. It may contain prerequisite subjects; that is, subjects a student may need to satisfy tertiary entrance requirements in particular courses.

This VCE Curriculum Guide is intended to help students plan their academic subjects to maximise future opportunities whilst providing an enjoyable and challenging Year 11 and 12 experience.

For Year 10 students, this guide explains the VCE and assists them to map out a program of study for the final two years at Korowa.

For Year 11 students, this guide may assist to re-assess an academic program, if necessary, to select the most appropriate Year 12 subjects to complete their VCE.

Korowa's VCE Program

The VCE program at Korowa is designed to provide breadth of study through Units 1 and 2, and depth of study through Units 3 and 4. This will enable students to pursue entry into their preferred tertiary courses. Korowa students generally undertake 22 units over two years consisting of:

  • Year 11: 6 VCE units per semester at Unit 1 and 2, which may include one Unit 3 and 4 sequence if appropriate and;
  • Year 12: 5 VCE units per semester.

Some students undertake extra Unit 1 and 2 studies in Year 10. Individual needs will be taken into account when finalising a student’s academic program.

The Process

All prospective Year 11 and 12 students will make initial choices from the subjects on offer. At Korowa, we typically offer this number of VCE studies:

  • Unit 1 & 2: 30 studies
  • Unit 3 & 4: 30 studies

Student choices from the studies will determine what subjects run the following year. Based on student selections, a blocking grid is created to enable subjects and the required number of classes to run. This grid determines which studies will be blocked on the timetable at the same time.

Although we do our best to meet students’ preferences, this may not always be possible due to:

  • Class size; (classes will generally not run without 8 students)
  • Block arrangements; or
  • Unit 3 & 4 VCAA rules which state that class sizes of less than five require a partnership arrangement with another school.

Students should consider back-up studies should the need arise. This is practised from Year 9 and 10 when students are asked to make elective choices.

Completing VCE Units on an Accelerated Pathway

Acceptance into accelerated VCE Units is contingent on students maintaining a minimum attendance of 90% in the relevant subject and receiving no more than one NA (Not Assessed) in each subject. Each subject also has its own entry requirements that must be met.

Semester 1 2026 reports will be reviewed as part of this process, alongside consultation with the relevant Head of Department and, for Year 10 students, discussions during subject selection interviews. These academic and attendance standards must be upheld for the entire year.

Units 3 and 4 Studies as a Year 11 in 2027

Students entering Year 11 whose academic performance in Year 10 indicates they have developed a high level of knowledge and skills, may consider applying to study a Unit 3 and 4 subject. Final consideration and approval will be made by the relevant Head of Department and the Head of Curriculum.

The criteria for direct entry to Units 3 and 4 are as follows: 
  • Art Creative Practice: Must have completed 2 Year 10 Art Electives with results above 85% and an interview with the Head of Art
  • Business Management: Results above 80% in Year 10 English
  • Dance: Must have completed Year 10 dance and approval by Dance Tacher
  • General Mathematics: Results above 80% in all assessments, including exams, in any Year 10 Mathematics (Note: This course cannot be taken in conjunction with any Specialist Maths VCE Units.)
  • Health and Human Development: Results above 80% in Year 10 English
  • Legal Studies: Results above 80% in Year 10 English
  • Music: Year 10 Music and an interview with the Director of Music
  • Physical Education: Results above 80% in Investigating the World (Science) and/or 80% in Sports Science

Units 1 and 2 as a Year 10 Elective in 2027

The criteria for Year 10 entry to Units 1 and 2 are as follows: 
  • Biology: Approval from the Head of Science
  • Business Management: 80% average in Year 9 English
  • Chinese 2nd Language/Advanced: Approval from the Chinese Teachers and the Head of Languages
  • Dance: Interview with Director of Drama and Dance
  • Food Studies: Approval from the Coordinator of Food Studies
  • Health and Human Development: 75% average in Year 9 English
  • Literature: Approval from the Head of English
  • Legal Studies: 80% average in Year 9 English
  • Mathematical Methods: 80% or higher in all assessments in Year 9 Accelerated Mathematics. (Note: Mathematical Methods would replace Year 10 Maths)
  • Music: Interview with the Director of Music
  • Systems Engineering: Approval from Coordinator of Engineering and Applied Technology, results in Maths/Science will be considered
  • VCE/VET Certificate III in Community Services: Approval from Head of Curriculum

Assessment and Reporting

Study Scores: Units 3 and 4

Students’ overall achievements for each study at the Unit 3 and 4 level are calculated and reported as a study score (relative position) on a scale of 0 to 50 by the VCAA. To qualify for a study score, a student must have Satisfactory (S) for both Unit 3 and 4 in that study. On completion of the VCE, VCAA sends to Year 12 students:

  • A cumulative statement of results listing all VCE units undertaken over any year level. Study Scores (relative position) will be listed for Unit 3 and 4 studies;
  • A summary statement of the grades obtained in Assessment components for Units 3 and 4;
  • Any credit obtained for a Vocational Certificate;
  • Any University studies with the titles of the studies and university listed if successfully completed;
  • The Victorian Certificate of Education; and
  • The General Achievement Test (GAT) statement.

Satisfactory Completion of VCE Units

Each VCE unit includes two to four outcomes. These outcomes must be achieved for satisfactory completion of the unit. In accordance with VCAA requirements, the subject teacher determines satisfactory completion. Parents are notified in writing if a VCE student is in danger of not achieving an outcome or has not completed an Assessment task by the due date. A student may not be granted satisfactory completion if:

  • There is doubt about whether the work is the student’s own;
  • The work is not of the required standard;
  • The student has not met a School deadline for the Assessment task, including where an extension of time has been granted; or
  • There has been a substantive breach of rules, including School attendance rules.

Assessments

Units 1 and 2

VCE Units 1 and 2 will be assessed in two ways:

  1. Completion of each Learning Outcome in a unit will be assessed as Satisfactory (S) or Not Satisfactory (N). For a unit to be satisfactorily completed, all the Learning Outcomes must receive an S.
  2. Percentage results indicating the level of achievement/performance reached in aspects of each study are also used. These are internal scores and are not reported to the VCAA.

Units 3 and 4

The VCAA is responsible for the final Assessment of all students undertaking Units 3 and 4. There are three Assessment components in each Unit 3 and 4 study: either one school Assessment and two examinations or two school Assessments and one examination.

Each Assessment is reported by VCAA as grades A+ to E, UG (ungraded). Examination grades and school Assessment grades are reported separately.

Reporting

Units 1 and 2

Parent-student-teacher interviews are scheduled during Semester 1 and 2, and continuous online reporting provides feedback to students and parents after each Common Assessment Task (CAT) during each semester. An end of semester report is also provided.

Units 3 and 4

Parent-student-teacher interviews are scheduled during Semester 1 and 2, and continuous online reporting provides feedback to students and parents after each School Assessed Coursework (SAC). An end of semester report is also provided. Parents and students are urged to attend parent-student-teacher interviews where there is an opportunity to discuss progress with each of the subject teachers.

Practice Exams and Workshops

Unit 3 practice examinations are offered at the end of Term 2 as well as Unit 3 and 4 practice examinations towards the end of Term 3 and start of Term 4. Term 3 holiday subject workshops are also conducted to assist students with their examination preparation.

Tertiary Entrance

The minimum entrance requirement for all tertiary institutions is the satisfactory completion of the VCE. The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) calculates the ATAR and acts as the central processing body for Victorian Tertiary Institutions.

Selection into tertiary courses is based on:

  • The Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR)
  • Completion of prerequisite VCE studies, and in some instances, a minimum study score (relative position); and/or
  • Completion of special requirements such as attendance at an interview or submission of a folio of work

This information is available on the VTAC website at www.vtac.edu.au. It is worthwhile looking at this website in detail in order to effectively prepare yourself for the VCE. It is of particular interest to read the VTAC Year 11 Guide and the VTAC Year 12 Guide.

Two other helpful resources within the VTAC website include CourseSearch and Prerequisite and Course Explorer. CourseSearch allows you to conduct searches on all tertiary courses within Victoria. The Prerequisite and Course Explorer allow you to see what course requirements your VCE program meets, or to search single subjects to see which courses require it at entry.

Students can also read in depth about how the ATAR is calculated, minimum tertiary entrance requirements and scaling.

The ATAR is calculated using the formula:

  • The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority provides VTAC with each student’s study scores (relative position) which indicates each student’s position in the cohort of students taking the particular study;
  • Students may obtain a study score for a Unit 3 & 4 VET program. If the VET program allows for scored Assessment, you will receive a study score for the program. It can therefore be included within the primary four subjects of the ATAR. If a student undertakes a Unit 3 &4 VET course without scored Assessment, they may be eligible for a 10% increment towards their ATAR (10% of the lowest result of your primary four scaled studies) as one of their fifth or sixth subjects.

The scaled study scores are used to calculate the ATAR:

  • The primary four studies (approved sequences in the English group and the next best three scaled scores) plus
  • 10% of the score of the fifth and sixth scaled score are used

The following should be noted for Language and Mathematics in relation to the calculation of the ATAR:

  • Languages study scores are adjusted up by adding five to the initial ATAR subject score mean. This means that all students of a LOTE receive an adjustment, but it is not a uniform adjustment.
  • Mathematics: if a student has completed each of General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics, only two of these results can contribute to the primary four, with the third Mathematics result being included as a fifth or sixth ATAR increment.

‍

Continue scrolling for: 

Glossary of VCE Jargon

Glossary

VCE comes with its own language. Click on the terms in this section to learn what they mean and how they relate to your studies.

ATAR

The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) is an Australia-wide tertiary admissions rank. The ATAR is an overall percentile ranking, calculated in steps of 0.05, reflecting the comparative performance of each successful VCE candidate within the relevant age group in that given year.

Authentication

Authentication is the process of satisfying the teacher that the work is the work of the student. The student signs a declaration stating that the work is their own, works under a teacher’s supervision and confers with their teacher at various stages of completion of the work. They acknowledge all sources and types of help they receive. The teacher may ask the student to demonstrate their understanding of the work. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority stipulates authentication procedures, and Korowa sets policy and procedure accordingly.

Examinations

All Unit 3 and 4 VCE Studies offered by Korowa include one or two external examinations. External examinations are set and marked by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. There are two periods of examinations during the year, in June (for the General Achievement Test) and October/November.

GAT

All students undertaking one or more Unit 3 and 4 sequences are required to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT). This examination is designed to help ensure that schools across the state fairly and correctly assess school-assessed tasks and school-assessed coursework, that is, according to criteria for various grade levels. It is also used to check the accuracy of external marking of individual students’ examinations. Students should do their very best on the GAT. They may like to familiarise themselves with the instructions and types of questions that may appear on the GAT. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority supplies students with their GAT scores at the end of the year.

Graded Assessment

All VCE studies have three graded Assessments for each Unit 3 and 4 subject. Each study includes at least one examination, most have School-assessed coursework and some have School-assessed tasks.

Level of Performance

Units 3 and 4 levels of performance for School assessed coursework are provided to Korowa students as % results. These levels of Assessment can only be used as a guideline as the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has responsibility for adjustment of levels of performance in accordance with examinations and (in the case of some studies) GAT scores.

Prerequisite Studies

Units 3 and 4 levels of performance for School assessed coursework are provided to Korowa students as % results. These levels of Assessment can only be used as a guideline as the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has responsibility for adjustment of levels of performance in accordance with examinations and (in the case of some studies) GAT scores.

'S' or 'N'

These letters stand for ‘satisfactorily completed’ (‘S’) or ‘not satisfactorily completed’ (‘N’). Students will receive ‘S’ or ‘N’ for each unit of study and for each outcome within each study. Students satisfactorily complete a unit if they satisfactorily demonstrate achievement of all outcomes as per the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority issued study design and if they meet School stipulated attendance requirements. Schools vary in their chosen Assessment activities (particularly for Units 1 and 2) because the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s study designs provide for Assessment flexibility but comparability.

Sequence

A sequence is a Unit 3 followed by Unit 4. Award of the VCE requires that a student successfully completes three Unit 3 and 4 sequences, apart from Units 3 and 4 English (or equivalent). Units 3 and 4 for all studies are taught as a sequence or as a year-long course. Students must obtain ‘S’ for Units 3 and 4 of a study for that study to be given a study score.

Statistical Moderation

Moderation is a process of ensuring that the same Assessment standards are applied to students from every school doing a particular study. Statistical moderation is a process for adjusting schools’ Assessments to the same standard, while maintaining the students’ rank order given by the school. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority uses statistical moderation to ensure that the coursework Assessments given by different schools are comparable throughout the State. Further information is available from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (VCAA) website at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.

TAFE

TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutes offer post-secondary courses which are vocationally-oriented. For most TAFE courses, students apply through VTAC, while for some certificate courses students apply directly to the particular TAFE Institute.

Unit

Each of the VCE studies is divided into four units. One unit lasts one semester or half a year. One unit involves approximately 100 hours of study (including work completed in and out of the classroom).

VASS

This is the name of the internet-based VCE Administrative Software System used by schools to enter VCE enrolments and results directly onto the VCAA central database.

VCAA

The VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) oversees the implementation of the Victorian Certificate of Education, including forwarding VCE results to the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). The VCAA website is www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.

VTAC

VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre) administers Victoria’s joint selection system on behalf of universities, TAFE institutes and some private providers. VTAC’s job includes: organising the application procedure; receiving and processing applications; forwarding the appropriate applications and accompanying information to the relevant tertiary institutions; making offers to prospective students on behalf of tertiary institutions; and publishing information which students will use in planning VCE programs and later applying for courses. VTAC is not a selection authority, and it does not determine selection criteria used by tertiary institutions.