Are you entering Years 10 or 11 and wondering what is VCE? Can’t figure out the VCE meaning? Confused as to why its so important and requires so much effort?
Well, as a Victorian high school student, VCE is your easiest pathway into a University degree – so the stakes on it are pretty high…
As a former VCE student and current VCE tutor, VCE has been a part of over 4 years of my life (I know it’s sad). But I’ve reflected back on my time with VCE to give a comprehensive explanation of what it really is.
Check out our explanation for VCE right now!
What is VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education)?
How do I complete VCE?
How does VCE work?
What VCE subjects are available?
What is the difference between VCE and VCE VM?
Why should I do VCE?
FAQs
Can I calculate my potential study score?
Yes! By using VCAA’s past graded assessments — which provide the grade distributions of each VCE subject — you can project what grade you will need for each study score.
Want to calculate your potential study score? Our VCE Study Score Calculator uses Unit 3, Unit 4 and exam results to project a study score!
Whether you want to see what exam grade you need for a 40 or what average you need for a 35+, our calculator can help you see how you’re tracking!
⭐️ Find out what you need for your dream study score now! ⭐️
What is VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education)?
VCE is the official secondary school qualification in Australia. It offers a wide range of study options in the form of 4 Units.
Unit 1 and 2 is typically studied in Year 11, while Units 3 and 4 are usually studied in Year 12. Every subject has 4 Units.
You don’t have to complete them in those years though. Many students do Unit 3 and 4 subjects in Year 11, some students even do them earlier (please keep in mind it is very difficult to do Units 3 and 4 in Year 11).
So, don’t think of Units 1 and 2 as Year 11, or Units 3 and 4 as Year 12, because that’s not how VCE works. Instead, think of them as two separate parts of a subject:
- Part 1 is Units 1 and 2
- Part 2 is Units 3 and 4
Both parts take a year to complete. And, in some subjects, you can skip Part 1 and go straight into Part 2!
Once you complete enough units and finish VCE, you’ll get an ATAR, offering you a direct pathway into university — given you get the requisite ATAR and complete the right prerequisites.
If you prefer learning in a classroom environment, know you want to study at University right after school and tend to prefer more academic activities, VCE is for you!
How do I complete VCE?
To complete VCE, you need to do the following:
Usually, you will do VCE over two years. Students will often complete anywhere between 16-24 Units depending on what they prefer.
Therefore, you don’t have to complete Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 of every subject you select. You could do two completely different sets of subjects for Units 1 to 2 and 3 to 4. What matters is you meet the above requirements, everything else is up to you.
Once you meet these qualifications, you’ll finish the VCE and get an ATAR – provided you pass all your subjects, that is.
Passing your subject is dependent on how the rest of your cohort goes, but don’t worry, to fail a VCE subject you’d basically have to put no proper answers down and draw all over your paper, you’ll be fine.
How does VCE work?
VCE is a pathway high school students can undertake. Upon completion of VCE, each student will get an ATAR based on their grades achieved throughout the year.
The ATAR score is what will help you get admission into University courses.
Now, this is where it gets a bit complicated…
An ATAR is calculated from the scaled study scores from your top four VCE scoring subjects (which must include at least one English subject) plus 10% of your fifth and sixth subjects (if you did any).
Disclaimer: These results are purely an example and are not indicative of potential results.
Each ATAR score has an aggregate range. In the above example, the aggregate range for 98.4 was approximately 184 to 187 (for 2022).
So, your ATAR is determined by which range your aggregate score falls into.
How are Study Scores calculated?
#1: Students in their cohort are ranked
Students in the same cohort are ranked based on their coursework grades. The process is straightforward: the student with the highest coursework grade holds the first SAC rank, the second-highest holds the second SAC rank, and so on.
#2: A common scale is developed
Two scales are made from school-assessed scores and external assessment scores (attained through end-of-year VCE exams). These two are aligned by matching fixed points like the median scores as closely as possible.
Extract obtained from VCAA
However, please note that every VCE student’s cohort rank is preserved in this process.
#3: Students school-based assessment scores are compared
Subsequently, every VCE student’s score is then placed on this common scale. The scores will be ranked and distributed to fulfil the following benchmarks!
2% of students will get a score of or above 45
9% of students will get a score of or above 40
26% of students will get a score of or above 35
53% of students will get a score of or above 30
78% of students will get a score of or above 25
93% of students will get a score of or above 20
Statistics obtained from VCAA
Student cohort ranking example
What VCE subjects are available?
Each school determines which VCE subject options they provide, and most schools don’t offer all options.
Make sure to check with your school which study options are available.
Although, a majority of schools offer the basic subject options like Maths, English, Chemistry, History, Geography, Economics and so on. There are many options, so make sure to make the most of them!
When choosing your subjects, think about what degree you want to study at University. This is because each degree has prerequisites, which are subjects you must study in order to do the degree.
For instance, if you want to study commerce, you will likely have to complete Mathematical Methods, or else you won’t be able to get into the degree.
Most popular VCE subjects
If you’re curious about what VCE subjects are popular, here is a table of some of the most popular subjects:
| English | Chemistry |
| Foundation Mathematics | Physical Education |
| General Mathematics | Legal Studies |
| Mathematical Methods | Physics |
| Specialist Mathematics | History |
| Psychology | Geography |
| Health and Human Development | French |
| Business Management | Latin |
| Biology | Economics |
All VCE subject study areas
| VCE Subject Area | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Performing Arts | -Dance -Drama -Music -Theatre Studies |
| Visual Arts | -Art Creative Practice -Art Making and Exhibiting -Media -Visual Communication Design |
| Design and Technologies | -Agricultural and Horticultural Studies -Food studies -Product Design and Technologies -Systems Engineering |
| Mathematics | -Foundation Mathematics -General Mathematics -Mathematical Methods -Specialist Mathematics |
| Science | -Biology -Chemistry -Environmental Science -Physics -Psychology |
| English | -English -English as an Additional Language -Literature |
| Business and Economics | -Accounting -Business Management -Economics -Industry and Enterprise -Legal Studies |
| Humanities | -Classical Studies -Geography -History -Philosophy -Politics -Religion and Society -Sociology -Texts and Traditions |
| Languages | -Chinese -Indonesian -Japanese -Korean -Vietnamese -Latin -Classical Greek -French -German -Italian -Spanish |
| Digital Technologies | -Algorithmics -Applied Computing |
| Health and Physical Education | -Health and Human Development -Physical Education -Outdoor and Environmental Studies |
Want to know more? Become familiar with the hardest VCE subjects!
What is the difference between VCE and VCE VM?
The VCE VM is a 2-year applied-learning program within VCE. Providing students with an opportunity to have real-life experiences in a range of different industries.
Essentially, the VCE VM program incorporates a range of additional subjects that you can complete while doing VCE.
VM subjects are a great choice for those who also want to learn in the real world and get some employment experience.
VCE VM Subjects
| VCE VM Subjects |
|---|
| Literacy |
| Numeracy |
| Work Related Skills |
| Personal Development |
Why should I do VCE?
VCE can prepare you for the following pathways:
VCE can do this through its wide breadth of subject options, which are provided to ensure students have a wide breadth of career directions they can take.
Although, VCE is a very academic pathway. There’s a lot of study that is crammed into very little time. You will feel constantly under the pump for the 2 years it takes to complete.
Therefore, if you want to do VCE, be prepared for the grind that comes with it.
Although, I don’t want to scare you too much – despite its reputation you can have a healthy lifestyle while doing VCE. It’s just important to know that it is academically challenging.
When you finish your VCE studies, you’ll get:
- An ATAR.
- A Statement of Results from VCAA.
- Your Victorian Certificate of Education.
What is an ATAR?
The ATAR, otherwise known as the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, provides a standardised system that indicates your rank and overall academic achievement, in relation to other students.
ATARs can range between 0.00 and 99.95, with increments of 0.05.
Just remember, it’s a percentile rank — not a mark. So if you manage to achieve an ATAR of 80.00, this doesn’t mean that your results equate to 80%. The ATAR demonstrates that you’ve placed in the top 20% of students in Victoria in your Year 12 cohort.
The ATAR is typically used to assist universities with selecting students for their courses. For example, a university may require an ATAR of 75.00 for a humanities degree — for guaranteed entry into the course, you’ll need an ATAR of 75.00 or above.
What is a Statement of Results?
A statement of results shows your VCE Unit results and GAT statement.
The VCE Unit results will have your grade for each semester, and your study scores as well.
Sample Statement of Results documents obtained through VCAA
Above is an example of a statement of results after completing VCE.
You won’t really need this for anything, it’s just nice to keep around.
Sometimes a potential employer may ask for proof of your ATAR results, in which case you would give them your statement of results.
What is a Victorian Certificate of Education?
Sample extracted from VCAA
The Victorian Certificate of Education is simply to confirm that you or someone else has completed VCE. The certificate doesn’t change based on what ATAR you get or what school you go to.
You’ll never need to use this, it’s rather just a nice confirmation that you have finished secondary school in Victoria!
Mine’s been tucked away in a closet, never to be seen again. Maybe hang it up on a wall somewhere? I guess it’s nice to have some display of your efforts throughout your high school years!
FAQs
What is the difference between ATAR and VCE?
VCE is an official secondary school qualification, while the ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a score received after completing Australia in High School.
The VCE is what high school students in Victoria may complete.
The ATAR can be used to apply for University degrees!
Is VCE only in Australia?
VCE is only in the Australian state of Victoria and some international schools.
How many people get a 99.95 ATAR
Only 0.05% of a graduating high school cohort gets a 99.95 ATAR.
That’s all!
While VCE seems intimidating to newcomers, it’s actually not that complex once you delve into it.
My piece of advice for VCE is to take it one step at a time.
There are a lot of parts of VCE that are completely outside of your control, so just focus on what you can influence.
That includes your study, what subjects you choose, and your work-life balance!
Are you looking for some help in preparing for VCE?
We have an incredible team of VCE tutors and mentors!
We can help you build effective study habits, and ace your tests and assessments while learning healthy management techniques with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or online!
We’ve supported over 8,000 students over the last 11 years, and on average our students score mark improvements of over 20%!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational VCE tutor and mentor, get in touch today or give us a ring on 1300 267 888!
Max Huyton is the VIC Growth Marketer for Art of Smart and a Laws and Commerce student at Monash University. In his other life, Max spends his time reading and writing whenever he gets the chance and cooking extremely mediocre dishes for friends and family.
