Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)
The Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) is awarded to senior secondary school students who satisfy its requirements. It is a senior secondary certificate recognised nationally in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Generally, students will complete two years of senior secondary study to achieve the WACE, although the School Curriculum and Standards Authority allows students to meet the WACE requirements over a lifetime.
- Units 1 and 2 are typically studied in Year 11 and reported to SCSA as a pair, but where a single unit is studied it is reported separately
- Units 3 and 4 are typically studied in Year 12 and must be studied and reported to SCSA as a pair
- Units 1 and 2 cannot be studied after a student has completed Units 3 and 4
A student must:
- demonstrate a minimum standard of literacy (reading and writing) and a minimum standard of numeracy
- complete a minimum of 20 units, or equivalents
- complete:
- at least four Year 12 ATAR courses OR
- at least five Year 12 General courses and/or ATAR courses or equivalent OR
- a Certificate II (or higher) VET qualification in combination with ATAR, General or Foundation courses.
For the WACE literacy and numeracy standard student may:
- pre-qualify through achieving Band 8 or higher in the reading, writing and numeracy tests of the Year 9 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) OR
- demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy by successfully completing the relevant components of the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) in Year 10, 11 or 12.
A student must complete a minimum of 20 units, which may include unit equivalents attained through VET and/or endorsed programs. This requirement must include at least:
- a minimum of ten Year 12 units, or the equivalent
- four units from an English course, post-Year 10, including at least one pair of Year 12 units from an English learning area course
- one pair of Year 12 units from each of List A (arts/languages/social sciences) and List B (mathematics/science/technology) subjects
You must achieve at least 14 C grades or higher (or equivalents) in Year 11 and Year 12 units, including at least six C grades (or equivalents) in Year 12 units.
Unit equivalents can be obtained through VET qualifications and/or endorsed programs. The maximum number of unit equivalents available through VET and endorsed programs is four Year 11 units and four Year 12 units with a maximum of four units with endorsed programs – two in Year 11 and two in Year 12.
The WASSA is issued to each Year 12 student at the completion of their senior secondary schooling; senior secondary school typically takes two years. The WASSA lists all courses and programs that a student has completed and the grades and marks achieved.
The WASSA formally records, as relevant:
- achievement of WACE requirements
- achievement of the literacy (reading and writing) standard
- achievement of the numeracy standard
- achievement of any SCSA exhibitions and awards
- school grades, school marks and combined scores in ATAR courses
- school grades and school marks in General and Foundation courses
- completed Preliminary units
- completed VET industry specific courses
- successfully completed VET qualifications and VET units of competency
- completed endorsed programs
- number of community service hours undertaken (if reported)
Information regarding WACE can be found below:
Additional information regarding WACE and WASSA can also be found HERE