How the VCE works: Understanding Victoria's Year 12 ATAR system

The mysterious workings of the VCE can be a constant source of confusion for both students and parents — even those currently undertaking it! In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of Victoria’s Year 12 ATAR system so you can finally understand how it all fits together.

12 days ago • 5 min read

By Manoj Arachige

🏡 What is the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)?

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the credential awarded to students upon successful completion of secondary schooling in Victoria. It’s typically completed over Years 11 and 12, but many students begin earlier through subject acceleration.

While it may seem overwhelming, we’ll walk you through how the VCE is structured, how you’re assessed, how your final ATAR is calculated, and why scaling exists.

📘 Basic Structure: How Does the VCE Work?

The VCE is made up of four sequential units: Units 1 and 2 (usually completed in Year 11) and Units 3 and 4 (typically completed in Year 12). However, some students may accelerate, taking Units 1 and 2 in Year 10 or Units 3 and 4 in Year 11. In some cases, students can even complete Units 3 and 4 without having completed Units 1 and 2 — although this depends on the subject and school policy.

Each subject follows a study design, which outlines the content and Areas of Study. Students demonstrate their understanding through:

Units 1 and 2: Assessed internally and graded as Satisfactory (S) or Not Satisfactory (N).
Units 3 and 4: Assessed through School Assessed Coursework (SACs) or School Assessed Tasks (SATs), graded A+ to UG, along with externally assessed final exams.

Final exams only cover content from Units 3 and 4 — but don’t be fooled. Units 1 and 2 content is often assumed knowledge and critical to success.

At the end of Year 12, students receive:

A Study Score out of 50 for each Unit 3/4 subject.
An ATAR, which ranks them nationally based on these study scores.

Basic Structure: How does it work?

The VCE consists of four units (1-4) which are undertaken across two years. These are generally Year 11 (Units 1 and 2) and Year 12 (Units 3 and 4), however, subjects can be undertaken as accelerated courses of study. As a result, some students may undertake Units 1 and 2 of a subject in Year 10 and Units 3 and 4 of a subject in Year 11. While this is the most common form of acceleration, some schools allow units to be taken even in earlier school years. Note that, in some cases, it is possible to undertake Units 3 and 4 of a subject without having completed Units 1 and 2.

If you're looking for even more info, here is a more thorough breakdown of how the ATAR works.

🎓 ATAR vs. Study Score: What’s the Difference?

These two marks often get confused, but they serve different purposes:

The Study Score is a subject-specific score (out of 50) reflecting a student’s performance compared to others taking that subject across the state. A score of 30 is the average.
The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a national percentile rank used for university admissions. It’s presented in increments of 0.05, from 0.00 to 99.95.

The ATAR is a national ranking - every Year 12 student across the country receives an ATAR. Scores are given out in 0.05 increments from 0.05 to 99.95.

⚠️ Important: The ATAR is not a percentage!
An ATAR of 85.50 doesn’t mean you got 85.5% on your exams — it means you ranked in the top 14.5% of all Year 12 students in Australia.

🔧 Scaling and Moderation: Why Do Marks Change?

You may have heard that VCE marks are scaled or moderated. Here's why:

Moderation adjusts SAC marks to account for varying difficulty and marking standards between schools. This is done by comparing SAC scores to students' performance on the external exams.
Scaling adjusts Study Scores based on the relative strength of the subject cohort across all subjects.

Subjects like Maths Methods, Chemistry, and Languages often scale up, while others may scale down. This isn’t about how “hard” a subject is, but rather how students who take that subject perform across all their subjects.

Example: If high-achieving students tend to take Specialist Maths, it will be scaled up so their results reflect the competitive cohort.

At the end of the year, you’ll see both a raw and scaled Study Score.

✅ Requirements: What Do You Have to Do?

To qualify for the VCE, students must:

Complete at least four Unit 3/4 subjects, including one English-based subject (English, English Language, Literature, or English as an Additional Language).
A maximum of six subjects can contribute to your ATAR. The ATAR is calculated using:
- The best four scaled Study Scores (including English).
- 10% of the fifth and sixth-best scores (if applicable).

If you take more than six subjects, only the best six will count.

📝 The GAT: Wait — Another Exam?

Yes — there's also the General Achievement Test (GAT). All students undertaking a Unit 3/4 subject must sit it.

The GAT assesses general knowledge and skills across written communication, maths, science, humanities, and the arts. It consists of:

Two short essays (30 minutes each)
A two-hour multiple choice section

While the GAT doesn’t directly contribute to your ATAR or Study Scores, it is used for:

Cross-checking SAC and exam marks
Derived Examination Scores (DES) for students who miss final exams due to illness or other serious issues

📚 Subjects Offered in the VCE

There are over 90 VCE subjects offered, across 9 Key Learning Areas:

English (4 subjects)
Mathematics (5 subjects)
Science (5 subjects)
Languages (40+ languages)
Technology
The Arts (10 subjects, including Music, Performing and Visual Arts)
Humanities (17 subjects, including History and Politics)
Business Studies (5 subjects)
Health and PE (3 subjects)

This broad subject range allows students to tailor their VCE experience to their strengths and career goals.

📣 In Conclusion…

The VCE and ATAR system can seem complex at first — but once you understand the core structure, scaling system, and assessment methods, it becomes much more manageable.

If you're feeling overwhelmed or just want to stay ahead, KIS Academics tutors are here to help. Our experienced team knows the VCE inside and out and can provide personalised support, exam preparation, and subject-specific guidance.

👉 Book a free study skills consultation with a KIS Academics tutor today and take the stress out of VCE.