So, what is the QCE?
The QCE (or Queensland Certificate of Education) is the certification awarded to Year 12s following their completion of their senior studies – basically a high school diploma. The certification is granted to students given the successful completion of four core units in 5 general subjects.
In order to receive your QCE at the end of Year 12, you must satisfy a couple of requirements that we will lay out below.
For each general subject, there are 4 units (which correspond to 4 QCE credits). Units 1 and 2 are completed in Year 11 and are formative (ie. scores do not contribute to your final ATAR). Units 3 and 4 are completed in Year 12 and are summative (they do contribute to your ATAR).
Students must have a minimum of 20 credits to receive a QCE, but they can attain up to 28 credits. Most Queensland students will graduate with 24 QCE credits, made up of 4 units in 6 general subjects.
Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (or ATAR as it is more commonly known), is awarded to students who satisfy this eligibility criteria. It is provided to Year 12 graduates in conjunction with their QCE and is important for university entry. Whilst QCE is under the jurisdiction of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), the ATAR is calculated by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC).
Another important thing to note is that the ATAR is a rank rather than a score - essentially meaning that it gives you a percentile of how you have ranked compared to all of the students in the state. Students who receive a 99.95 ATAR are in the top 0.05% of the state (around 30 people), whereas students with a 70 ATAR are in the top 30%.
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The QCE ATAR system can be quite complex, and understanding what's going on can be very daunting for new students and parents. If you ever need some assistance with QCE studies or subject specific help, KIS Academics tutors have a thorough understanding of their subjects and can assist in understanding curriculum requirements.
Make sure to reach through the below articles to gain a thorough understanding of how the QCE works and how each subject contributes to your final ATAR score.
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