🏖️ How WACE works and how to prepare for it

What is WACE?

WACE stands for the Western Australian Certificate of Education. This is a certificate that students receive on successful completion of the requirements of the WACE at the conclusion of their senior secondary education. This is what is recognised by all universities in Australia and other tertiary institutions.

Requirements for sitting the WACE exams:

To qualify for WACE by Year 11, students need to achieve achieve WACE Literacy and Numeracy Standard by:

• pre-qualifying by achieving Band 8 or higher in the Year 9 NAPLAN

OR

• Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) (if they did not succeed in NAPLAN Year 9 or had not completed NAPLAN as they came from a different country)

Choosing subjects for Year 11 and 12

Students are to choose their subjects for Year 10, 11 and 12 if they choose the WACE ATAR pathway. It is recommended that they choose their subjects in year 10, so they can best prepare for WACE related topics in Year 11.

Requirements for subject choices for WACE:

• 2 Year 12 ATAR subjects must come from List A (arts, languages, humanities subjects)
• 2 Year 12 ATAR subjects must come from List B (mathematics, science, technology subjects)

Although requirements are for year 12 courses, schools require you to choose 2 list A subjects and 2 list B so that you don't change the subject in-between year 11 and year 12. In fact, students are highly discouraged from changing subjects between Year 11 and 12!

Plus, there are certain combinations of subjects you are not allowed to do in WACE. Such as:

• Maths Applications ATAR with Maths Specialist ATAR
• Maths Applications ATAR with Maths Methods ATAR with Maths Specialist ATAR
• only Maths Specialist ATAR
• English ATAR with Literature ATAR

There are also certain subjects that must be taken together, for instance, if you take Maths Specialist, it is imperative that you also take Maths Methods.

It should also be noted that some schools do not offer all subjects, so it is important for students to look at the subject list that the school gives, just to see if they can do the subject they wish.

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The WACE ATAR system can definitely be quite complex, and understanding what is actually going on can be very daunting, especially for new students and their parents. However, if you ever need some assistance with WACE 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 WACE works and how each subject contributes to your final ATAR score.