How WACE works and how to prepare for it

How to understand Western Australia's Year 12 system

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.

Continue reading...

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.

Understanding the

WACE

system 🧠

The first thing we recommend you do is understand how the curriculum works. This will help you choose subjects, understand marking schemes and how it all impacts what university course you can do:

Calculating your

WACE

ATAR 📊

Once you've got an idea of what subjects you want to do and how you'll approach your studies, you can experiment with a predicted ATAR using an ATAR Calculator.

Get your

WACE

English Essays

Marked ✅

In-school assessments are a common and important part of your final ATAR score. If you want an expert to look over your work and provide feedback before your teacher does, you've come to the right place!

Getting the right

WACE

resources 📚

Knowing how things work is only half the challenge. You'll need to make sure that you find the best resources available for each subject you choose to do. Here are some of the most popular resources for common subjects:

Finding the best

WACE

tutors 🎓

The best way to improve your chance of success is by finding a great mentor or tutor. Finding a good one can be difficult, but we recommend looking for a tutor who:
1️⃣ is young and relatable so lessons are engaging
2️⃣ has a good academic record, achieved a high ATAR themselves is an expert at your subject
3️⃣ loves teaching and genuinely cares about their students.
Here are some of our most popular tutors who fulfil all three criteria themselves:

Benedict Widjaja

99.65
ATAR
Hello! I'm Benedict Widjaja, a recent graduate from Perth Modern School with an ATAR of 99.65, and a recipient of the Melbourne National Merit Scholarship. I'm currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, studying courses in physics, mathematics, computing and economics.

During high school, I explored my passion for calligraphy and art, learnt to play the piano, and picked up a few new languages, all whilst consistently achieving high marks in all my subjects. I was able to do this, because 1) I was genuinely interested in the subjects I studied, and 2) I invested the time into understanding the nuances of each and every subject, what assessors are looking for, and how to actually study. Now, I'd love to share all this with you! 

In order to ensure that our time together is well-spent, I'll tailor our lessons relevant to what you are currently studying and any upcoming tests you may have. My focus will be on giving you a solid grasp of key concepts, combined with a practical knowledge of how to approach and take assessments - specific to each subject I offer. We'll work on practice problems and past exams (especially for ATAR courses). For this, I have an extensive bank of notes & past exams that I myself used, along with all the amazing resources at KIS Academics!!  

Additionally, I can be your mentor, offering guidance on balancing academics and extracurriculars, navigating university and scholarship applications, and making informed subject selections—as I have recently gone through these myself.

If this resonates with you or if you'd like to learn more, reach out and contact me! We'll then organise a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your academic goals. I look forward to meeting you and supporting you through your academic journey.

Alana Gregory

99.45
ATAR
Hi! My name is Alana. I graduated high school with an ATAR of 99.45 and a UCAT score of 2900. I also achieved a score of 100% in my WACE French second language Oral exam. I am currently studying Medicine (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) at Curtin University in Western Australia. Studying in high school (particularly in years 11 and 12) was a challenge so I’m here to make it a little bit easier for you!

Throughout my time in school my hobbies included athletics and swimming, music and catching up with my friends. Although it was hard to balance what I loved with my studies, these were activities I didn’t want to give up completely in order to do well in assessments/exams. Through meticulous time management and organisation, I was able to balance my studies and hobbies and gain entry into my dream course at university.

As a recent high school graduate, I am very familiar with the WACE curriculum for the subjects I studied. My goal is to help students to succeed in their studies through encouragement, support and a personalised approach to each lesson. I love sharing all my little tips for success with students and hope to be a strong and positive mentor to guide them through their studies.

I particularly enjoy tutoring students in Human Biology and Chemistry, as well as UCAT preparation/Medical school entry. If you’re interested or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to helping you in your academic journey!

Clara Chen

99.75
ATAR
Hey there, I'm Clara!
I graduated high school as WACE Dux of School and I'm currently studying Medicine at UWA. I know how stressful high school, and especially years 11-12, can be so I'm here to hopefully make this journey easier for you.

I'd love to share all the knowledge I've gathered from my years at school across the various subjects, as well as my tips for time management and organisation so that you can make time outside of studying for the things you love to do! My goal is to equip you with study skills that you can continue to rely on in your further education, as you become an independent learner.

I have ample experience in tutoring students with special needs, and I always tailor my lessons to your individual learning style, goals and preferences.

Contrary to some of my classmates, I absolutely loved Maths (and Science) so I hope to inspire that same passion and positive attitude in my students. I am also more than happy to help with UCAT/medical school entry preparation, having received multiple offers for universities across Australia and achieving a 98th percentile UCAT score.
Trusted by families all over Australia 🇦🇺
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Students aced their studies
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As a year 11 student doing ATAR, I was looking for a tutor that could help me with French. KIS Academics was incredibly helpful and fast at finding me a wace french tutor who could assist me with my studies. My tutor Eliza Carey over the past few months has helped me so much not only in French but in biology and maths as well. I’m incredibly grateful for the effort and commitment she has put into helping me be more comfortable and less stressed about the subjects I was having difficulty with. It’s been nothing but an honour to be tutored by Eliza and I strongly recommend her as a tutor

Maddie M.
/
Year 11 Student

I got the top mark for my SAC which was really nice, and I think that’s all because of my tutor”

Medha / Year 12 Student

“It's been absolutely fantastic and it's just been a very positive environment for learning”

Amanda / Parent of a Year 7 Student

Manoj Arachige

Founder

Why should you even listen to us?

Hello there! I'm Manoj - the founder of Keep It Simple Academics (Or KIS Academics for short).

KIS Academics is an Australia-wide tutoring company that has helped thousands of students achieve their academic potential. Through these last few years, I've learned a thing or two about how tutoring works. Now it's my goal to grow KIS Academics and help more students across Australia achieve their dreams (and somehow complete my medical degree in one piece 😅)

In the last three years:

✅ We've helped C students get straight As.

✅ We've helped wannabe doctors get into Australia's best medical schools

✅ We've helped students who live in rural towns gain opportunities to go to metropolitan universities.

✅ We've helped students who hate maths find their passion for it

✅ We've even helped some students get into an IVY league college.

But rather than listening to me ramble on about how great KIS Academics is, book a free study skills consultation with one of our tutors and experience it firsthand!

KIS Academics
It's the people around you that help you achieve your potential

That's why we set out to hire only the best tutors in Australia.

High quality tutors at competitive prices.

We have hundreds of amazing, qualified online tutors offering top quality services, starting at just $47 per hour. Whether the student is in high school or primary school, we cater for all. So, why are our tutors so amazing compared to other companies? It's simple, we pay them better. We take a low commission so you can get top scoring private tutors at the best rates. Discover our team of dedicated tutors who specialize in various subjects, from Chemistry and Maths to English and UCAT, as well as offering support for high school, HSC, and VCE, and many more. View all tutoring locations.

What is Private Tutoring?

Private tutoring is the best option for anyone looking for individual, personalised help with their academic performance, especially for subjects like English, Math and Chemistry.

Private tutors can provide you with structured lessons to teach curriculum content, while also being flexible enough to answer questions as they come up, help look over assignments and assist in exam revision.

A high quality private tutor from KIS is not only a knowledgeable teacher who can answer all your questions, but an understanding friend who once had to face the same struggles that you are facing now.

Are your tutors any good?

You bet - you should check out our reviews!

KIS only hires the top tutors in each state.

We specifically hand pick and recruit the best tutors and top scorers of every year level, vet them with a thorough interview and application process, and then we take them through an intensive training program so that they become the best, most compassionate tutors who really know how to teach.

On top of that, we don't just hire the best, we treat our tutors well with top rates, personal development opportunities, plentiful resources for their subjects, and 24/7 administrative support.

Are your tutors qualified teachers or graduate students?

KIS Academics aims to hire young tutors who are relatable, friendly but also super smart tutors who are great at explaining things.
We firmly believe that tutoring should be delivered by someone with a different perspective to teachers at school. This ensures that tutoring doesn't just become another few hours of school, but a completely personalised time where students are taught in a very different, and better way.
You can read more about this in our blog post: Should I get a graduate tutor, or a teacher?

Why are some tutors more expensive?

KIS Academics has an extensive process for hiring tutors. When deciding whether a tutor should be Gold ($70/hour), Platinum ($90/hour) or Executive ($150/hour), our team evaluate factors such as academic performance, years of tutoring experience, feedback and reviews from students, university experience and degrees, other qualifications and overall performance within KIS Academics.

The biggest consideration when upgrading tutors to Platinum or Executive is years of teaching experience and positive feedback and results from past students.

As tutors develop their skillsets further and gain more experience and feedback, they progress through the three levels- ensuring high quality services to match the price they charge.

Here's more info on our pricing

How do payments work?

Payments with KIS Academics are super easy.
Your 30 minute study skills consultation with your tutor is free

After your first lesson, we'll send an invoice to your email. You can pay it with your credit or debit card, or using Google or Apple Pay, just like when you buy something online! You can also pay via direct debit. Please note that we don't accept any other types of payment method.

Please make sure to pay this invoice within 3 days of your it being emailed to you.

All future invoices are billed after and only after lessons. We can save your card details to make payments easier, but if you don't want us to, just let us know at [email protected]. We'll never charge you before a lesson, and you'll always receive a receipt via email.
Here's some more information on how our payments work: How should I pay my tutor?

How long are lessons?

Lessons can be as long as you'd like them to be!

Because we provide private tutoring, all our services are personalised to you. So... if you'd like to do a 2 hour lesson in one week, just let your tutor know. If you'd like to do a 30 minute lesson in another week because you're really busy, just let your tutor know. If you want to make all of your sessions 1.5 hours instead of 1 hour... you guessed it! Just let your tutor know.

We're flexible and lessons can be the perfect length of time for the student.

How can I contact my tutor?

To request a tutor, just press the "Contact Me" button on your tutor's page and send them a message.

Your tutor will get in touch with you directly by giving you a phone call or sending you a text message.

We recommend you save their mobile number as a contact in your phone, so you can get in touch with them easily in the future!

What happens during the study skills consultation?

Study skills consultations are a free, 30-minute meeting with your KIS Academics tutor.
While we are 100% certain that you'll love our tutors, students and tutors also need to have what we call a personality-match. Students need to like their tutor and be comfortable enough to share difficult problems, frustrating questions, and see them for a few extra hours every week.

So, during this consultation session, tutors will focus on getting to know their student, finding out what their strengths and weaknesses are and then building a plan on how to get the most out of tutoring. You can read more about it here: Free One-to-One Study Skills Sessions

How do I organise lessons?

You can organise lessons directly with your tutor - no need to download any apps or go to any websites, text message and email will do the trick!

Your tutor will be in contact with you via text or email to organise all lessons, meaning you can reschedule and reorganise lessons whenever you need to just by contacting them!

What happens during lessons?

Our lessons are completely personalised to the student.
Every lesson is unique, and the sole focus of the tutor is to help a student find their weak spots, then help them overcome these.
Because our lessons are completely personalised, what happens during lessons is entirely up to you!
If you have specific content or questions to go over with your tutor, you can do that with them.
If you don't, your tutor will have a vast array of curriculum resources and content to go through with you.

We usually recommend our tutors to spend the first part of the lesson working through any questions the student has, then to go through curriculum content together, and finally summarise and make plans for the next lesson at the end.

I want a different tutor, can I ask for someone else?

Yes of course!
KIS Academics prides itself on matching students with the best tutor for them . We are successful at doing this 92% of the time.
We rarely have people ask for a different tutor.
If you do need someone else, for whatever reason, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling us on +61 485 868 009.

What if I need to cancel a lesson?

That's okay! We know life gets busy, so we can be flexible around your schedule too.

All you need to do is get in touch with your tutor directly and reschedule the lesson for another time.

However, please keep in mind that we have a cancellation policy - if you cancel a lesson less than 1 hour before the time you arranged with your tutor, you'll get charged 100% of the lesson fee. This is to ensure our tutors' time is respected.

So please, if you need to cancel or move a lesson, do it well in advance!

You can find more details about this in our Terms of Service and Cancellation Policy

Can I get access to the online resources?

Yep! All KIS Academics Private Tutoring students will get access to KIS Plus. KIS Plus gives you access to 25+ Online courses for the Australian Curriculum worth over $12,000 dollars.

As a private tutoring student, you'll get access completely for free! Learn more about KIS Plus resources

Are there any terms and conditions?

Yep! You can find all the details in our Terms of Service.

The 3 main policies you should know for private tutoring are:

1. Regular lessons generate results. If you skip more than 3 consecutive weeks of lessons with us, you'll lose your tutoring position with KIS Academics
2. Lesson timing is flexible, but if you fail to show up or cancel less than 1 hour before a lesson, you'll be charged a last-minute-cancellation fee
3. Payments are all done online via TutorPay, and you'll only ever be charged after a lesson. Please make sure to complete any lesson payments within 3 days.
Free 30 minute Study Skills Assessment

Paying for an initial lesson with a tutor you've never met is absolutely crazy! And surprisingly, that's what most tutoring places will ask you to do. We think you deserve to meet your tutor and make sure they're the right fit for you - free of charge. Request a tutor and they will reach out to you to organise this free trial session!

Online courses to rival any classroom

Skeptical about online courses? Trust us, you won't be for long. With tutors specifically trained to deliver content online and use the latest and greatest teaching tools, we'll make you wish you had done things with KIS from the start. You can watch, rewatch, revise and review content as often as you need to. Starting at only $8 per week.

We're proud of our reviews.

It's hard to express just how much we care that you have a great experience with us. We invite you to look us up on Facebook, TrustPilot, Instagram and Google. There's plenty of amazing stories from our previous customers.
Click below to see all our reviews on posted on our Wall of Love ❤️

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