Rob Morton-Jone

We were origionally looking to move to Oz, June/July 2006 due to my son finishing his final school exams in the first half of the year.

We are now possibly looking at moving sometime between August and December 2005.

Please could anybody advise weather my son is able to take his final exams in Oz. Would this be a good move to do? Has anyone else been in this situation before?

Please please advise!!!

Thanks

Rob

OzTennis

Are you wondering whether your son can sit his A levels or whatever in Australia? I once sat University of London examinations (I was doing an extra course by correspondence) in Australia - the papers were sent to the University of Melbourne and I sat them there. I'm just guessing it is possible to do this with secondary examinations. Have you tried phoning the school or education authority or examining body?

OzTennis

Rob Morton-Jone

Hi OzTennis

Thanks for the info. We will be contacting my sons school shortly to see where he stands with getting his exam papers posted over to Oz

Rob

Rob Morton-Jone

Is it true that GCSE exams taken here in the UK will not be recognised in Australia?

Would my son have to take more exams, the Australian equivalent which are SACE?

NickyC

Are the GCSE exams 'A' levels? (Not that familiar with UK system any more). If so, then they should be recognised here. There's a conversion that Universities use to evaluate foreign qualifications. I've never had a problem with people recognising my UK school qualifications - I always put 'HSC equivalent' alongside them.

If the GCSE exams are the equivalent of 'O' levels, then they would equate to the School Certificate which is almost useless here as everyone gets it, It's the Year 12 ones that really count for somethng.

Different states have different names for their Year 12 exams - never heard of SACE. In NSW and the ACT they are HSC. Which state are you going to?

Rob Morton-Jone

Not 100 % sure what state we are going to yet but the problem is that my son was supposed to take his GCSE exams ealy 2006. Then he was going to leave school and go to college.He will be 16 then

Now we are thinking of moving to Oz towards the end of 2005 but we are a bit worried about the impact of his final exams and if he will be able to take any

Rob

saraliz

Rob,

There have been quite a few threads on this subject in the past, with quite a lot of useful input. Try searching the Lifestyle forum for 'HSC' or 'GCSE' - you should get quite a bit of useful reading material

Ushas

The school system in Perth.
At year 10 you take exams and are granted you Higher School Certificate which is just to say you've passed compulsory high school. Many children then leave to go on to TAFE courses and apprenticeships. Some go into business studies schools etc... Some just go and work.
Those who choose to go on to years 11 and 12 which are the years you need to complete to get into Uni. At the beginning of year 11 you choose 3 to 6 TEE subjects (Tertiary Entrance Exams) You study these for 2 years. Your final marks are calculated using school work and exams. Then your best three subjects are counted towards your TEE Score. Each place at Uni depends on your score. For eg when I wanted to get into primary teaching I needed 275 or higher. (I got 295). More difficult areas such and doctors and like need much higher scores.
They let Mature age students into Uni with equivalency exams so I am sure your son could too.
Year 10 is 15years old.
Year 11 is 16 and year 12 is 17.

Hope this is of some use.

Sherie

Can you tell me how difficult the High School Certificate is if we move to Aus partway through the yr 10 year?

Others have said the High School Certificate exam isn't that important, if you are thinking of uni later on but can British kids pass if they are bright and just happen to move to Aus just before the exam?

Our eldest son is very bright and would hope to get 10/11 top GCSEs at the end of year 11 but we are hoping to move him midway thro yr 10 (typical timing!!!!) when he may only have a term or two to prepare for the HSC. What kind of subjects is the HSC based on?
Has anyone else moved at a similar time?

Any insights into the situation appreciated.
Sherie

Ushas

The year 10 exams would be a doddle I imagine. It's not 'an exam' but exams in various subject areas. But if he's bright I can't see it being a problem. It's the 11th and 12th years that count if you want to get to Uni.
As I remember it (and it was ages ago) this certificate basically says you graduated from year 10. Maths English, Social Studies (Geog and History) Science. Just your normal subjects really. I am sure that most schools and teaching staff would be very adaptable and helpful where new students from UK are concerned. No one is going to expect them to know all the areas studied if they haven't been there.
Try www.eddept.wa.edu.au which is the WA ed department website. Email and ask your questions to the experts. It's been a long time since I was going through the system. I have found the department to be extremely helpful and very kind in replying to my enquiries.

Hope this helps.

Sherie

Thanks so much for the info, will not be as bad as we thought by the sound of things. It's great to be part of this forum, as this has really has put our mind at rest! ....Seems like yr 11 and 12 are much more important.
Cheers.