VCE
 

Hello!
Anyone give me a simple guide to the vce?

Cheers!

S.dog

Re: VCE
 

You might want to start by giving people an idea what the VCE is? :confused:

Re: VCE
 

VCE is the Victorian Certificate in Education!!!! The exams year 12 students take in victoria to get their ATAR score (used to be called ENTER) to get into Uni)

OK, where to start! It's a 2 year course, but only the grades from the second year actually count towards the final score. However, saying that you have to have completed 16 units which do include some year one subjects. The first year units are called units 1 & 2 and the second year units are 3 & 4. Usually you take 6 subjects through both years but you can swop in the second year if you change your mind in certain subjects and do different 3/4 subjects to the ones you did in the first year. Confused yet!! No then I'll continue. :rofl:

One of your subjects has to be English, if your not a native English speaker, this can be ESL (English as a second language). Usually at least one of the other 5 subjects is Maths and a lot of students aiming for Uni do 2 diiferent Maths subjects. The choice of the last 3 or 4 subjects is very much a personal choice and the range is extensive although this does sometimes depend on which courses your school offers.

When you have completed all 6 subjects in the second year, they grade you according to hoe well you did compared to everyone else in the state taking the same subject and give you a score out of 50 for each subject.

To work out your ATAR (ENTER) score they take your score for English, then the next best 2 scores and 10% of the next 2. The lowest score is discounted. You are then given a ranking out of 100 ( well actually 99.95) The higher your score the higher you ranked in the state, so if you got above 90 you were in the top 10%. :thumbup:

Thats the easy part!

Because the brighter students usually take the harder subjects such as Chemistry, Physics and languages etc it is actually harder to get a higher grade in these subjects because of the competition, so, when the scores are worked out, if say you get a 35 in Chemistry you will actually be awarded something like a 40 instead, i.ethe grades are upgraded, similarly in some subects a score may be down graded if it's considered an easy option!! :ohmy:

Now I'm sure you are confused by now, but just to finish. In a lot of schools, especially private ones, but some state schools as well, students often take 1 or 2 of their 3 & 4 subjects in year 1 instead of year 2, why you ask. The reason is that by doing this they have maore time to study for the individual 3/4 subjects as they get more free time in the second year and this usually increases their grades. They do this either by taking some of their 1 & 2 subjects in Yesr 10 or by not doing the 1/2 subject at all and goign straight into the 3/4. This is how students also can swop some subjects in the second year. You can't usually do this with things like languages , Chem or Physics though because of their level of difficulty.

As you can tell I've been through this a couple of times now, our second son was 16 when we arrived and went straight into VCE and our youngest is currently in Year 12.

If you need any more help, please feel free to pm me.

Good luck. Both of ours have enjoyed the VCE course and done really well so far, I'm sure you will to. :thumbsup:

Re: VCE
 

Agree with Smartinis except it is six subjects. English + 5.

Big difference with 'A' levels is that the 3 or 4 subjects you start you finish unless you are super-human. With VCE it is possible to change subjects. My daughter started with Chemistry in year 11 but didn't like it so changed to Specialist Maths in year 12. She sat the maths exam in year 12 and her time studying chemistry didn't count. I wouldn't recommend this.

Note, 12 years education here not 13.

Ian

Re: VCE
 

I think I did say 6 subjects I meant to, but I'm pretty certain that they don't count the score for the lowest one (as long as it's not English) when working out the final score though. Yes it's worth remembering that the school years here are numbered differently to the UK. Year 10, is usually those aged 16, (GCSE year in UK) year 11 is same as first year A levels and usually for those aged 17 and year 12 would be the final year of A levels, i.e aged 18. Saying that though my youngest is year 12 and he won't turn 18 until April next year.

Re: VCE
 

Do kids in Vic really only have 12 years of education? I thought that only happened in QLD.

Here in NSW they all do 13 years:

Primary K-6 (7 years)
Secondary 7-12 (6 years).

Re: VCE
 

That's a good point.

Because the kids come here with an extra year's education they usually get asked if they wish to jump a year.

My daughter was 15 and elected to go with kids of her own age. Given the hormones I think that was a good decision although she coasted for that year.

My son was 11 and also elected to go with kids of his own age. With hindsight I think I should have forced him to jump a year. Intellectually he could have easily coped. He is now at Melbourne High and one of the oldest in the class and will turn 18 at the beginning of year 12.

I think what year your kid goes into is the most important decision for a parent.

Re: VCE
 

they have kinder but it is only 10.5 hours/week or so as that is what is funded and not considered part of schooling.

Re: VCE
 

I agree its a tough call, our son had just finished year 7 when we arrived in Sept 05, he had the choice of doing the last term of year 7 again and then starting year 8 (jumping a year) in Jan 06, or doing the last term of year 6!! He didn't want to go back into year 6 having already done a year 7, I think it was almost a psychological thing for him as much as anything! He was also quite bright for his age. Even jumping a year he was bored at times in Maths, but he goes to a great school and they would give him extra stuff to do. Now he's 17 and most of his friends are turning 18 but it hasn't been they problem we thought it might be, he's always been well accepted and has a great social group. He does intend to take a gap year before Uni though, but this is common, his brother also did this even though he was already 18.

Re: VCE
 

Just had a quick look at the Vic schools website.

Looks like kids do Prep thru to Year 12. Prep isn't kinder is it? Surely it's full-time school just like the 'kindergarten' year in NSW?

Adds up to 13 years to me ;).

Re: VCE
 

Yes, you did. Apologies.

I think they take 10% of your weakest two subjects.

Re: VCE
 

Prep's a bit like the "reception" year in the UK I think, but a year later. In UK mine did Year R followed by Years 1-13, totalling 14 years. Kids in Vic start school officially Year 1 at age 6, not 5 as in the UK, so thats where the discrepency comes from. I think a lot of kids go to kindy before prep, a bit like mine went to playgroup in the UK. Sorry mine are all too big now even I find it all very confusing, especially as the names, starting ages etc are different for each state. I'm glad mine are at the other end of the education trail!!

Re: VCE
 

Fab replies all - much better than the government website info! Another question: if students leave school before the vce what age do they leave? How many stay on to do it? Before the vce are all subjects compulsory etc etc?
Thanks again in anticipation of equally fab replies!

S. Dog

Re: VCE
 

I think they are in the process of changing it so that you have to stay on until 18.

You can start to choose a few subjects in year 9. Choose all in 11 and 12.

You can do practical subjects. Don't have to do academic VCE.
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/index.html

Re: VCE
 

Thanks for all this info:) My daughter is in Year 9. In year 10, she will be doing Units 1 and 2 of French (she is being specially accommodated for this), Maths Methods (CAS) and Physics (Unit 2). She would have thus completed 2 subjects (French and Maths Methods) in Year 11. Was wondering whether she can also complete Units 3&4 in another subject - says Physics, in Year 10 itself? I will check with her school but was wondering whether you know if this has been done. Thanks

Also, instead of doing 4 units of a fifth subject, she is planning to do the UEP (Maths).