Western Australian Certificate of Education

What are the WACE requirements?

	2007	2008	2009	2010-2015
Subject/course/endorsed program completion	Complete at least 10 full-year (or equivalent) subjects. Up to 40 per cent can be endorsed programs. A single course unit equivalent will count as a half-subject equivalent.	Complete at least 10 full-year (or equivalent) subjects Up to 50 per cent can be endorsed programs A single course unit equivalent will count as a half-subject equivalent	Complete at least 10 full-year (or equivalent) subjects Up to 50 per cent can be endorsed programs A single course unit equivalent will count as a half-subject equivalent. For every six course units at least one two-unit combination must be included	Complete at least 20 units, including at least three two-unit combinations Up to 50 per cent can be endorsed programs Completion of a full-year D or E code subject will equate to two course units
Subject/ course/ endorsed program achievement	Achieve an average of C grade or better in at least eight full-year (or equivalent) subjects. At least four subjects/equivalents must be at Year 12 level (E code). Up to two subject equivalents can be stand-alone VET programs.	Achieve an average of C grade or better in at least eight full-year(or equivalent) subjects At least four subjects/equivalents must be at Year 12 level (E code) Up to three subject equivalents can be endorsed programs	Achieve an average of C grade or better in at least eight full-year(or equivalent) subjects At least four subjects/equivalents must be at Year 12 level (E code) Up to three subject equivalents can be endorsed programs Achievement of an industry specific VET course unit equates to a C grade	Achieve an average of a C grade or better across 10 course units from at least five courses/subject equivalents (at least three two-unit combinations must be included) Achievement of an industry specific VET course unit equates to a C grade Up to 10 unit equivalents of endorsed programs can be included to reduce this load to six course units from three courses (endorsed programs do not count toward the C grade average)
English language competence	Achieve an average of C grade or better in a E code English subject or an average of Level 4 or better across two units in an English course completed in Year 12 or pass the English language competency test.	Complete two units, studied in the final year of schooling, from an English course (or subject equivalent) Meet the language competence standard, as defined by work samples or pass the English language competency test	Complete four units from an English course (two units must be studied in the final year of schooling). Meet the language competence standard, as defined by work samples or pass the English language competency test	Complete four units from an English course (two units must be studied in the final year of schooling) Meet the language competence standard*, as defined by work samples or pass the English language competency test
Overarching learning outcomes	Not applicable.	Not applicable	Include all 13 overarching learning outcomes in an overall program of study	Include all 13 overarching learning outcomes in an overall program of study
Community service	Not applicable.	Not applicable	Complete 20 hours of community service	Complete 20 hours of community service
Examination	WACE courses: optional exam covering units 2A-3B. TEE subjects: optional exam.	WACE courses: optional exam covering units 2A-3B. TEE subjects: optional exam	WACE courses: all students in their final year who are enrolled in stage 2 or 3 units sit the exam (unless exempt). TEE subjects: optional exam	WACE courses: All students in their final year who are enrolled in stage 2 or 3 units sit the exam (unless exempt)

*For advice about the English language competence standard, please refer to the section ‘WACE points of clarification’.

How will the Curriculum Council certify student achievement?
At the end of senior secondary schooling, all students enrolled with the Curriculum Council will receive a folio of achievement. The table below outlines what this folio will contain, depending on the year they finish schooling.

2007 and 2008	2009 to 2014
Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Students must meet the WACE requirements to receive this certificate.	Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Students must meet the WACE requirements to receive this certificate.
Statement of results A statement of results is issued to all students who complete at least one subject, course unit, endorsed program or unit of competence. The statement of results records: grades achieved in Curriculum Council subjects achievement of course units school and examination achievement in courses achievement of endorsed programs achievement of VET units of competency and VET qualifications completion of WACE requirements, including achievement of English language competence school and examination results in tertiary entrance examinations subjects achievement of awards.	Statement of results A statement of results is issued to all students who complete at least one subject, course unit or endorsed program. The statement of results records: qualifications achieved, such as the WACE and VET certificates school achievement of course units achievement of endorsed programs examination result, school assessment and WACE score for each course completion of WACE requirements, including achievement of English language competence, coverage of overarching learning outcomes and 20 hours of community service achievement of awards.
	Course report A course report is issued to all students who sit the examination in that course. The course report records: school assessment mark moderated school assessment raw examination mark standardised examination mark WACE course score state-wide distribution WACE course score.

Will achievement in one course unit be counted for the WACE?
Yes. If the student completed the assessment requirements for a unit it will be counted towards the WACE and reported on the student’s statement of results.

What is a WACE course score?
From 2009, the Council will calculate a WACE course score for all students who complete a pair (2A/2B or 3A/3B) of units and sit the examination. The course score is calculated using the school course mark and the examination mark, and is recorded on the students’ statement of results.
If students only complete requirements for one unit they will not be awarded a WACE course score result. WACE course scores are only available for those students who sit an examination and complete two or more units.

Can students complete a WACE part-time?
Yes.

Can students completing the WACE part-time sit for an examination?
Yes, provided they study two stage 2 or stage 3 units in a course in the year they wish to sit the examination.

What arrangements are in place for the transition to including all overarching learning outcomes in a student’s study program?
Coverage of overarching learning outcomes will not be required for the WACE in 2008. From 2009, to be eligible to achieve a WACE, all 13 overarching learning outcomes need to be included in a student’s overall study program. Current D and E code subjects are mapped to the overarching learning outcomes. Go to http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/ProgressMaps/index.htm for more information about mapping the overarching learning outcomes to the subjects and courses.

When can students start accumulating hours to meet the community service requirement?
Students start collecting hours in Year 10.

Can they complete the 20-hour requirement in one year?
Yes.

Do students have to study pairs of units (1A-1B, 2A-2B or 3A-3B)?
To meet the requirements of the WACE, students will need to complete three two-unit combinations. Two-unit combinations can be units within a stage (such as 2A-2B) in a course, or units across stages (such as 2B-3A) in a course. Students in the final year of study, who choose two-unit combinations in stage 2 and/or stage 3 must sit the examination, unless they are exempt. However, from 2009 it is expected that students will study a pair of units from within a stage, providing them with every opportunity to cover the content for the WACE exam.

If students enrol in stage 3 units, will they get extra marks when they sit the exam?
The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) has finalised the 2010 university entrance requirements. For specific information about this question contact TISC on 9318 8000 or info@tisc.edu.au.

Do I have to study units sequentially?
No, but generally it is advisable.

Are course stages hierarchical?
Yes. Stage 3 is higher than stage 2.

Are units within a stage hierarchical?
Generally, they are not. In many courses, you can study units within a stage concurrently for the year.
The only exception could be in pairs of units for English (stage 1), EALD (stage 1), Maths (stages 1, 2 and 3) and Music (stage 1), where there is a definite scope and sequence of content but where the content difficulty of units are still located within the specified band for all units, such as stage 3: levels 6-8

If a student changes from a D or E code English Literature subject during Semester 1 to the English course, is there credit given toward the course in 2007?
Yes. Credit should be given towards English for work a student completes in a D or E code English Literature subject and then transfers into the English course. The school makes a judgement about the achievement in the D and E code English Literature subject to satisfy one of the units in the new English course.

If a student completes units in a course or completes the requirements of endorsed programs when they are in Year 10, will they be counted toward the WACE?
Yes. Students will be able to work towards achieving a WACE in Year 10 if they are enrolled by their school in courses or programs with the Curriculum Council.

Can students complete studies towards the WACE in Year 9 or earlier?
Yes.

What is the C grade average and why is it important?
Students require a C grade average or better to receive the WACE. The grade average is calculated by converting grades to credits.

Full-year subject		Course unit
Grade	Credit	Grade	Credit
A	5	A	2.5
B	4	B	2
C	3	C	1.5
D	2	D	1
E	1	E	0.5

To calculate the grade average, the total points for eight subjects (or subject equivalents) are divided by eight. A result greater than or equal to 3 from this calculation equals an average grade of C or better. For a subject that runs for a semester rather than a full year, the grade points are halved; for example, A is converted to 2.5. The subjects/units with the highest achievement are used in the calculation. At least four subjects must have been at E code level and/or the units must have been completed in the final year of schooling (Year 12).

Stand-alone VET subject equivalents are not used in the calculation of the grade average, but do affect the number of Year 12 (E code) subjects included in the average.

How are the points calculated for the C grade average for students with assessments in levels and bands?
Only students of English, Media and Production Analysis, Aviation and Engineering Studies have been assessed using levels and bands. (These courses will assess using grades from 2008.) Schools should use the table below to calculate the points value for each level for the C grade average.

Course unit
Level	Credit
1	0.5
2	0.5
3	1
4	1.5
5	2
6	2.5
7	2.5
8	2.5

Can the ‘C’ grade average be calculated using repeat units?
Yes.

Does the achievement of stand alone units of competency completed for a Certificate II in a VET program count towards the WACE requirements?
Yes. In 2007, students can achieve up to 405 of WACE requirements from endorsed programs, such as VET stand-alone units of competence.
From 2008, students can accumulate 50% of their WACE requirements from endorsed programs, such as VET stand-alone units of competence.

Will the achievement of stand alone units of competency completed for a Certificate II in a VET program count towards the C grade average?
Yes. From 2009, students can use up to three subject equivalents such VET stand-alone units of competence in the calculation of the C grade average. A unit equivalent of an endorsed program will equate to half a subject equivalent (two course units are equivalent to one subject).

Can schools change student enrolments if the unit the student is enrolled in is too difficult?
Yes, there is provision to change student enrolments. Enrolments are changed, providing a result has not already been recorded for that student, by uploading the enrolment file on the Student Information Records System (SIRS). Go to http://newwace.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/teachers_enrolments.asp for more details about this process.

How does the school change an enrolment?
Enrolments are changed by uploading the enrolment file on the Student Information Records System (SIRS). Go to http://newwace.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/teachers_enrolments.asp for more details about this process.

How can I order logbooks for the community service program?
A copy of the Curriculum Council’s logbook can been seen on the Council’s website and copies can be requested by completing and returning the appropriate form (see http://newwace.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/about_csp.asp). The logbooks are provided to schools by the Council at no cost.
Alternatively, schools may choose to develop their own service record or incorporate the essential information into an existing booklet. The information required for Curriculum Council audit purposes can be accessed on the Council’s website.