Introduction
VCE is 50% hard work, 20% teaching and guidance, 20%
strategy and 10% blind luck! As a VCE student reading this article, my
intention is to help you with the strategy component and, where necessary,
provide you with the right assistance and guidance to optimise your academic
performance. Now to strategy - that’s all about what the ATAR is, how it’s
calculated and playing the game to tilt the odds in your favour. Work hard,
know the rules of the game and you will win!
Audience
If you’re a VCE student studying under the VCAA curriculum,
read on!
ATAR
The ATAR is NOT a score, it is a rank! That rank is used to
compare a student’s high school achievement relative to other students.
Different students will complete different combinations of VCE subjects as part
of their studies. Converting these study scores to ATAR provides a consistent
medium in which to compare the overall achievements of these students. Tertiary
institutions, such as universities and TAFEs, use the ATAR as a currency to
determine whether they accept a student’s application in a particular course.
The ATAR is calculated by adding together the following:
·
VTAC scaled study score in one of English,
English Language, Literature or English as an Additional Language (EAL)
·
The next best three VTAC scaled study scores
permissible; and
·
10% of the fifth and sixth permissible scores
that are available.
A solid performance in English and English equivalent
subjects is extremely important as it is always in the student’s top four
scores for aggregation! This is understandable since a strong grasp of language
and fundamental principles in literacy lays the foundations for motivated,
self-directed learning.
Getting an ATAR
VCE students - VTAC calculates an ATAR for all VCE students
who have successfully completed the VCE and satisfied minimum tertiary entrance
requirements. Only applicants who have at least four VCE study scores in an
acceptable combination (more on this later…) will have an ATAR calculated.
Interstate Year 12 students - If you are studying an
interstate Year 12, VTAC receives your results and ranks from your state
admissions centre/authority. Interstate Year 12 authorities (except Queensland)
provide you with an ATAR.
Queensland is a special case. They use a ranking system (OP)
which is not equivalent to the ATAR. Comparison tables of the Queensland OP and
the ATAR are available on the QTAC website to over OP to ATAR. Conversion is
necessary since tertiary institutions outside of Queensland do not accept OP as
a medium of exchange for acceptance in their courses, they only accept ATAR.
Eligible for ATAR: VCE, HSC, TASC, SACE, WACE
Not eligible for ATAR: QCE
Notional ATAR
In Victoria, a student who completes the VCE will receive an
ATAR. A student who completes any other high school certification
(matriculation, International Baccalaureate, HSC etc…) will receive a notional
ATAR that is equivalent to the ATAR. A notional ATAR is treated in the same
manner as an ATAR when applying for tertiary courses in Victoria.
Acceptable Studies
Subject to certain rules and restrictions that are described
on the VTAC
website, the studies that can be used for the ATAR are:
·
All VCE Unit 3 and 4 sequences;
·
Vocational Education and Training (VET) Programs
with Unit 3 and 4 sequences (scored and unscored);
·
VFE studies; and
·
one approved higher education study (the
extension study increment).
Acceptable Combination and Study Score Aggregation
There are restrictions to how many studies from the same
study area grouping and/or VET industry area can contribute to an ATAR. The
following study area grouping rules MUST be observed and accounted for in your
subject selection to avoid surprise penalties and disappointment! Please
consult the Appendix for the full list of subject groupings (also available HERE).
The following is a good summary for most students.
In each of the study areas of English, mathematics, music,
history, contemporary society studies, information technology and languages
other than English:
·
At most two results can contribute to the
primary four.
o
For you maths geeks, that means choosing any TWO
of the following THREE:
(1) Further Maths, (2) Maths Methods and (3) Specialist Maths.
(1) Further Maths, (2) Maths Methods and (3) Specialist Maths.
o
For you literary geeks, that means choose any
TWO of the following THREE: (1) English/EAL , (2) English Literature and (3)
English language.
o
In the above, it is possible to choose all
THREE. It means though that the lowest of the three will be calculated outside
of your top four.
o
For you science geeks, you’re in luck! You can
take Physics, Chemistry and Biology and still have all three as part of your
top four.
·
At most three results can contribute to the
ATAR, be they VCE results, Higher Education study results, or VET results.
o
Why only three? Because your English or English
equivalent always takes pole position at number 1.
o
If you take more than four subjects, your
English or English equivalent and then your top three (subject to those
aforementioned study group restrictions) will form your top four.
·
If you have unscored VCE VET results, these can
only be used in the calculation of your aggregate after all scored results in
the same study area grouping have been used.
o
Those subjects beyond your top four will be
calculated as follows:
§
10% of your 5th best subject
§
10% of your 6th best subject
§
7th subject and onward are disregarded.
Your Aggregate Study Score (ASS) is calculated using your
Scaled Study Scores (SSS) in accordance with the follow formulae:
ASS = ENG + SSS(2) + SSS(3) + SSS(4) + 0.1 * [SSS(5) + SSS(6)]
Figure 1: Sample VCE Statement of Results demonstrating
scaled study score aggregation.
VCE Subject Selection - Playing to One’s Strengths
VCE subject selection is really important. It is worth your
while to give serious consideration to the right combination of subjects to
study. When making your decision, please keep the following in mind:
·
Are you keen on a particular subject? can you
express in a single sentence the reason why you are keen?
·
How much work are you willing to put into the
subject? Some subjects like Specialist Maths, Chemistry and Physics are
technically intensive and require brute force hard work. Are you prepared to
make the sacrifice?
·
What is
your cognitive alignment? Certain subjects are easier for some students than
for others. It all depends on how they are wired to learn. Consider the
following categories of learners:
o
Category A - The Engineer: You are
quantitatively attuned. You are skilled at hard logic and empirical
formulation. You make easy work of maths and science subjects. You tend to suck
at English and the humanities.
o
Category B - The Abstract Philosopher: You
demonstrate a strong intuition for language, linguistic concepts and love
literature. If reading is punishable by death, you would readily choose capital
punishment over giving up your books. You believe algebra and calculus make
baby Jesus cry. You also find scientific calculators confusing.
o
Category C - The All Rounder: In the toss-up
between science and the humanities, you don’t mind either but neither do you
excel. With a little guidance and hard work however, you can achieve strong
results.
o
Category D - God Mode: You are good at
everything and grasp concepts immediately. Congratulations, the world is your
oyster! We’re going to ignore Category D.
Scaling and Moderation - A Necessary Evil
Victorian high school students will have their study scores
scaled in accordance with the performance of their cohort. A student’s cohort
is that student’s group of peers, i.e. those students at your school studying
your particular subject.
Examples:
·
All students undertaking EAL at Melbourne High
School form a cohort.
·
All students undertaking Maths Methods at
Melbourne High School form a cohort.
·
All students undertaking Maths Methods at Mac Robertson
Girls’ High School form a cohort.
The study score is the score attributable to a student for
their performance in a VCAA approved subject. Each student will receive, for
each of their subjects, a raw study score and a scaled study score. The raw
study score is a direct reflection of the student’s performance in that subject
based on their aggregate assessments. The scaled study score is the moderation
adjusted score which accounts for a number of factors - subject difficulty,
cohort performance etc.
A student’s results are scaled by the perform of their
peers, i.e. their cohort! VTAC provides detailed publications (HERE
and HERE)
that meticulously documents how scaling and moderation is performed. Review
these publications if you wish to develop an in-depth understanding of the
subject matter. Be warned - you need to have an appreciation of statistics to
get through it all! For those who hate statistics and just want the quick and
dirty rundown, read the following rules for scaling.
In each subject, study scores are adjusted so that the
overall level of scores in that study matches the scores obtained by the same
group of students in all of their other studies.
The following methodology (taking from VTAC) is applied to
achieve the scaling objective:
1.
VCAA collects students’ assessment results and
uses them to calculate VCE study scores for each student, for each study they
complete.
2.
When VTAC receives VCE study scores from VCAA,
each study has been standardised. The average score for each study is 30.
3.
VTAC looks at the assessment data across all
studies to make sure obtaining the average score in one study required the same
level of achievement as every other study.
4.
When the data demonstrates the overall level of
scores across studies doesn’t match, adjustments need to be made. This is the
scaling process.
5.
If competition in a particular study was higher
than the average level of competition across all studies—as indicated by the
group of students performing higher in their other studies—study scores need to
be adjusted upwards, otherwise students doing that study would be unfairly
disadvantaged.
6.
Likewise, if competition in a particular study
was lower than the average level of competition across all studies—as indicated
by the group of students performing lower in their other studies— study scores
need to be adjusted downwards, otherwise students doing that study would be
unfairly advantaged.
7.
Once the study scores have been scaled, they are
called scaled study scores. It is these scaled study scores that are used to
calculate the ATAR.
Special rules apply to foreign language studies and
mathematics as these are deemed to be more challenging than average.
Mathematics
VCE mathematics studies are designed to cater for students
of differing abilities and interests. Specialist Mathematics is the most
difficult, followed by Mathematical Methods and then by Further Mathematics. To
ensure that students undertaking the more difficult mathematics studies are not
disadvantaged, all three mathematics studies are scaled against each other as
well as being scaled against all other studies. The higher of the two resulting
scales is used.
Languages other than
English (LOTE)
As a result of government policy to encourage the study of
languages other than English (LOTE), each LOTE is adjusted by adding up to five
to the initial VTAC Scaled Study Score. All students of a LOTE receive an
adjustment, but it is not a uniform adjustment. For VTAC Scaled Study Scores at
or close to the average, the adjustment is five, but the adjustment decreases
as the score moves away from the average. It is important to remember that the
additional points are added to the VTAC Scaled Study Score and therefore
contribute to the aggregate—they are not added directly to the ATAR. However,
because they increase the aggregate they therefore increase the ATAR
accordingly.
Let us examine two examples to demonstrate these rules in
action:
·
Say we want to calculate the scale for
specialist maths. The average study score for any subject, once standardised,
is 30. VTAC will collect all the students who studied specialist maths and
calculate the average study score of these specialist maths students across all
of their other studies, i.e. take the average raw study score after for all
subjects except specialist maths. Let’s assume this average comes to 42. That
means, on average, these students performed far better across their other
subjects (42) compared to specialist maths (30). That means specialist maths is
a might hard subject. The average study score for specialist maths is therefore
adjusted upward to 42.
·
Say we want to calculate the scale for
accounting. The average study score for any subject, once standardised, is 30.
VTAC will collect all the students who studied accounting and calculate the
average study score of these accounting students across all of their other
studies, i.e. take the average raw study score after for all subjects except
accounting. Let’s assume this average comes to 29. That means, on average,
these students performed slightly worse across their other subjects (29)
compared to accounting (30). That means accounting just a shade easier than
average. The average study score for accounting is therefore revised downward
to 29.
Conclusion
VCE is 50% hard work, 20% teaching and guidance, 20%
strategy and 10% blind luck! An understanding of ATAR calculation and study
score scaling is not, strictly speaking, an essential requirement for success
in VCE. However, one should easily appreciate the competitive edge that comes
with such an understanding which, when coupled with a fair assessment of the
student’s strengths and weaknesses, can help create strategic advantages
through informed subject selection.
Glossary
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
VCAA
|
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
An independent statutory body responsible for providing
high quality curriculum, assessment and reporting for all Victorian students
and learners.
|
|
VCAL
|
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning
A hands-on option for students in Years 11 and 12 that
provides practical work-related experience, as well as literacy and numeracy
skills and the opportunity to build personal skills that are important for
life and work.
|
|
VCE
|
Victorian Certificate of Education
A senior secondary certificate that provides pathways to
tertiary education, advanced certificate courses and the workforce.
|
|
VET
|
Vocational Education and Training
School programs undertaken by students as part of the
senior secondary certificate that provide credit towards a nationally
recognised VET qualification within the Australian Qualifications Framework.
|
|
VFE
|
VET or FE program
Programs offered outside the suite of VCAA approved
programs which offer Block Credit Recognition towards the VCE and
nominal-hour credit towards VCAL.
|
|
VTAC
|
Victorian Tertiary Admissions
The central office that administers the application
processes for places in tertiary courses, scholarships and the Special Entry
Access Scheme at universities, TAFEs and independent tertiary colleges in
Victoria (and a few outside Victoria)
|
