Senior Secondary Certificate of Education

The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) is the graduation certificate awarded to most students in Australian high schools, and is equivalent to the Advance Placement in North America and the GCE A-Levels of the United Kingdom. Students completing the SSCE are usually aged 16 to 18 and study full-time for two years (years 11 and 12 of schooling). In some states adults may gain the certificate through a Technical and Further Education college or other provider.

The curriculum, assessment and name of the SSCE is different in each state and territory. The government of each determines these themselves, although the curriculum must address mutually agreed national competencies.

State and territory SSCEs

State	SSCE title	Abbreviation
New South Wales[1]	Higher School Certificate Board Developed Course - ATAR Board Endorsed Course - Non-ATAR Content Endorsed Course - Non-ATAR Life Skills Course - Non-ATAR	HSC
Victoria[2]	Victorian Certificate of Education - ATAR Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning - Non-ATAR	VCE VCAL
Queensland[3][4][5]	Queensland Certificate of Education "Authority" Subjects - OP/ATAR "Authority-Registered" Subjects - Non-ATAR	QCE
South Australia	South Australian Certificate of Education	SACE
Western Australia	Western Australian Certificate of Education 2016 - present: "ATAR" and "General" Courses 2007 - 2015: Stage 2 and Stage 3 subjects (ATAR) 2007-2015: Preliminary and Stage 1 subjects (Non-ATAR)	WACE
Tasmania	Tasmanian Certificate of Education Level 3 - ATAR Level 1 and Level 2 subjects - Non-ATAR	TCE
Australian Capital Territory[6]	Australian Capital Territory Year 12 Certificate "T" and "H" course Subjects - ATAR "A","V","M',"C","E" and "R" course Subjects - Non-ATAR
Northern Territory	Northern Territory Certificate of Education	NTCE

Universities Australia generates a nationally standardised final score for each SSCE exam student called the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). Universities and other Higher Education providers typically use this mark as the main criterion in selecting domestic students. Most States and Territories in Australia uses the ATAR system with the exemption of Queensland. Queensland has its own ranking system called Overall Position (OP).

See also

References

1. NSW, Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards. "HSC – Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW". www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
2. "Victorian Certificate of Education Index". www.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
3. Project, c=AU; o=The State of Queensland; ou=Department of Education, Training and Employment; ou=QGOV. "Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) | Education and training". www.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
4. government, corporateName=Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority; jurisdiction=Queensland; address=Melbourne St, South Brisbane, Qld 4101; contact=[phone]; [email protected]; sector=. "Information about Authority subjects". Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
5. government, corporateName=Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority; jurisdiction=Queensland; address=Melbourne St, South Brisbane, Qld 4101; contact=[phone]; [email protected]; sector=. "Information about Authority-registered subjects". Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
6. "ACT Senior Secondary Certificate and Record of Achievement".