South Australian Certificate of Education

Last updated

The South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) [1] is awarded to students who have successfully completed their senior secondary schooling in the state of South Australia.

Contents

The SACE Board of South Australia (formerly known as the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia, or SSABSA) administrates the certificate. The SACE Board of South Australia is an independent statutory authority of the South Australian Government accredited under ISO 9001:2008.

The SACE curriculum is also taught in Northern Territory secondary schools, where it is known as the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET). The South Australian Matriculation (SAM) certificate is a qualification based on the SACE curriculum which is administered by the SACE Board of South Australia and taught in some schools in Malaysia and China.

To receive the SACE, students must gain 200 credits from a range of subjects, usually over two years. Twenty credits is equal to a full year subject, while 10 credits is equal to a semester long subject. There are two stages: Stage 1, which most students do in Year 11, and Stage 2, which most students do in Year 12.

Students may attain a partial SACE certification by gaining the minimum number of credits, yet bypassing the ATAR system. This approach does not guarantee an entry to university, however, a student may gain admittance via alternative pathways such as first attending TAFE then transferring to university, or by sitting an entry exam.

Importance

Completion of the SACE is a general requirement to get into universities and colleges of technical and further education (TAFE colleges) in South Australia, nationally and internationally. The certificate also provides many study options for students who want to follow a different pathway into the workforce, such as undertaking apprenticeships while still at school. The SACE's Research Project has been suggested to be non compulsory in 2012 by Australian Education Union SA branch president Correna Haythorpe. [2]

How the SACE works

There are two stages of the SACE:

Each subject or course successfully completed earns ‘credits’ towards the SACE, with a minimum of 200 credits required for students to gain the certificate.

Students will receive a final grade from A to E for each Stage 1 subject and A+ to E− for Stage 2 subjects. For compulsory requirements, to gain their SACE they will need to achieve:

The compulsory requirements are:

The remaining 90 credits can be gained through additional Stage 1 or Stage 2 subjects or Board-recognised courses (such as VET or community learning) of a student’s choice.

Assessment

SACE studies are assessed both internally (in school) and externally. All top-tier stage 2 subjects have a 30% external assessment, which may be an exam, investigation or performance. [3] As well as the compulsory subjects, stage 2 school based assessments are centrally moderated to ensure fair and accurate results.

SACE and tertiary studies

SACE results are scaled and then used to calculate a University Aggregate, which is out of 90. This is then converted into an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), previously a Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) which universities within Australia use to select students who will be offered places in particular courses. A TAFE SA selection score is also calculated for entry into other further education courses. Full details of South Australian university and TAFE entry requirements for 2012 onwards are provided in ‘Australian Tertiary Admissions Booklet 2013, 2014, 2015’, published by the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre, the South Australian Government authority which processes applications for tertiary courses in South Australia and the Northern Territory. [4]

Awards

SACE results are announced in December each year. Governor of South Australia Commendations are awarded to people who receive merits in 90 Stage 2 credits (including Research Project) or achieved an A in 70 or more credits and displayed "Excellence in the development of one or more SACE capabilities". [5] Merits are awarded to students who receive an A+, and have displayed "exceptional achievement" (less than 2% of students taking a subject) in individual subjects in their Stage 2 SACE results. [6] Prizes are awarded to the top student in certain subjects, including:

Current usage

A number of countries utilize SACE (known as SACE International outside of Australia) as one of the pre-university qualifications.

Malaysia

SACE International offered in Malaysia is effectively an almost similar programme as Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT). The difference being their examination board and course structure. AUSMAT is administered by Western Australian Certificate of Education Board while SACE International is administered by South Australian Certificate of Education Board. As for the course structure, AUSMAT consists of 50% coursework and 50% examination, while SACE International consists of 70% coursework and 30% examination.

Some of the private universities offering AUSMAT / SACE International in Malaysia include: [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete senior high school level studies in New South Wales and some ACT schools in Australia, as well as some international schools in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. It was first introduced in 1967, with the last major revision coming into effect in 2019. It is currently developed and managed by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorian Certificate of Education</span> School qualification offered in Victoria, Australia

The Victorian Certificate of Education is one credential available to secondary school students who successfully complete year 11 and 12 in the Australian state of Victoria as well as in some international schools in China, Malaysia, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

An examination board is an organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes the results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twelfth grade</span> Twelfth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems

Twelfth grade is the twelfth year of formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final year of secondary school and K–12 in most parts of the world. Students in twelfth grade are usually 17–18 years old. Some countries have a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all.

The Universities Admission Index (UAI) was used in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, as the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs. It was a number between 0 and 100, occurring in increments of 0.05 and indicating the rounded percentile rank of a student who undertook the Higher School Certificate or ACT Year 12 Certificate with a valid quantity and combination of units of study. It was replaced in N.S.W with the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in 2009. Prior to the UAI the ACT used its own Tertiary Entrance Rank

University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Qualifications Framework</span> Educational standards organization

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) specifies the standards for educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government's Department of Industry, with oversight from the States and Territories, through the Standing Council of Tertiary Education Skills and Employment. While the AQF specifies the standards, education and training organisations are authorised by accrediting authorities to issue a qualification.

The Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) was a tertiary entrance score used in several Australian states, the ACT and the Northern Territory as a tool for selection to universities in Australia. As of 2010, it has been replaced by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank in all states and territories.

The Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) is the credential awarded to students who have completed senior secondary education in the state of Western Australia. It is the Western Australian graduation certificate of the Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Students are required to meet various breadth and depth requirements, achievement standards and literacy and numeracy standards across their final years of schooling. As of the 2020 WACE, there are 106 courses available for students to study. Many WACE students are awarded an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), summarising their results across all areas of study into one ranking for the purposes of university admission. Students may choose from ATAR courses, which count directly towards their ATAR, Vocational Education and Training courses, which are more practical courses and can lead to further vocational opportunities, and, from 2021, General courses, which provide pathways to university, employment, or further vocational education and training. From 2010, the WACE replaced the Tertiary Entrance Exam (TEE), as the standard academic examination for school leavers in Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor's College</span>

Taylor's College is an independent college in Malaysia, offering the Cambridge A Levels as well as the South Australian Certificate of Education. It is ranked among the top Cambridge A Level college in Southeast Asia.

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test in West Africa. Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education. It is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). It is only offered to candidates residing in Anglophone West African countries. The academic school-leaving qualification awarded upon successful completion of the exams is the West African Senior School Certificate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-level</span> British educational certification

The A-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational authorities of British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1951 to replace the Higher School Certificate. The A-level permits students to have potential access to a chosen university they applied to with UCAS points. They could be accepted into it should they meet the requirements of the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre</span>

The South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) is the administrative body that processes tertiary course applications for universities in South Australia and the Northern Territory, Australia. It is a member of the Australasian Conference of Tertiary Admission Centres (ACTAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Western Australia</span> Overview of the education in Western Australia

Education in Western Australia consists of public and private schools in the state of Western Australia, including public and private universities and TAFE colleges. Public school education is supervised by the Department of Education, which forms part of the Government of Western Australia. The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is an independent statutory authority responsible for developing a curriculum and associated standards in all schools, and for ensuring standards of student achievement, and for the assessment and certification according to those standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Victoria</span> Overview of the education in Victoria, Australia

Education in Victoria, Australia is supervised by the Department of Education and Training (DET), which is part of the State Government and whose role is to "provide policy and planning advice for the delivery of education". It acts as advisor to two state ministers, that for Education and for Children and Early Childhood Development.

The Senior External Examination is an annually held Queensland examination, serving as a pathway to tertiary study for students who have been away from studies for a long period of time, who left school before attaining their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or had performed poor in their studies and need to improve their selection rank for university. In addition, high-school students can follow the examination to partake in subjects not offered by their schools, but they will usually have to find private tuition. Senior External Examination is recognized by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) and the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) who together govern high-school subjects and tertiary admission for Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eynesbury Senior College</span> Independent senior high school in Australia

Eynesbury Senior College was an independent co-educational senior high school located on Franklin Street in the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The college comprised a modern, five-storey, multi-function complex and caters for Year 10, 11 and 12 students.

A high school diploma is a diploma awarded upon graduation of high school. A high school diploma is awarded after completion of courses of studies lasting four years, typically from grade 9 to grade 12. It is the school leaving qualification in the United States and Canada.

References

  1. "Home - South Australian Certificate of Education".
  2. "On with research project, minister says". adelaidenow. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  3. "Stage 2 External Assessment and examinations". South Australian Certificate of Education Board. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  4. "Tertiary Entrance Booklet 2013, 2014, 2015". South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre. July 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  5. "Governor of South Australia Commendations". South Australian Certificate of Education Board. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  6. "Merit Policy and Procedure". South Australian Certificate of Education Board. 2013. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  7. "AUSMAT / SACE International in Malaysia". sace.sa.edu.au. Retrieved 11 November 2016.