Online Preparation for WACE, SACE & More
One-to-one tutoring for the senior certificates outside the eastern seaboard: the WACE in Western Australia, SACE in South Australia, the TCE in Tasmania, the NTCET in the Northern Territory and the ACT senior secondary certificate in Canberra.
Each state runs its own senior certificate, with the ATAR built from final exams and school assessment.
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Five Certificates, Five Sets of Rules
These jurisdictions are frequently treated as an afterthought behind the HSC, VCE and QCE. They are not variations on those systems, and preparation has to follow the certificate your child is actually enrolled in.
WACE
Western Australia · SCSA
- ATAR course examinations
- General and Foundation courses
- OLNA literacy and numeracy standard
SACE
South Australia · SACE Board
- Stage 1 and Stage 2 subjects
- Compulsory capability subjects
- Credit-based completion
TCE
Tasmania · TASC
- Level 3 and 4 TASC courses
- Everyday adult standards
- External assessment components
NTCET
Northern Territory
- Delivered under SACE arrangements
- Literacy and numeracy credit rules
- Stage 2 credit requirements
ACT Senior Secondary
Canberra · BSSS
- Course-based unit scores
- ACT Scaling Test preparation
- Tertiary and accredited packages
What These Certificates Have in Common
Three features distinguish them from the eastern states, and each changes how a family should plan.
Completion Rules Come First
These certificates are credit or unit based. Before any mark matters, a student has to satisfy completion requirements, and students occasionally fall short on a technicality rather than on ability.
Separate Literacy and Numeracy Gates
Western Australia and the Northern Territory both attach standalone literacy and numeracy conditions to the certificate. Passing your subjects does not automatically satisfy them.
Different Routes to an ATAR
An ATAR is produced differently in each of these jurisdictions. The ACT scales through an aptitude test; Western Australia runs course examinations; South Australia and the Territory work through SATAC.
The Requirements Behind the Marks
In these systems a student can perform respectably in every subject and still not be awarded the certificate, because completion depends on structural conditions as well as results. Knowing those conditions early prevents a nasty surprise in Year 12.
WACE completion
A minimum number of units across Years 11 and 12, which may include VET and endorsed programs
WACE literacy & numeracy
Met by pre-qualifying through Year 9 NAPLAN, or by passing the OLNA components
OLNA attempts
Sat across Years 10, 11 and 12, with multiple opportunities each year
SACE and NTCET
Credit-based, with compulsory literacy and numeracy credits and required Stage 2 credits
Satisfactory achievement
Defined by grade thresholds that differ between Stage 1 and Stage 2
ACT ATAR
Course scores moderated using the ACT Scaling Test, which assesses aptitude rather than syllabus content
Requirements are set by SCSA, the SACE Board, TASC and the ACT BSSS and are revised periodically. Confirm the rules that apply to your child's cohort with their school.
Four Years, Not One
Certificate requirements start accumulating well before Year 12, and in Western Australia the clock effectively starts in Year 9.
Year 9
NAPLAN results can pre-qualify a Western Australian student against the WACE literacy and numeracy standard, removing the need to sit the corresponding OLNA component later.
Year 10
Subject selection for the senior years, and the first OLNA opportunities in WA. In South Australia and the Territory, Stage 1 planning begins.
Year 11
Stage 1 in SACE and NTCET, Year 11 units in WA and Tasmania. Further OLNA sittings for any component not yet met.
Year 12
Stage 2 subjects, ATAR course examinations in WA, the ACT Scaling Test in Canberra, and final credit checks everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What families in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory ask us most often.
Check the requirements before Year 12 does it for you
Book a free assessment lesson. We will confirm which certificate rules apply to your child, whether any literacy or numeracy condition is still outstanding, and where tutoring would make the most difference.
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