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About the SACE
Achieving the SACEThere 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. « Previous | Next » | Show All Literacy and numeracyThe SACE has compulsory literacy and numeracy requirements. Each student needs to earn 20 credits from a choice of Stage 1 or 2 English subjects or recognised courses. Likewise, each student must earn 10 credits from a range of Stage 1 or Stage 2 mathematics subjects or recognised courses. At Stage 1, the student must achieve a C grade or better to achieve their SACE. At Stage 2, the student must achieve a C- grade or better. SACE subjects in literacy where a minimum C grade will meet SACE requirements include:
SACE subjects in numeracy where a minimum C grade will meet SACE requirements include:
Board-recognised courses in literacy and numeracy, where the equivalent of ‘satisfactory achievement’ level will meet SACE requirements include:
The SACE Board has endorsed the Australian Core Skills Framework level 3 descriptions in reading, writing and numeracy as reference points for the SACE literacy and numeracy benchmarks. The SACE Board will moderate Stage 1 English and mathematics subjects to confirm each school’s use of the performance standards before students receive their final grades in the subject. « Previous | Next » | Show All SubjectsSubject requirementsThe SACE offers a wide choice of subjects and courses, along with a number of subjects that all students must complete as part of their SACE. To gain your SACE, you need to achieve a C grade or higher in the Stage 1 compulsory subjects, and a C- grade or higher in the Stage 2 compulsory subjects. These subjects are:
Other subjectsYou can design your SACE study to meet your needs – whether you want to go to university, study a trade, or get straight into the workforce after school. Apart from the compulsory SACE subjects, schools decide which subjects to offer. Your subject mix can also be influenced by prerequisites for particular university courses. The Personal Learning Plan subject, which most students do in Year 10, helps students make informed decisions about subject choices for Year 11 and Year 12. More information: The Subjects section of the website has descriptions of each SACE subject, past exam papers, and much more. « Previous | Next » | Show All Modified subjectsThe SACE offers a range of modified subjects so that students with identified intellectual disabilities can continue with their learning. Students can enrol in modified subjects if they have identified intellectual disabilities and will not be able to reach the performance standards in mainstream subjects. More information: « Previous | Next » | Show All VET & other coursesVET stands for Vocational Education and Training. In other words, VET is education and training that gives you skills and knowledge for work. VET operates through a national training system, particularly for the trades and other industry, and is certified by Registered Training Organisations, like TAFE. Apprenticeships and traineeships are jobs that combine work and structured training through a VET provider. More information:
« Previous | Next » | Show All Special provisions
What are special provisions?Achieving the SACE is based on your ability to show evidence of what you have learned during your studies. Special provisions are special arrangements in assessment for students who may be in a situation where an illness, impairment, learning difficulty or unforeseen incident has made this difficult. These special arrangements may include having someone else write for you if you have broken your arm, or enlarged print or Braille for students with vision impairment. Other students may have physical pain or a learning difficulty that means they need to take rest breaks or have extra time to write in an assessment task. Under what circumstances can I apply for special provisions?You can apply for special provisions if you have an illness or impairment that affects your ability to participate in an assessment task, for example a physical disability, vision or hearing impairment, a medical condition, a psychological illness, a learning disability experienced or an unforeseen incident beyond your control that prevents you from completing an assessment task or examination. This may include an accident, a family death, or an interruption during the examination. Can I apply for special provisions if English is my second language?If English is not your first language, you may be eligible to enrol in English as a Second Language subjects. These subjects are aimed at assisting with the English requirements of your other subjects. Special provisions can’t be used to overcome these difficulties. Can special provisions be granted if I go on a family holiday or on a sport trip?Special provisions can’t be used to compensate for work that you haven’t done due to matters of your own choosing, or for things that could have been avoided. Special provisions are available for students who are significantly impaired and could not otherwise demonstrate what they know. What kinds of special provisions are available?It depends on your circumstances. They might include a reduction in the number or length of assessment tasks, being allowed to use extra time to complete assignments or examinations, presenting work orally instead of written, being able to take rest periods during examinations, or using a word processor. In this way, you are still able to demonstrate what you’ve learnt. Who decides if I’m eligible?For school-assessed tasks in Stage 1 or Stage 2, your school decides if you are eligible for special provisions. You need to provide evidence of your impairment, learning difficulty, or unforeseen circumstance. Sometimes this includes information from independent professionals. For external assessments at Stage 2 such as examinations, investigations or performances where the SACE Board assesses your work, eligibility for special provisions is determined by the SACE Board. If my school has allowed me to use special provisions at Stage 1, will I automatically be approved for special provisions at Stage 2?Not necessarily. If you apply for special provisions for an external assessment at Stage 2, a SACE Board panel considers evidence provided by you and your school, as well as any evidence from independent sources such as medical or psychological reports. The SACE Board panel looks for evidence that your condition or situation significantly inhibits you from showing what you know, and how special provisions may assist. In some cases you might be asked to take a timed reading, writing, or spelling test so that the panel can determine the most appropriate special provisions arrangements for you. This sometimes means that suggestions for special arrangements that have been made by your doctor or health professional are not automatically approved, and may mean a change to the special provisions that you have previously been granted by your school. The panel always seeks to make a balanced decision to ensure that the assessment process is consistent and fair for everyone. How do I apply?You can apply for special provisions through your school. Speak to the SACE Coordinator at your school. When should I apply for Stage 2 special provisions?If you have a long-term impairment, you should apply for special provisions in Term 4 of Stage 1, or in Term 1 of Stage 2. If you are affected by a sudden illness or an unforeseen incident that impacts on an assessment task, you can apply for special provisions at any time – providing it’s before your assessment begins or before a task is due to be handed in. Can I appeal a decision?Yes. If you appeal you are expected to present new evidence to support your appeal. « Previous | Next » | Show All |
