| Term | Definition |
|---|
| accreditation period | The period during which a course or certificate is accredited. |
| accredited course | A course that leads to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification or Statement of Attainment that is nationally recognised. The accredited course has been endorsed by either a state or national authority responsible for accrediting courses against agreed principles of accreditation. In Victoria, the statutory authority is the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).
The VPC is an accredited foundation secondary qualification under the Education and Training Act 2006 and aligned to Level 1 in the AQF. |
| applications | A set of skills students must demonstrate to satisfactorily complete the module. |
| assessing school | The school responsible for providing the assessment (through VASS) for one or more units for a student. The assessing school is usually, but not always, the home school. A student may have more than one assessing school. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) | The national framework for all qualifications in post-compulsory education and training. |
| Department of Education (DE) | The Victorian Government department that administers school education, apprenticeships and traineeships. |
| foundation secondary provider | A provider registered by the VRQA to deliver a foundation secondary qualification. |
| foundation secondary qualification | An accredited foundation secondary qualification aligned to Level 1 in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). |
| General Achievement Test (GAT) | A test of literacy and numeracy skills, as well as knowledge and skills in mathematics, science and technology, and the arts and humanities.
The GAT has two sections. Section A assesses literacy and numeracy skills. Section B assesses skills in mathematics, science, technology, the arts and humanities, with an increased focus on critical and creative thinking skills.
If a student is enrolled in the VPC, the following rules for sitting the GAT apply:
- students who are enrolled in one or more VCE Vocational Major Unit 3–4 sequences are required to sit Section A
- students who are enrolled in one or more scored VCE VET Unit 3–4 sequences must sit Sections A and B.
The VCAA uses GAT results to check VCE external assessments and School-based Assessments have been accurately and fairly assessed. |
| home school | Refers to the main school of the student. Only the home school may enter and change a student’s personal details through VASS. A student can have only one home school at a time. The home school is usually, but not always, the assessing school. |
| learning goal | What students are expected to know and be able to do by the time they have completed a module. |
| learning program | Curriculum selected for delivery by the school to meet each student’s interest and abilities and to meet minimum course requirements. |
| module | A distinct component of the VPC curriculum, comprising specified learning goal(s) and applications that students must demonstrate to complete the module. |
| nominal hours | The scheduled hours required for delivering and assessing units. |
| not yet complete (N) | In the VPC, N means not yet complete and is used when a student has not met all modules in the unit. VPC units with an N result are not reported on a student’s Statement of Results. |
| registered training organisation (RTO) | Approved by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) or Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to deliver and issue VET qualifications. |
| satisfactory (S) | Certifies that a student has achieved the modules for the unit. A VPC unit can only be satisfactorily completed once all modules within that unit have been completed. If a student does not complete a module, they will receive an N for the unit (not yet complete). |
| School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) | An apprenticeship or traineeship undertaken in the VCE, VCE Vocational Major or VPC, with at least one day a week spent on the job or in training during the normal school week. |
| Statement of Results | A set of documents that states a student’s VPC results, and whether the relevant certificate has been awarded. |
| structured workplace learning for VET(SWL) | On-the-job training that allows VET students to develop their work skills and understand employer expectations. |
| studies | The subjects available in the VCE, VCE Vocational Major and VPC. |
| units | Each VPC unit requires 100 nominal hours, of which 50 hours need to be scheduled classroom instruction. A unit includes modules, learning goal(s) and applications. Students must satisfactorily complete all modules to achieve an S for the unit. |
| VCE VET | Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificates developed into full programs of study within the VCE and contributing to satisfactory completion of the VCE under the same recognition arrangements as for VCE studies. |
| VCE Vocational Major | A program of study within the VCE that is specified on the certificate issued to recognise the completion of the VCE – an accredited senior secondary school qualification. |
| Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS) | The internet-based system used by schools to register students and enter VCE, VCE Vocational Major and VPC enrolments and results directly on to VCAA’s central database. |
| Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) | A previously accredited senior secondary school qualification undertaken by students in Years 11 and 12. VCAL has been replaced by the VPC and the VCE Vocational Major. |
| Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) | An accredited senior secondary school qualification. |
| Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) | An accredited course connected to Years 11 and 12 that leads to a foundation secondary qualification. The VPC is a non-AQF qualification and is not a senior secondary course. |
| Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) | Victoria’s education and training regulator. Government and non-government schools and other organisations that wish to offer the VCE and/or VPC must be registered with the VRQA and authorised by the VCAA. |
| Vocational Education and Training (VET) | Nationally recognised vocational certificates. These certificates may be integrated within a VCE or VPC program. |