An overview of VCE VET scored assessment
Major recommendations of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Review in 1997 concerned the enhancement of the status of Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs within the VCE and exploration of ways in which students could be granted full recognition for their achievements in VET programs within the VCE.
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) established a project to develop VET programs, place them in the VCE Unit 1–4 structure, identify Unit 3–4 sequences in the programs and introduce scored assessment for selected programs. The aim of the project was to provide a means of granting equal recognition of student achievement in VCE VET programs with recognition of achievement in other VCE studies. As a result the number of scored programs increased but the structure of scored assessment operated unchanged.
In 2017 the VCAA commenced a review of the appropriateness and quality of VET programs delivered to secondary students in Victoria. The multifaceted review included reviewing the VCE VET scored assessment process.
This review of VCE VET scored assessment was the first significant review since the inception of VCE VET study scores.
The review was comprehensive and included:
- seeking VET trainer feedback via a series of VCE VET scored assessment workshops conducted by the VCAA in 2017–2018
- consulting with state reviewers of VCE VET programs
- undertaking a deep analysis of the feedback
- identifying components of the scored assessment process for improvement
- reviewing the impact on scored assessment of changes to ways in which units of competency were being written, specifically through the inclusion of performance evidence in all units
- integrating the improved components into a redesigned VCE VET scored assessment process
- developing a VCE VET Assessment Toolbox to support teachers developing coursework tasks for scored assessment
- endorsement of the redesigned VCE VET scored assessment process and updated rules by the VCAA Senior Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Committee (SSCAC) for a pilot program and subsequently for implementation from January 2020.
The following VCE VET programs offer a study score at Units 3 and 4:
For general advice about VCE VET programs, including the structure of the scored Unit 3–4 sequences, see the program booklets available on the relevant
VCE VET programs webpages.
VCE VET programs are drawn from national training packages and accredited Victorian courses and are constantly being developed or revised in line with changes to these. Schools are advised to refer to the
VCAA Bulletin or the
VCE VET programs webpages.
The VCAA is responsible for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). VCE VET programs provide credit towards the VCE, typically for Units 1–4, although some programs provide credit only at Unit 1 and 2 or Unit 3 and 4 levels.
VCE VET units contribute towards satisfactory completion of the VCE only if no significant duplication exists between a VCE VET program and any VCE studies or other VCE VET programs that a student is enrolled in. If there is significant duplication, students may enrol in the VCE VET program, VCE studies or other VCE VET programs identified, but a reduction in credit towards the VCE will apply.
Additionally, a student may not be enrolled simultaneously in the VCE VET (VE1) and a School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) version of the same VET qualification.
Schools should refer to individual
VCE VET program booklets for further information on duplication between VCE VET programs and VCE studies or other VCE VET programs.
A study score is a ranking that shows how well a student performed in a study (subject) at Unit 3 and 4 level compared to everyone else who enrolled in the same study that year. Study scores are calculated by the VCAA and are used by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) to calculate the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). The study score is calculated using assessments of the student’s levels of performance.
Judgments about each student’s levels of performance are based on evidence from two sources:
- coursework – a set of three coursework tasks students undertake during their training program, assessed by teachers of the program
- examination – a task taken under examination conditions and assessed by a panel of assessors appointed by the VCAA.
For VCE VET scored programs (except Dance and Music Performance), the coursework tasks will contribute 66% and the examination will contribute 34% to the student’s final study score. For VCE VET Dance and VCE VET Music Industry (Music Performance) the three coursework tasks and the examination will each contribute 50% to the student’s final study score. The coursework tasks and examination will be reported on the student’s statement of results as letter grades.
Levels of performance in graded assessments are reported as A+ to E, UG (ungraded) and NA (not assessed).
Using these two sources of information, a study score is calculated via procedures like those used for other VCE studies, including the same statistical moderation procedures. The statistically moderated study score is reported as a single number out of the maximum study score of 50.
Each year, and for every study, the mean study score is set at 30. Study scores are scaled up or down by VTAC, according to the performance of students in a study in a particular year.
A study score is subject to satisfactory completion of a Unit 3–4 sequence. A student who is not assessed as competent in all units of competency in the selected program will not be eligible to receive a study score.
Consistent with other VCE studies, a study score for the scored Unit 3–4 sequence is the only means by which VCE VET scored programs will contribute to the ATAR.
Students may choose not to avail themselves of scored assessment for their VCE VET study. Where a student is undertaking a scored Unit 3–4 sequence and elects not to receive a study score, no contribution to the ATAR will be available for that sequence.
In some programs additional training is available that may provide students with an additional Unit 3–4 sequence that is not scored and may contribute to the ATAR. Please refer to individual
VCE VET program booklets for more information.
Statistical moderation is a process applied to the scores awarded by teachers for School-based Assessments.
As for all VCE studies with coursework components, VCE VET coursework scores are subject to statistical moderation, using the common external examination as the moderating tool. The purpose of statistical moderation is to ensure comparability between assessments from different assessing groups, while maintaining the students’ rank order as determined by the assessing group.
For VCE VET programs, a moderation group is defined as the cohort of students in a specific VCE VET program who are identified in the same assessing group by their home school. Activities to ensure comparability of assessments within the moderation group should include all assessors of students within the group. Where an assessing group is not identified the default used for statistical moderation of VCE VET programs is the RTO.
For more information, see
statistical moderation.
An assessing group can be a cohort of students who are enrolled in the same program in:
- a home school – where the VET curriculum and scored assessment is delivered at the school
- a cluster group – where a VET cluster agreement exists between schools whereby students attend another school for the delivery and administration of VET curriculum and scored assessment or where schools have fewer than five enrolments
- an RTO – where students attend a TAFE or an RTO for delivery of VET curriculum and scored assessment.
Schools with fewer than five students in a VCE VET scored program must form a small group partnership with another school for statistical moderation of School-based Assessments.
For VCE VET scored programs, the statement of results displays:
- GA1 – the student’s coursework score
- GA2 – the student’s examination grade.
In order to have a coursework score reported on the statement of results, a student must achieve a minimum score of 5 for any one of the three coursework tasks.
The ATAR is a rank designed specifically to assist some tertiary institutions in their selection of applicants for some courses. Students wishing to obtain an ATAR need to have at least four study scores, one of which must be from the English group.
A VCE VET study score may be counted as one of the student’s best four studies (the ‘primary four’) or counted as a fifth or sixth study increment if it is not one of the student’s three highest scores other than for an English study.
A student’s ATAR is calculated by VTAC based on the student’s study scores (after VTAC’s scaling process has been applied) and is presented as a ranking between 0.00 and 99.95. For an explanation of how the ATAR is calculated, see ‘The ATAR explained’ on the
VTAC website.
The study scores for VCE VET programs are scaled by VTAC using the same procedures as applied to all other VCE studies.
VCAA VCE VET scored assessment process
The VCAA VCE VET scored assessment process has been developed to guide teachers through the steps involved in designing best practice scored assessment tasks.
The eight steps of the process are clearly outlined throughout this section, including the key aspects of each step and other relevant information for teachers:
The VCE VET programs pages on the VCAA website provide resources to support teachers in developing an assessment plan, including program booklets, a blank assessment plan template and sample assessment plans, VCE VET scoring criteria sheets and assessment templates and frameworks for each task type.
Identify the units of competency for your VCE VET scored Unit 3–4 sequence in the program booklet. The program booklet can be accessed on the relevant
VCE VET program webpage.
Units of competency can be downloaded from
Training.gov.au or from the state-accredited curriculum document.
Make an initial grouping of units of competency based on how compatible they are in terms of delivery and capacity to be assessed by a similar assessment method or where skills and knowledge overlap or complement each other. For example, if there are two units of competency that could be assessed by making a product, these might be initially grouped together.
The aim is to divide the units of competency into three groups with a reasonable balance of nominal hours across the groups.
Check the weighting rules for the maximum nominal hours for a single task in a student’s VCE VET Units 3 and 4 program.
Refer to the VCE VET Scored Assessment Task Type Overview and look at the descriptions of each task type and the evidence for submission. From the four available task types (Work Performance, Product, Industry Project and Portfolio), choose the one that best fits each of the three groups of units of competency you have identified.
The chosen task type must allow for collection of evidence as per the assessment requirements in order for students to demonstrate competence.
Follow the task selection rules and task weighting rules.
Task selection rules
- Three assessment tasks must be selected for the Unit 3–4 sequence.
- At least two different task types must be selected.
- The coursework tasks must cover all the units of competency in the Unit 3–4 sequence.
- A coursework task may cover more than one unit of competency, as long as the maximum combined total hours for a task is not exceeded.
- Each unit of competency must be assigned to one of the three tasks.
- A unit of competency cannot be assigned to more than one coursework task and the assessment of the unit of competency may not be split between tasks.
- A coursework task must cover all assessment requirements in the unit of competency.
- Coursework tasks require separate evidence. The same assessment activity may not be used for more than one coursework task.
Task weighting rules
The maximum weighting for any task is 55% of the total of the nominal hours of the scored Unit 3–4 sequence.
Units of competency should be spread as evenly as possible between the three tasks. The VCAA has determined the maximum combined total hours for a single assessment task. Typically, the maximum hours for a single assessment task would not be larger than 50% of the total hours of the scored Unit 3–4 sequence.
For weightings of tasks in individual VCE VET scored Unit 3–4 sequences, refer to the notes section in the VCE VET assessment plan template on the relevant
VCE VET program webpage.
Considering the VCAA scoring criteria for the task type selected will enable you to develop a task that covers the assessment of the unit(s) of competency and make a judgment on the level of performance against the scoring criteria.
Consider how the evidence required by the unit(s) of competency links to the VCAA scoring criteria and performance descriptors for that task type.
If you cannot imagine a student achieving a rating of 5 on any of the criteria, it may not be the appropriate task type. Try to identify the task type that will allow for high achievement, even though not all students are expected to attain this level.
Table 1: VCAA scoring criteria for the four task types
|
Work performance |
Product |
Industry Project |
Portfolio |
|---|
| Application of underpinning knowledge | Application of underpinning knowledge | Application of underpinning knowledge | Application of underpinning knowledge |
| Communication, language and interpersonal skills | Planning, organisation and implementation | Expressing ideas and information | Planning and organisation |
| Techniques and processes | Problem solving | Planning, organisation and implementation | Expressing ideas and information |
| Work organisation | Evaluation of product against plan or intended outcome | Collecting and analysing ideas and information | Content |
| Supervision and performance of work tasks | Techniques and processes | Coherence and coverage | Independence |
An assessment plan for every student undertaking scored assessment has to be entered on VASS by the home school. A single plan may be used for a group of students.
The assessment plan can be created by the teacher or may be provided by the RTO.
Assessment plan templates and sample assessment plans for the current year are available on each
VCE VET program webpage and as a download on this page.
In your assessment plans, use ticks to indicate the task to which each unit of competency has been assigned.
If you are not able to develop an assessment plan, assistance is available from the VCAA and the state reviewer for the relevant VCE VET program.
State reviewer contact details can be found on the relevant
VCE VET program webpage. For assistance from the VCAA, contact the VET unit:
vet.vcaa@education.vic.gov.au .
Check:
- each unit of competency in the Unit 3–4 sequence is assigned to a task
- the plan relates to all units of competency undertaken as part of the VCE VET Units 3 and 4 scored sequence
- the plan contains three tasks with hours spread as evenly as possible
- you have referred to the relevant VCAA assessment plan templates and sample assessment plans.
When designing assessment activities for your coursework tasks, make sure you analyse and ‘unpack’ all aspects of the unit of competency including:
- elements and performance criteria
- foundation skills
- performance evidence and knowledge evidence
- assessment conditions.
For example, ‘unpack’:
- elements and performance criteria such as ‘Communicate instructions …’, ‘Observe and assess participant progress ...’ and ‘Monitor program participation and safety …’ by incorporating these into an observation checklist
- foundation skills such as ‘Reading skills to: Interpret sometimes complex budget information’ by including an activity where students are required to read and interpret budget information
- performance evidence such as ‘plan, conduct and adjust at least 10 sport, fitness or recreation programs …’ by including assessment instructions that allow for the task to be performed at least 10 times.
Assessment templates are available on the
VCE VET program webpages and as
downloads on this page.
When assessing a unit of competency, you are required to assess the whole unit. This includes any foundation skills that are either listed specifically or are explicit in the performance criteria.
Foundation skills do not have to be assessed separately but they should be mapped to your assessment tasks in order to ensure they are all being assessed.
Units of competency can include the five core skills in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), plus ‘employability skills’ or skills from the Core Skills for Work Developmental Framework, such as:
- reading skills
- writing skills
- oral communication skills
- numeracy skills
- learning skills
- problem-solving skills
- initiative and enterprise skills (such as ‘Navigate the world of work’)
- teamwork skills (such as ‘Interact with others’)
- planning and organising skills
- self-management skills (such as ‘Get the work done’)
- technology skills.
The
Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) provides detailed foundation skills information in the standards for training packages.
ASQA has also produced a list of
‘trigger words’ to help identify foundation skills in units and assessment requirements.
Mapping assessment activities to the unit(s) of competency is vital as it ensures that assessments:
- comply with the assessment requirements of the relevant training package or state-accredited course
- are conducted in accordance with the principles of assessment (fair, flexible, valid, reliable)
- do not over-assess or assess skills not required by the unit.
When developing assessment activities, it is good practice and more engaging for students if you provide a real-life work context for the activity that they are going to complete.
Important things to remember when contextualising are:
- do not add or take away any parts of the unit(s) of competency or the assessment requirements
- you can add specific industry terminology as long as it does not alter the competency outcomes
- you can rephrase parts of the unit to reflect how the unit would be put into practice; for example, a performance criterion that says ‘… following relevant organisational policies and procedures’ could be contextualised as ‘… following the XYZ Corporation’s Privacy Policy and SOP …’
- if the unit of competency mentions ‘location’ you can use the exact location, for example ‘ABC Restaurant’.
Table 2: Examples of real-life work contexts in assessment activity instructions
|
VCE VET Program |
Example |
|---|
| Hospitality | As an employee of Phil’s Restaurant, you are required to produce non-alcoholic drinks and espresso coffees from the restaurant’s drinks menu. The menu contains 10 espresso coffees, hot chocolate and Vienna coffee, a variety of teas (both loose leaf and tea bags), four mocktails and a variety of soft drinks and juices. It is your responsibility to prepare and serve drinks in Phil’s Restaurant. The restaurant holds small private functions that require a coffee and tea station for groups of 10–15 pax, which will need to be set up from a buffet table … |
| Furnishing | You have been employed at The Furniture Emporium to produce custom furniture for clients. A client has requested a custom, handcrafted hall table with a drawer. The customer’s specifications include: - hardwood – using timber joints
- drawer with a handle
- minimum size – 900 mm high × 300 mm × 720 mm.
The client has supplied pictures as examples of the type of cabinet they would like. Your boss has asked you to complete a plan and submit for his approval prior to commencing the manufacture of the hall table |
| Creative and Digital Media | As an employee of a youth travel company, Gotta Go Global, you have been asked to produce a five-page website and the associated written content. The client will supply the visual design components, such as images, but expects you to design and construct a user-friendly website that meets the needs of their clients. Some written content will be supplied for you to repurpose, but other written content will need to be produced by you, following the principles of writing and communication. The written content needs to be presented/laid out in a way that maximises readability for target users. |
Assessment activities in coursework tasks should include clear, easy-to-understand instructions that provide information on the following:
- assessment method
- includes whether it is an observation, a knowledge test, a practical task, written questions, a visual display, a role-play, a presentation, a product, a logbook, etc.; for example, ‘Observation – students will be observed by the assessor when applying knowledge and skills relating to using tools, chemicals and equipment for the safe and efficient cleaning and maintenance of work areas’
- assessment task description
- provides a brief explanation of the different assessment activities that make up the assessment task
- assessment time frame
- for example, ‘Students will have 60 minutes to answer all questions’ or ‘Students will be observed for 15 minutes throughout the service period’
- assessment conditions
- for example, ‘Assessment will take place in the restaurant/workshop …’ or ‘Students require access to the required equipment/technology/materials/specifications/briefs/physical conditions’
- presentation of assessment
- for example, ‘Students are required to present the journal using subheadings, upload all tasks onto X Drive, submit a USB, list resources and acknowledge information sources …’
- word length or presentation time
- for example, ‘Written report (2000 words max.)’ or ‘Oral report/audiovisual or video presentation (15 minutes max.)’
- general instructions for answering questions
- for example, ‘Answer the question in the space provided on the paper, in 50–100 words’
For further information on developing quality assessments see
ASQA’s ‘Guide to developing assessment tools’.
Teachers are responsible for both the assessment of competence and the judgments of levels of performance for the purposes of developing a coursework score.
The assessment activities included in the coursework tasks for a Units 3 and 4 sequence should be designed to allow both:
- an assessment of the achievement of competence
- a judgment of the student’s level of performance.
Competency-based assessment is the process of reviewing performance, and then forming a judgment about a person’s competence and their ability to consistently perform work activities as expected in the workplace. A student is either competent or not yet competent.
The assessment of the student’s level of performance on the coursework tasks completed during the Unit 3–4 sequence does not replace this competency-based assessment – it should be integrated with the usual assessment process through the coursework tasks.
It is good practice to provide students with clear information about how to achieve a ‘5’ for each of the scoring criteria by completing the ‘Requirements for high-scoring students’ table for the task type that you are using. This table can be found in the relevant assessment template.
The information you add should specifically relate to your assessment activities and the levels of performance that are required to achieve a ‘5’ for each criterion.
This contextualised scoring criteria should not replace the VCAA generic performance descriptors but should allow teachers to judge levels of performance within a specific context. Contextualised criteria should be considered when you are planning so that the VCAA performance descriptors are clearly evident in the assessment tasks that you design.
Explain the assessments to students and provide information and instructions about completing the tasks.
All work submitted for assessment must be the student’s own work. The following rules apply to all VCE students, including those enrolled in VCE VET programs, when preparing work for scored assessment:
- Students must ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for coursework is genuinely their own.
- Students must acknowledge all resources used. This will include text and source material, the name and status of the person who provided assistance and the type of assistance provided in the preparation and submission of work.
- Students must not receive undue assistance from any person.
Acceptable levels of assistance include:
- the incorporation of ideas or material derived from other sources (for example by reading, viewing or note taking) but which has been transformed by the student and used in a new context prompting general advice from another person or source, and which leads to refinements and/or self-correction.
Unacceptable forms of assistance include:
- use of, or copying of, another person’s work or other resources without acknowledgment
- actual corrections or improvements made or dictated by another person.
- Students must not submit the same piece of work for scored assessment of more than one task.
- Students who knowingly assist another student in a breach of rules may be penalised.
- Students must sign a Declaration of Authenticity when submitting the completed task. The declaration states that all unacknowledged work is the student’s own.
An assessment coversheet with the declaration of authenticity signed by the student should be attached to each coursework when it is submitted. Schools and RTOs may have their own version of an assessment coversheet.
A sample assessment coversheet is available as a download on this page.
Organise the time and resources required for the assessment. Consider task deadlines, possible late submission or re-submission, possible Special Provision and extensions required, and possible lost, stolen or damaged work.
Task deadlines
The assessor is responsible for setting assessment task completion dates. In doing so the assessor should take into account the way these dates will affect the workload of students and teachers/assessors. Deadlines should be set in such a way as to maximise student opportunities for assessment readiness and achievement. In setting deadlines, allowance should be made for the time needed to:
- assess student work
- meet any requirements to do with structured workplace learning or workplace arrangements
- forward the results to the VCAA.
Late submission
A list of approximate completion dates for each assessment task should be provided to students early in the program and deadlines for final submission of tasks should be advised as early as possible. If an assessment task is not submitted by the deadline, the assessor may record ‘NA’ for that task, and the task will make no contribution to the student’s coursework score.
Resubmission
Flexibility in conducting assessments is an important feature of the process. Students who have been assessed ‘not yet competent’ for a unit or units of competency may be allowed to resubmit a task in an additional assessment event.
A student who did not submit an assessment task for scored assessment satisfying at least one of the five criteria study score purposes and who later successfully resubmits the task to demonstrate competence can only be awarded the minimum coursework score (5) recorded for that task.
Resubmitted work cannot result in an altered score. Students who have submitted a satisfactory task for study score purposes are not allowed to resubmit work in order to achieve a higher score.
Special Provision and extensions
Assessors are authorised to apply Special Provision in circumstances where students have legitimate grounds through illness or other special circumstances for not submitting work required for assessments at the appropriate time. For example, a student may be given an extension of time.
The assessor can grant extensions of time for the completion of coursework assessment tasks. The conditions under which an extension of time may be granted should be common to all students undertaking the program with the assessing group and be given in writing to all students.
The procedures should include information about the:
- formal process for applying for an extension of time
- rules of eligibility
- maximum period for an extension
- conditions under which the extension will be allowed.
An extension of time must not exceed the deadlines for the reporting of results to the VCAA.
For further information, refer to the
VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook.
Lost, stolen or damaged work
The assessor or student who has lost work, or who has had work stolen or damaged, must make a written statement of the circumstances. The statement must be signed and dated. RTOs and schools must keep a record of the loss or damage but should not report it to the VCAA. Based on the available evidence, the assessor will determine the score for the task.
After conducting the assessments and collecting evidence for each of the three assessment tasks:
- make a judgment as to whether the student has achieved a satisfactory result for the required unit(s) of competency. Students need to be assessed as competent in all the units of competency covered by the coursework task before being eligible to receive a score for the task
- record the initial judgment of level of performance.
Assessment of the student’s level of performance on each coursework task is based on the scoring criteria for the task type. Each criterion has a set of descriptors and a numerical rating scale of 1–5.
Table 4: Scoring criteria scale
On this scale, 1 represents ‘competent’ performance, 3 is a ‘proficient’ level of performance, and 5 is an ‘advanced’ level of performance. The midpoints 2 and 4 are available for levels of achievement that lie in between these descriptors.
A score must be provided for each criterion.
The minimum coursework score is 5, with a minimum of 1 for each of the five scoring criteria.
The maximum possible score for a task is 25.
Scoring criteria sheets for each of the task types are available as a download on this page. They are also included in the assessment templates for task types on the relevant
VCE VET program webpages.
Feedback to students on their performance on each task should include information about whether they have been assessed as being competent in the units of competency specified. Feedback may include comments in terms of the criteria used to judge the level of performance.
Teachers should use discretion regarding providing students with their coursework task scores as these scores are subject to adjustment for task weighting and statistical moderation. If these scores are released, students should be advised that it is not possible to predict the final coursework score or study score from the coursework task scores.
A student’s overall coursework score will be calculated from the scores entered for each of the three coursework tasks. These scores are reported to the VCAA as three separate scores in the available range 5–25.
Schools are required to enter the three task scores for each student by mid-November each year. Schools and RTOs should consult
Important Administrative Dates.
Schools will need to ensure that assessing groups and RTO partners are aware of the final deadline and may set an earlier date to allow time for VASS data entry.
- Complete a scoring criteria sheet, available as a download on this page, with the teacher’s final judgment of the level of performance for each of the three coursework tasks.
Note, if the student has not achieved the required unit(s) of competency they will not be eligible to receive a score for the task.
- Transfer the student scores to the VET Task Score input sheet on VASS or the appropriate VET coursework assessment record (VCAR; available as a
download on this page).
Note, if a student does not intend to sit the external examination but has an assessment plan, then NA must be entered on VASS.
- Provide the completed input sheet or VCARs to the school for entry of scores via VASS.
- Retain a copy for your own records.
Assessment tasks should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the assessment activities:
- cover the unit(s) of competency as identified by the VCAA (refer to the relevant VCE VET program booklet) as units are updated from time to time
- reflect current industry practice and expectations
- are continually improved and reflect feedback gathered through trial and assessment validation.
To stay up to date teachers should subscribe to relevant industry newsletters and regularly check the relevant Skills Service Organisations websites and
Training.gov.au. Training.gov.au has an automated feature that allows you to choose to receive notifications when a training package, qualification or unit is updated on the website.
The Quality Assurance Checklist for VCE VET Scored Assessment Tasks available in the
downloads on this page assists in the design of quality assessment tasks that meet the VCAA’s scored assessment guidelines. Use the checklist to review your assessment tasks.
Quality assurance
The VCAA will audit scored coursework assessments in a number of schools/assessing groups each year. The audit will include sampling of the coursework tasks to determine whether the VCAA requirements, outlined in this assessment guide, have been followed.
The VCAA appoints a state reviewer for each VCE VET scored program. The state reviewer’s role is to:
- provide feedback and advice to assessors on task design and conduct of assessments
- conduct professional development activities for teachers/assessors, as organised by the VCAA
- conduct auditing of assessments as directed by the VCAA.
Current state reviewer contact details are available on the relevant
VCE VET program webpages.
The VCAA runs a series of scored assessment workshops in March each year. These workshops provide professional development for teachers of scored VCE VET programs and include a session with the VCE VET program state reviewer and access to sample coursework tasks.
Scored assessment workshop details and registration information are available on the
VET Professional Learning webpage.
Examinations
Students will undertake an externally set and assessed examination during the end-of-year examination period. The examination is based on the compulsory units of competency in their VCE VET scored Unit 3–4 sequence.
The examination focuses on the underpinning knowledge and understanding of the skills identified in the relevant competency standards. The level of information contained in this component of the competency standards can vary significantly. Where the information is limited, advice is obtained from subject/technical and industry experts on appropriate underpinning knowledge and skills.
For VCE VET scored programs, except Dance and Music Industry (Music Performance), the score for the examination will contribute 34% to the final study score. For VCE VET Dance and Music Industry (Music Performance), the score for the examination will contribute 50% to the final study score.
A study score will only be calculated when a student receives a score for the examination. The result for the examination will be reported as a letter grade.
Specific details on the examination specifications for each of the scored VCE VET programs can be found in program-specific information published on the individual
VCE VET program webpages.
The examination dates are published annually on the
Examination timetable webpage and in the
VCE Examinations Navigator.
The VCAA considers each application for Special Examination Arrangements on the basis of independent professional and/or educational and academic assessments, any school-based evidence and recommendations provided with the application, and the VCAA’s assessment.
Disability and/or illness does not automatically entitle a student to Special Examination Arrangements. The prime consideration is the impact of a disability and/or illness on the student’s capacity to undertake their VCE external assessments and, if necessary, what reasonable adjustments can be made to enable the student to complete VCE external assessments on the same basis as students without a disability and/or illness.
The professional, educational and academic assessments, along with school-based evidence, will be considered by the VCAA on a case-by-case basis. The VCAA will make a decision based on all evidence received with an application.
All students enrolled in a VCE VET Units 3 and 4 scored program must sit the GAT.
Assessors will be asked to provide indicative grades for all students undertaking the examination. Indicative grades are used to identify examination scripts that may require further marking.
An indicative grade is the assessor’s best prediction of the level of performance of the student in the examination. Indicative grades should be based on the information assessors already have about each student’s performance. The indicative grade is a confidential assessor judgment. Where there is more than one class in the program, assessors should consult on the provision of indicative grades.
Indicative grades are a letter grade, from A+ to E, UG (ungraded) or NA (not assessed). Note, plus (+) can be used but minus (–) is not available for input.
Table 5: Scale of indicative grades
Indicative grades for all students must be entered on VASS prior to the date indicated in the
Important Administrative Dates.
Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS)
The Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS) is a web-based application that allows student details; enrolments for VCE, VET and VCAL; and results to be entered and stored on the central VCAA database.
In relation to VCE VET scored assessment, schools enter data on VASS to:
- enrol a student into the appropriate units of competency for the VCE VET Units 3 and 4 scored program
- record the RTO
- record the assessing group (the moderation group used for statistical moderation)
- record the assessment plan for the VCE VET scored program
- record the student’s indicative grade
- record the student’s results for each unit of competency
- record the student’s score for each coursework task in the VCE VET scored program.
For more information, see the
VET Quick Guide for VASS Administrators and the
VASS New Users’ Manual.
For system support, contact VASS Operations on 1800 623 681.
For support using VASS, contact
vass.support@education.vic.gov.au
For support with VCE, VET and VCAL enrolments and results, contact
student.records@education.vic.gov.au
The final date for assessment plans to be entered on VASS is in mid-August. Schools, assessing groups and RTOs should consult the
Important Administrative Dates for the final date. After this date, alterations to assessment plans for VCE VET programs offering scored assessment cannot be entered by the school. Schools must contact the VCAA Student Records and Results Unit on
student.records@education.vic.gov.au to lodge an alteration.
Where a student does not wish to receive a study score or any grade for a scored VCE VET program, the school will need to enter an ‘NA’ on VASS.
Schools need to ensure that assessing groups and RTO partners are aware of the final deadline and may set an earlier date to allow time for VASS data entry.
Schools/RTOs should consult the
Important Administrative Dates.
Downloads
VCE VET Scored Assessment Guide (revised 2021) (pdf - 8.01mb)
VCE VET Scored Assessment task type overview (pdf - 1.19mb)
Summaries for each task type
Work Performance task type summary (pdf - 286.96kb)
Product task type summary (pdf - 324.19kb)
Industry Project task type summary (pdf - 248.67kb)
Portfolio task type summary (pdf - 393.42kb)
Scoring criteria sheets for each task type
Work Performance scoring criteria (pdf - 26.99kb)
Product scoring criteria (pdf - 24.49kb)
Industry Project scoring criteria (pdf - 24.54kb)
Portfolio scoring criteria (pdf - 24.35kb)
Coursework assessment records for each task type
Work Performance coursework assessment record (pdf - 25.31kb)
Product coursework assessment record (pdf - 23.95kb)
Industry Project coursework assessment record (pdf - 24kb)
Portfolio coursework assessment record (pdf - 23.91kb)
Templates and Quality Assurance checklist for VCE VET Scored Assessment
Assessment plan template (pdf - 46.17kb)
Assessment coversheet (pdf - 40.2kb)
Assessment mapping template (pdf - 54.26kb)
Quality Assurance Checklist for VCE VET Scored Assessment Tasks (pdf - 51.98kb)
Professional development – scored assessment workshops
The VCE VET scored assessment workshops are held annually in March for teachers and assessors of scored VCE VET programs. The March 2021 presentation will be published here in Term 2.
For workshop details, including registration information, see
Professional learning.