Victorian Senior Secondary Certificate Reform

2024 VCE VM and VPC credit arrangements

VCAL certificate accreditation

The VCAL certificate’s accreditation period will end in 2023. From 2024 no VCAL units will be available for enrolment or delivery.

Students who have completed Foundation, Intermediate, or Senior VCAL units prior to 2024 will receive credit as per the table below:

Overview of VCAL to VPC and VCE credit arrangements

2024 Credit arrangements for the Victorian Pathways Certificate and/or VCE Vocational Major

This section outlines the credit arrangements for students enrolled in the VCE or VPC who were previously enrolled in VCAL in 2023 or prior.

Completion requirements

Completion requirements for the VPC are described here.

Completion requirements for the VCE VM are described here.

Students who partially completed Foundation VCAL in 2022

In 2024, students who partially completed Foundation VCAL prior to 2022 may enrol in:

• the VPC and receive credit for completed units in accordance with the credit arrangements described in Table 1 (see Credit arrangements); or
• the VCE or VCE VM with credit for completed units in accordance with the credit arrangements described in Tables 2, 3 and 4 (Credit arrangements) for any completed:
  • VCE units
  • VET units at Certificate II level or above

Students who completed Intermediate VCAL in 2023

Students who complete Intermediate VCAL in 2023 may enrol in the VCE or VCE VM in 2024. They will be eligible for the award of the VCE VM if they satisfactorily complete:

• a Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group
• three other Unit 3–4 sequences
• two units of PDS, WRS and Numeracy (or any study from the Mathematics group)

Students who partially completed Intermediate VCAL in 2023

Students who partially complete Intermediate VCAL in 2023 may enrol in the VCE or VCE VM in 2024 and receive credit for completed units according to the credit arrangements described in Tables 2, 3 and 4 (see Credit arrangements).

• These students must complete the minimum satisfactory completion requirements of the VCE VM.
• Students will retain any units created using the special transition arrangements available in 2023, but these rules cannot be used to create additional units.

Students who partially completed Senior VCAL prior to 2024

Students who partially completed Senior VCAL prior to 2024 may enrol in the VCE or VCE VM in 2023 and receive credit for completed units according to the credit arrangements described in Tables 2, 3 and 4 (see Credit arrangements).

• These students must complete the minimum satisfactory completion requirements of the VCE VM.
• Students will retain any units created using the special transition arrangements available in 2023, but these rules cannot be used to create additional units.

Credit arrangements

In 2024, students will receive credit into their VCE VM or VPC for VCAL, VCE and VET units they have completed in or prior to 2023.

Students who have received credit towards the VCE VM for completed Intermediate or Senior VCAL units cannot count the corresponding VCE VM units described in Tables 2, 3 and 4 towards satisfactory completion of the VCE.

Overview of VCAL to VPC and VCE credit arrangements

For further information please contact the Senior Secondary Certificate Reform team.

Senior secondary pathway options

Delivering improved vocational and applied learning pathways for secondary school students

Victoria is moving towards an expanded Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) which ensures every student has access to studies where they will gain the skills and knowledge they need to find rewarding careers and reach their full potential.

The first stage of this reform was the introduction of a new VCE Vocational Major and the new Victorian Pathways Certificate in 2023.

Students undertaking these pathways have access to an enriched curriculum as well as relevant workplace experiences based on their career goals that develop their real-world knowledge, technical and transferrable skills that will set them up for further education and employment.

VCE Vocational Major

In 2023, the VCE was expanded to include a new VCE Vocational Major, replacing the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) to ensure students have access to high-quality, relevant vocational education and applied learning opportunities within the VCE.

The VCE Vocational Major is a two-year vocational and applied learning program that enables students to successfully transition into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, or directly into employment.

The program enables students to undertake studies which are delivered using applied learning pedagogy, teaching skills and knowledge in the context of ‘real life’ experiences. Students apply what they have learnt by doing, experiencing, and relating acquired skills to the real-world.

The VCE Vocational Major will continue through 2025 and beyond as a standalone program for students who wish to undertake the full course and complete the VCE with the appellation of Vocational Major on their final certificate. The program is an important opportunity for students who are focused on developing their skills and readiness for readiness for employment or further education and training, and will benefit from their learning in a cohesive group of peers. It will allow teachers to mesh the outcomes of all 4 studies into integrated project-based learning.

Find more information about the new VCE Vocational Major

Find more information about the new VCE Vocational Major Study Designs

Victorian Pathways Certificate

The Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) is designed to support students to transition either to the VCE Vocational Major or to entry level VET or employment. The VPC is suitable for students whose previous schooling experience may have been disrupted for a variety of reasons, including students with additional needs, students who have missed significant periods of learning and vulnerable students at risk of disengaging from their education.

Find more information about the new VPC

Find more information about the new VPC Curriculum Designs

Students undertaking these pathways will have access to an enriched curriculum as well as relevant workplace experiences based on their career goals that will develop their real-world knowledge, and technical and transferrable skills that will set them up for further education and employment.

Stage 2: Integrated senior secondary certificate in 2025

In 2025, the VCE Vocational Major program studies will open up to more students as standalone subjects. This will give them access to applied learning options which focus on their growing understanding of the future world of work. Under an integrated single VCE certificate, students will be able to build a program relevant to their specific strengths, interests, and future aspirations.

VCE Vocational Major studies expanded access in 2025

In 2025, two VCE Vocational Major (VM) studies, VCE VM Work Related Skills and VCE VM Personal Development Skills, will be available for schools to offer to VCE students, giving them the opportunity to undertake studies delivered using applied learning pedagogy.

Opening up the VCE Vocational Major studies of VCE VM Work Related Skills and VCE VM Personal Development Skills will give VCE senior secondary students the opportunity to undertake applied learning studies, learning skills and knowledge in the context of ‘real life’ experiences.

In 2025, the remaining two studies, VCE VM Literacy and VCE VM Numeracy, will only be available to VCE Vocational Major students. Other VCE students will continue to build their literacy and numeracy skills through existing scored Mathematics and VCE English studies.

The VCAA is conducting further work to understand the implications of expanding access to VCE VM Literacy and VCE VM Numeracy. The findings of this work will be shared in the latter part of 2024.

VCE VM Work Related Skills and VCE VM Personal Development Skills

Opening eligibility for VCE VM Work Related Skills and VCE VM Personal Development Skills offers VCE students the opportunity to benefit from the applied learning subjects regardless of the specific pathway chosen as part of their VCE.

Implementation in schools  

Schools can decide how to schedule their VCE VM and VCE classes, including whether VCE and VCE VM students are scheduled into the same class or separate classes. Teachers do not need a specific qualification other than VIT registration to teach VCE VM studies. Professional learning on the required applied learning pedagogy, as outlined in the study designs, will be available through the VCAA.

Support materials

The VCAA will publish a range of materials, professional learning and advice to support schools and other education providers in implementing these changes.

Student Achievement Profile

The VCAA is introducing the Student Achievement Profile, which will bring together new and existing certifications and academic transcripts to capture a wider range of student achievements.

A Student Achievement Profile summary will be issued in 2023 for senior secondary students leaving school without a qualification in 2023 and 2024. It will present a holistic summary of a student’s achievements captured during their senior secondary education that will complement the existing Statement of Results.

The Student Achievement Profile is an opportunity to recognise all student achievement, not only academic results or completed qualifications. This will mean that all students are celebrated for the learning they have achieved.

In 2023-24, the Student Achievement Profile is available to VCE and Victorian Pathways Certificate students who are exiting senior secondary schooling without a qualification. This ensures that students who may have previously exited senior secondary at the end of Year 11 and who would have received an Intermediate VCAL Certificate will have a statement that recognises their achievements during the transition period from VCAL to VCE VM during 2023-2024.

There are minimum eligibility requirements to ensure students receiving the Student Achievement Profile are genuinely exiting senior secondary education:

• VCE students must have satisfactorily completed at least eight units, but not have completed their VCE.
• VPC students must have satisfactorily completed at least one unit, but not have completed their VPC.

View a sample of the Student Achievement Profile Summary

Professional learning

We are mindful of supporting students, teachers and schools through this period of change.

The VCAA has developed a program of professional learning to support providers as they prepare for and implement the VPC and VCE Vocational Major, including:

• Professional Learning Platform
• Communities of Practice
• Implementation Webinars
• Face-to-face Workshops

Explore Professional learning

Keep an eye out on the VCAA website or subscribe to the VCAA Bulletin for further information on upcoming professional learning opportunities.

Apply to deliver VCE, VCE Vocational Major or Victorian Pathways Certificate

For providers seeking to deliver the VCE VM and/or the VPC in 2023, see Apply to deliver the VCE, VCE VM or VPC for more information.

Administrative Handbooks 2024

These handbooks provide detailed information for principals, teachers and administrators about implementing the VCE, including the new Vocational Major, and VCAL and Victorian Pathways Certificate in 2024.

VPC Administrative Handbook

VCE Administrative Handbook