Every state and territory has a range of tests and major examinations & qualifications. These range from the use of National Testing with NAPLAN, replacing other literacy and numeracy testing, to major examinations in the latter part of secondary education. These lead to major qualifications including the award of special certificates.

In addition, individual states carry out testing in areas as diverse as ICT, Early Years Assessment, Diagnostic Testing, School Entry and more. These are detailed in the listings below.

While individual state and territory information is provided, there is also information on alternate qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate and other, related aspects including the introduction of the ATAR - Australian Tertiary Assessment Rank from this year. For details see the Other Information section.

Study Skills previously found on this page are now on a separate page.

This is a continually evolving page with additions made as sources are discovered, present sources expanded and changes made within systems including an increased Commonwealth role.

States & Territory Information

Australian Capital Territory

Examinations & Qualifications

• Year 10 Certification & Applications
  Information both about the Certificate, options for appeals and replacement procedures if lost.
• Year 12 Certificate
  Certificate & Tertiary Entrance Statement information. See the brochure called What Certificates Could You Obtain ? for details of this.

Tests & Reports

• Early Years Assessment
  ‘Uses Performance Indicators in Primary Schools [PIPS] to assess early reading, phonics and numeracy skills of students in their first year of school. The PIPS data is used to identify, as early as possible, students who may need extra support or enrichment.’ There is a brochure available for parents and they also receive Individual Student Reports during the year.
• Information and Communication Technology Competencies
  Year 10. Find information about the program at the Information and Communication Technology Competencies for High Schools site. For information about reporting these results see Reporting of Year 10 Information and Communication Technology Competencies.
• National every 3 years Assessment Program [NAP]
  Done in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9. Covers NAPLAN - Literacy and Numeracy; NAP-SL - Science Literacy [done with a sample of Year 6]; NAP-CC - Civics & Citizenship [done every 3 years with with a sample from Years 6 and 10]; ICT [done every 3 years with a sample from Years 6 and 10]; PISA [done every 3 years with a sample of 15 year old students.

New South Wales

Examinations & Qualifications

• School Certificate [Year 10]
• Higher School Certificate [Year 12]
  For support, visit New South Wales HSC Online, and NSW Students Online. Read about planned changes to the HSC for 2010 including changes for each course at Changes to HSC Examinations and Assessments.

Tests & Reports

• Best Start Kindergarten Assessment
  Program overview with more information at further information here. Includes documents and brochures, most in PDF format.
• Computer Skills Assessment [CSA]
  ‘Computer Skills Assessment is now available as an on-demand, in-school, self-reporting test.’
• Information and Communication Technology Literacy [ICT]
  ‘A sample of students in Years 6 and 10 in selected schools in all states and territories.’
• National Assessment Program
  
• Opportunity C Placement
  Done in Year 4, for placement into Years 5 & 6.
• Primary Writing Assessment
  Years 3 & 5.
• Selective/Agricultural High School Placement
  Done in Year 6 for placement in Year 7.
• Selective High Schools Years 8-12 Placement

• Leaving School
  Looks at options at different departure levels and with certain ideas in mind, e.g. university, TAFE.

Northern Territory

Examinations & Qualifications

• NT Certificate of Education [Year 12]
  Includes information about the version being phased in from 2009.
• NT Certificate of Education and Training
  ‘Designed to recognise the knowledge and skills that have been acquired through formal education and training. Students completing their senior secondary education will graduate with a Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training from 2011.’

Tests & Reports

• Information and Communication Technology Literacy [ICT]
  ‘A sample of students in Years 6 and 10 in selected schools in all states and territories.’
• National Assessment Program [NT]
  Information about NAPLAN implementation in the Northern Territory. Done in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Queensland

Examinations & Qualifications

• Queensland Certificate of Education
  ‘Queensland’s senior school qualification, which is awarded to eligible students usually at the end of Year 12. The QCE recognises broad learning options and offers flexibility in what, where and when learning occurs.’
• Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement
  Previously the Certificate of Post-Compulsory School Education. ‘This certificate recognises the schooling achievements of students who have impairments or difficulties in learning.’
• Tertiary Entrance Statement
  Provides details regarding Overall Position and Field Positions. Note that Queensland is the only state not using the ATAR process.

Tests & Reports

• Information and Communication Technology Literacy [ICT]
  ‘A sample of students in Years 6 and 10 in selected schools in all states and territories.’
• Queensland Core Skills Test
  Achievement Test linked to Year 12.
• Year 2 Diagnostic Test
  Parents and carers information, teacher resources, publications.
• NAPLAN, Years 3, 5, 7 & 9,
  ‘Information on how Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are performing in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar.’ Covers Queensland use of these.

South Australia

Examinations & Qualifications

• South Australian Certificate of Education [Y12]
• South Australian Certificate of Education - Future
  ‘The ew South Australian Certificate of Education, which will be introduced from 2009 in Government, Catholic and Independent schools with senior secondary students. The new SACE will provide a structure for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to learn key skills and knowledge. The new certificate will build upon the achievements of the current SACE.’
• New SACE Information
  ‘The new South Australian Certificate of Education is being introduced from 2009. For the latest information on the new SACE, visit this page or subscribe to the SACE Board e-news for frequent email updates.’
• South Australian Matriculation Program

Tests & Reports

• National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy
  Information for schools about the NAPLAN Program.
• Information and Communication Technology Literacy [ICT]
  ‘A sample of students in Years 6 and 10 in selected schools in all states and territories.’
• School Entry Assessment

Tasmania

Examinations & Qualifications

• Tasmanian Certificate of Education
  From Tasmanian Qualifications Authority.
• Qualifications from Lifelong Learning
  Covers qualifications granted on the basis of learning outside formal programs in educational institutions. The document, Can I Get a Qualification ?, answers any questions.

Tests & Reports

• Kindergarten Development Check
  ‘Helps kindergarten teachers monitor and observe important skills for learning and determine whether students are making appropriate progress for their age.’
• National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy
  A Parent pamphlet is available here.
• Performance Indicators in Primary Schools
  ‘A formal assessment that all students complete in Prep. ’

Victoria

Examinations & Qualifications

• General Achievement Test
  In either Year 11 or 12.
• Managed Individual Pathways
  ‘Ensures that all students 15 years and over in government schools are provided with individual pathway plans with associated support as a means to continued education, training or full-time employment.’
• Victorian Certificate of Education [VCE]
  Year 12.
• Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning
  ‘A hands-on option for students in Years 11 and 12.’ Find information here. Also try this site from the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Tests & Reports

• On Demand Testing
  ‘Online resource for teachers to use when, where and how they choose. Tests are designed to link to curriculum and standards.’.
• Prep to Year 10 Assessment
  Covers all aspects of NAPLAN testing in the government system. Also try the link below.
• National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy Testing, VCAA
  Test papers, 2010 timetable, information for parents and schools.

Western Australia

Examinations & Qualifications

• WA Certificate of Education [Year 12]
  Overview. Use links in the column on the left to find further information.
• Examinations
  Details about mandatory examinations introduced in 2009, one each for stage 2 and stage 3 units, with exclusions determined after further consultation. Students will study pairs of units within a single stage [eg : 2A/2B or 3A/3B] from 2009.
• Tertiary Institutions Service Centre
  Has details about courses, university admissions including ATAR, offers, publications and downloads in various formats.

Tests & Reports

• English Language Competence Test
• Educational measufrement
  Covers NAPLAN for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, Monitoring Standards in Education fo Years 5, 7 and 9, testing in selected schools for National Assessment Program - Science Literacy [Year 6] and the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] with some 15 year old students.
• Selective Schools Placement Program

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Other Information

Alternate Qualifications

Alternate qualifications are now becoming more common. Of these the International Baccalaureate is the most common. A few schools are running the AP Program, but this is still restricted. The following provide basic information about both.

International Baccalaureate

• Applying with the International Baccalaureate Diploma
  Information from UAC in NSW/ACT provides information on how it is regarded, matched to standard scores and several other aspects. Also links to other states.
• Association of Australasian International Baccalaureate Schools
  ‘Established specifically to assist schools in Australasia, providing a network of professional support, information and service. Schools new to the IB programme will find such assistance particularly useful.’ Lists schools offering the qualification.
• International Baccalaureate
  ‘Offers high quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools. There are more than 596 000 IB students at 2 217 schools in 125 countries.’ Becoming more popular in Australia. Three programs from Year 3 to Year 12, the latter being the best known. IBO provides information on all three.

AP Program

• Advanced Placement Program
  ‘A program that offers college level courses at high schools [across the United States and Canada]. According to the Good Schools Guide International, it is usually much more rigorous than the general course offerings.’
• College Board, AP Central
  Sections for students, parents and professionals. Home site for this program, which is dominantly American.

General Sites

• ACER Testing
  Information about school level tests available from ACER. Links to pages covering university, scholarship, VET and other tests available.
• Assignmentology
  Australian site where you can find, for a small fee, mentoring to help you improve the quality of your assignment work. Geared to secondary students.
• Edassist
  Summer schools for people sitting either the HSC [New South Wales] or VCE [Victoria]. Fee-based.
• Helping Children Succeed at School
  Should be mandatory reading for new and prospective parents. Learning starts well before school as does a love of, and commitment to, learning and achievement. Recommendations on how to develop these.
  Highly Recommended !
• Helping Your Child Series
  US Department of Education, How To … guides.
• Leaving School in Australia
  Year 12 State by State.‘Summarises the types of subjects, courses and various methods of assessing and reporting student achievement in each of the eight public education systems in Australia as well as in the New Zealand system. It also describes the certificates and other records of achievement issued to students when they complete their senior secondary education and outlines the minimum requirements for tertiary entrance.’

National Programs and Procedures

• Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
  ‘The ATAR is a number [not a mark] that indicates a student’s position in relation to their Year 7 cohort, including students who did not complete Year 12. The ATAR allows the comparison of students who have completed different combinations of HSC courses. The ATAR is calculated solely for use by institutions, either on its own or in conjunction with other selection criteria, to rank and select school leavers for admission to tertiary courses.’ get the ATAR FAQs document here. This presentation is from UAC in NSW. Other states will have similar information with the exception of Queensland which is not using the measure. See Queensland information above for details of their process.
• Literacy Benchmarks : Year 3 and 5
  National benchmarks in literacy. Online version.
• National Assessment Program
  The national home page for this program. has video, FAQs, sample reports, scales information and other documents.
• National Assessment Program : Science Literacy

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