Administration of the Victorian Certificate of Education
Overview
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the most commonly undertaken senior secondary qualification in Victoria which, for most students, is completed in Years 11 and 12. To complete the VCE, students are required to complete a minimum of four studies, including English, from a choice of 130. Assessment is through school based assessments and external exams. In 2009, around 48 700 students (97 per cent) satisfactorily completed the VCE.
The VCE is administered by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). This involves a series of in-house and contracted tasks including developing assessment instruments, overseeing school based assessments and a wide range of checks and cross-checks on the reliability and validity of student results.
The audit found that VCAA is effectively administering the VCE, providing a high level of assurance that the results students receive are accurate and have been marked consistently and accurately. The audit also found that VCAA has established strong processes and quality controls, and has developed clear and comprehensive guidance to assist schools to administer school based assessments. There is, however, scope for VCAA to strengthen its security protocols and to introduce a more systematic and data driven process of continuous improvement.