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​ VCE Key Dates 2022 – Practice Exam Week and the GAT

It is a challenging and busy time ahead with many subjects scheduling assessments throughout the coming weeks as Unit 4 studies progress towards completion and an examination period for Units 3 & 4 during Activities Week.

It is vital that students continue to progress through the requirements for their S in each of their subjects and discuss any concerns with their relevant teacher(s). Thank you for your continued support as we make our way through the 2022 academic year.

Some specific details regarding the exam period are listed below, including the first external assessment from the VCAA – the GAT. Formal correspondence about the items listed below will be coming through as an Operoo.

Practice Examinations Year 12 Subjects – Week 5 (Activities Week)

All Year 12 students will engage in a week of practice examinations for each of their subjects. The aim of this week is to provide an environment that as best as possible replicates the end of year exam experience for each subject – mathematical subjects will have two exams for this purpose. This process provides critical feedback to students as they begin to finalise their courses and head into exam preparation near the end of the term.

  • No Year 12 classes will be running this week and the rest of the school will be on Activities Week camps.
  • Unscored students are not required to sit exams and should use this for either work placements where available or finalising their coursework. Their aim should be to receive all relevant S’s for their subjects by the end of Term 3 wherever possible.
  • Students have the option of studying at home or at school but are only required at school for their respective exams.
  • Students involved in the Production will have alternate arrangements and will be managed separately.
  • Exams will be held in V6/7 in Senior Homestead
  • A mask should be worn by all students unless an existing exemption applies
  • Buses will be running throughout the week
  • A timetable for this week will be produced shortly and will be appended to the Operoo. It will also be communicated directly to students.
  • Any Year 11 student completing a Year 12 subject will have the exams provided to them upon their return from their Activities Week camp
  • Haydn Flanagan and Bryn Bowen will oversee the administration of this process.

The GAT – Wednesday September 7

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is the first external assessment administered by the VCAA for all students enrolled in one or more VCE, or scored VCE VET Unit 3 and 4 sequences – this includes students on an unscored program.

The GAT is scheduled for Wednesday September 7 here at school. It has undergone some minor changes as the VCAA has moved towards integrating its two senior years certificates, VCE and VCAL. It is now divided to run over two separate sessions:

Section A: Literacy (Reading and Writing) and Numeracy: 9:30am-11:45am

Section B: General Knowledge and Skills: 1:15pm-3:00pm

This is a compulsory VCAA assessment for all Year 12 students (including unscored) AND any Year 11 students studying a Year 12 subject OR completing a scored VCE VET program. Many of our current Year 12 students will have completed the GAT in 2021 so will have ‘fond’ memories.

General Achievement Test (GAT) scheduled for Wednesday 7 September – Week 8.

  • All students enrolled in a Year 12 subject or a scored VET program
  • Duration – 9:30am-11:45am & 1:15pm-3:00pm
  • Location – Senior Homestead (V4, V5, V6, V7) and the Hall – students will be notified
  • No classes will run for any VCE students at all on that day
  • Buses will be running as per normal
  • Some key information about the GAT and its uses can be found here
  • A reminder of the GAT Exam Rules and Authorised Materials can be found here – a dictionary (without thesaurus) is allowed, but no calculators

It is important that the GAT is taken seriously as it becomes a point of reference for the VCAA to consider against both your coursework and exam marks. However, GAT results:

  • do not count directly towards a student’s VCE results
  • help check that school-based and external assessments have been accurately assessed
  • contribute to statistical moderation of school-based assessment results
  • help calculate Derived Examination Scores
  • determine scores in school-based assessment, external assessment and if a derived examination score is required due to illness, accident and trauma.

Those last two points are an insurance policy in case of anything going less than favourably across the exam period. While it is not something anybody can strictly study and prepare for like regular subjects, it is definitely worth looking at and completing some past/practice GAT questions over the course of the term.

Please acknowledge the above details in the Operoo, particularly the options in place for the practice exams

BRYN BOWEN
Acting VCE CoordinatoR