Western Australian education authorities have lowered the grade requirement for a high school certificate (Western Australian Certificate of Education, or WACE).
Students in some subjects will have D grades contribute to the certificate, lowered from a C requirement.
The change applies to current WA Year 12 students.
Here’s what to know.
Background
In WA, there are several types of senior high school subjects.
This change applies to two types:
- General courses, for students who will go on to TAFE, apprenticeships, or into the workforce after school.
- ATAR courses, for students going to uni.
Students can complete any combination of these courses to graduate high school. To receive a WACE when they graduate, students need 14 C grades across year 11 and 12 subject units.
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Details
The WA School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) told TDA that D grades in ATAR courses will now be considered equivalent to C grades in general courses.
The change comes into effect for 2025 year 12 students.
Students will still need 14 C grades or equivalent (i.e. a D in an ATAR course) to graduate with a WACE.
Response
WA Year 12 student Vanessa* told TDA she has “serious concerns” about the change.
The teenager said she believes it raises issues of fairness, including for students who have achieved D grades, and could lower overall academic standards.
An SCSA spokesperson told TDA that “when a D grade in an ATAR equates to at least a C grade in a General course, a student... should benefit and be recognised for the work they have completed”.
*Not her real name.
