Leaving School in Australia - Year 12 State by State

A guide to Year 12 Certificates and Tertiary Entrance Requirements in Australia
Published by the Board of Studies NSW for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities (ACACA)

Section 2: Northern Territory

What categories of subjects/courses are available for study in the senior secondary school credentialling program in the Northern Territory?

In the Northern Territory a subject is the general name given to an area of study that has an enrolment code and achieves a result. A course is the name given to a group of subjects taken together (eg business course).

Students undertaking the Northern Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE) choose from 1-unit (semester) subjects and 2-unit (full-year) subjects. A unit consists of 50 to 60 hours of programmed school time.

The Northern Territory purchases from the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia (SSABSA) its senior secondary curriculum and assessment services.

The Northern Territory Certificate of Education is normally completed over two or more years. During this time students undertake subjects at both Stage 1 (normally Year 11) and Stage 2 (normally Year 12).
The subjects studied at Stage 1 are normally a semester (half a year) in length while subjects at Stage 2 may be up to a year in length. Some Stage 1 subjects may be a year in length.

Types of subjects

From 2003, there will be five main types of subjects studied:

Stage 1 subjects
Stage 2 publicly examined subjects (HESS General)
Stage 2 publicly assessed subjects (HESS General)
Stage 2 school-assessed subjects (HESS Restricted)
Stage 2 school-assessed subjects - VET.

STAGE 1 SUBJECTS

Subjects accredited by the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia (SSABSA)

Duration	Stage 1 (Year 11)
Accepted for tertiary entrance?	No.
No of units/length of study time	1 unit/50 to 60 hours 2 units/100 to 120 hours
Assessment methods	Moderated school-based assessment
Developed by	SSABSA
Delivered by	Schools

STAGE 2 SUBJECTS

Publicly Examined Subjects (PES)

Duration	Stage 2 (Year 12)
Accepted for tertiary entrance?	Yes, in the category of HESS* (General) – that is, they are accepted as having full HESS status by all three South Australian universities
No of units/length of study time	2 units/100 to 120 hours
Assessment methods	Assessed on the basis of 50% weighting for a public examination and 50% weighting for moderated school-based assessment
Developed by	SSABSA
Delivered by	Schools

* Higher Education Selection Subject.

Publicly Assessed Subjects (PAS)

Duration	Stage 2 (Year 12)
Accepted for tertiary entrance?	Yes, in the category of HESS (General) – that is, they are accepted as having full HESS status by all three South Australian universities
No of units/length of study time	2 units/100 to 120 hours
Assessment methods	Assessed on the basis of 30% weighting for a common assessment component (moderated) and 70% weighting for moderated school-based assessment
Developed by	SSABSA
Delivered by	Schools

School-assessed Subjects (SAS)

Duration	Stage 2 (Year 12)
Accepted for tertiary entrance?	Yes, in the category of HESS (Restricted) – that is, they are accepted for entry into some courses. One SAS can be included by students wishing to enter courses at all three South Australian universities
No of units/length of study time	1 unit/50 to 60 hours 2 units/100 to 120 hours
Assessment methods	Moderated school-based assessment
Developed by	SSABSA
Delivered by	Schools

School-assessed Subjects - VET

Duration	Stage 2 (Year 12)
Accepted for tertiary entrance?	Pending
No of units/length of study time	1 unit/50 to 60 hours
Assessment methods	Moderated school-based assessment conducted by schools, and competency-based assessment conducted by schools under the auspices of a registered training organisation
Developed by	SSABSA
Delivered by	Schools under the auspices of a registered training organisation

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