• SACE documents

• How results are calculated

• Future options

• Getting more information

THE SACE DOCUMENTS

What exactly are the papers I received in my results envelope?

You received a Record of Achievement. The information on the back of that is called the tertiary entrance statement. If you've completed all the SACE requirements, you also have the certificate itself - the South Australian Certificate of Education. (An 8-page information sheet is also in your package.)

Who gets a Record of Achievement?

Anyone who gets results of 'recorded achievement' - or better - in at least one Stage 2 subject this year (that means a Subject Achievement Score of 3 or more out of 20 points for that subject).

What does the Record of Achievement show?

Stage 1 subjects for which you received 'satisfactory achievement' or 'recorded achievement', or vocational education and training (VET) or community learning units for which you have been granted status - and Stage 2 subjects for which you received 'satisfactory achievement' (i.e. a Subject Achievement Score of 10 or more out of 20) or 'recorded achievement' (i.e. a Subject Achievement Score of between 3 and 9 out of 20).

Why doesn't it show some subjects I studied?

In Stage 1, if you didn't complete some subjects, or if your result was 'requirements not met', then they don't show on your Record of Achievement. Neither do Stage 2 subjects if your Subject Achievement Score was less than 3 points (or if you withdrew your enrolment along the way).

Where can I find my Subject Achievement Scores?

Subject Achievement Scores (for Stage 2 subjects) are listed on the front of your Record of Achievement, in the 'Result' column.

Why didn't I receive a certificate?

You haven't completed all the SACE requirements.

You can get more details by looking up your results information on the SSABSA website. You will need to have your SACE registration number handy, and your SSABSA personal identification number (PIN) to access your secure online information. Then log in and take the 'Completion' link to see your SACE completion details.

If you don't understand why you have not received the SACE, you can also ring the SSABSA enquiries number, 8373 0599.

HOW RESULTS ARE CALCULATED

Do school marks count towards final results?

Yes. At Stage 1 school marks count for 100% of all subjects. At Stage 2 school marks count for between 50% and 100% of all subjects.

What's 'moderation'?

School marks are adjusted by the SSABSA moderation processes to make sure that the standards are comparable for all students, whichever school or class they are in. A range of methods are used throughout the year, to look at samples of work and to cross-check marks across all schools.

I applied for a special provision in assessment. Was this taken into account when my results were calculated?

If your application was sent to SSABSA and approved, your school would have received acknowledgment and the approved procedure would have been followed.

Where can I find my tertiary entrance points?

In the tertiary entrance statement on the back of your Record of Achievement.

What is the difference between my Subject Achievement Scores on the front of my Record of Achievement and my tertiary entrance points on the back?

As far as getting the SACE goes, the Subject Achievement Score out of 20 is your result for that subject. Yes, the tertiary entrance points look similar (also being out of 20), but may not be exactly the same. But tertiary entrance points are not your subject result. They are calculated to give you an overall ranking for admission to universities or TAFE. The actual numbers can be different because of a process called 'scaling'.

So how does scaling work?

Your subject results are scaled so that everybody can be correctly ranked for university and TAFE SA entrance. The process involves comparing the results of the same groups of students in different subjects. Then the original results or 'raw scores' are adjusted according to what the comparisons show, which makes it possible to award tertiary entrance points fairly. Scaling is carried out under the direction of the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) on behalf of the universities and TAFE SA. Go to the SATAC publications page for more information about scaling.

Does that mean I can get marked down? That doesn't seem fair!

No! Scaling of a subject depends on the performance of groups of students taking that subject in a particular year - not on the performance of any one student. Your overall position relative to all the other students taking that subject remains the same. Remember, scaling is used only to work out tertiary entrance points - your SACE results cannot change. Contact SATAC if you would like to know more details about scaling.

FUTURE OPTIONS

What does SATAC do?

SATAC processes applications for admission to tertiary courses at South Australian tertiary institutions and Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory. These courses include most of the undergraduate and many of the postgraduate courses offered by the universities and about half the courses offered by TAFE SA in South Australia.

SATAC uses selection rules set by the institutions, ranks them for each course, and informs each applicant of the outcome.

SATAC arranges special entry testing, sends relevant information to the institutions, and provides an information service for schools and other organisations.

When will SATAC let us know about TAFE SA and uni offers?

SATAC will post the first (and biggest) round of offers for:
• TAFE SA - Thursday 10 January
• Universities - Tuesday 15 January

...and a second round on:
• TAFE SA - from Monday 21 January
• Universities - Monday 4 February

You can check whether or not you have an offer on TAFEWeb or UniWeb after 6 p.m. on the above dates. Then check your letterbox for the offer letter. You must respond by the date written on your offer letter and follow the instructions given. If you fail to do so, your place may be offered to another applicant. You might be offered TAFE and university courses if you have applied for both.

Will my results get me into university?

You could receive an offer if you've qualified for the SACE with at least five Stage 2 subjects, met the four Higher Education Selection Subject requirements and any prerequisite subject requirements for the course; and got a competitive TER. The universities set quotas for their courses and use the TER to fill the places available. Starting from the top of the ranked list of applicants for the course, they offer places until the quota is filled. The rank at the last offered place is called the 'cut-off rank'. The cut-off varies from year to year. See the SATAC University Guide for more information.

Can I count this year's subject results next year?

Yes. You are allowed to gain your university aggregate over any 3 years. You do not have to continue your Stage 2 studies in any particular year.

Why didn't I get a university aggregate?

This could be because...

• You may not have completed the SACE requirements. To enter university you must qualify for the SACE.
• You may have included Community Studies among your Stage 2 subjects. Community Studies cannot be counted among the five Stage 2 subjects used to calculate your university aggregate (the 20-point scale isn't used to report achievement in Community Studies).
• Your subject combination may not fit the aggregation rules. Some subject combinations are precluded, and there are restrictions on the number of units that can be counted in certain subject areas.

Why didn't I get a TAFE Score?

This could be because...

• You may not have completed the SACE requirements.
• You may have included Community Studies among your Stage 2 subjects. Community Studies cannot be counted among the three Stage 2 subjects used to calculate your TAFE Score (the 20-point scale isn't used to report achievement in Community Studies). It may, however, assist your selection into certain TAFE courses.

GETTING MORE INFORMATION

I need to ring somebody about a few things...what can SSABSA tell me?

Anything to do with your SACE results. There's a special results enquiries line (operated by real human beings, not computer voices!) to help you through this important time. All queries are handled confidentially. The operator will have instant computer access to your details. So that information is given only to the right person, please have these things handy before you ring: 

   1. Your SACE registration number
   2. The name of your school
   3. Your address
   4. Your date of birth.
 

Naturally it gets busy, but we'll answer your call as soon as possible. You may decide to contact your school first - they have a full register of results. Remember, you can also get all your results details through this website.

The telephone results enquiries line operates during normal office hours, 8.45 a.m. to 5 p.m., telephone 8373 0599.

Can I have my examination marks checked?

Yes. You can ask for a clerical check. We will check that all parts of the examination paper were marked and that the marks were totalled and entered into the system correctly. There's an application form for this in your Results Information sheet, and on this site.

Can I find out my marks for each assessment component of my subjects?

Yes, if you apply for a copy of your student record. This will give you information about the marks you received for each assessment component, the maximum marks for each component, and the weighting of this component in your overall subject results.

Can I have my examination materials back?

Yes. We ask you to apply by the closing date, 15 February 2008, and your examination materials will be returned after that. There's an application form in your Results Information sheet, and on this site. Materials used for final moderation were returned to schools in December, before the end of the school year.

Where can I get more advice?

There are plenty of services and organisations that can help you to make important choices at this time, and many of them are listed on this website - you can explore Employment pathways or Further Study pathways. All this information is also in the Results Information sheet posted with your results.