VCE Exam Structure & SACs Explained
In VCE Units 3 & 4, your study score comes from two things: School-Assessed Coursework (SACs) done at school during the year, and external exam(s) at the end of the year. The split varies by subject – many subjects weight SACs around 30-40% and the exam 60-70%, the sciences are about 50/50, and maths has two exams. VCAA then statistically moderates your school’s SAC marks against the exam, so your SAC rank within your school matters most. (Source: VCAA.)
Key takeaways
- Your result in most subjects combines SACs (school-assessed coursework) and the end-of-year exam(s).
- SAC marks are statistically moderated against exam performance so schools are compared fairly.
- The GAT is used to help check and, if needed, derive scores.
- Exact weightings vary by subject – check the current VCAA study design.
What are SACs?
School-Assessed Coursework is a set of tasks set and marked by your school that assess the Unit 3 & 4 outcomes in the study design. SACs are a graded assessment in every Unit 3-4 study, and your school provides a score for each. Because they are school-based, what counts most is your ranking against your classmates, not the raw mark.
How SACs are moderated against the exam
This is the part most students misunderstand. VCAA takes each school’s SAC scores and statistically moderates them against how that school’s students performed on the external exam. If a school’s cohort does well on the exam, its SAC scores are adjusted up; if not, down. The effect: your rank in your SACs is locked in by your school, and the exam calibrates schools against each other – so doing as well as you can in both is what protects your score.
The exams
End-of-year exams are external (set and marked by VCAA), sat in the October-November exam period. Some subjects have one exam, others two (for example, Maths Methods and Specialist Maths each have a technology-free Exam 1 and a technology-active Exam 2). Exam weightings are set in each subject’s study design – always check the current one.
What about the GAT?
The General Achievement Test (GAT) does not directly count towards your study scores. VCAA uses it to check that exams and school assessments have been marked accurately and fairly, and it can be used in statistical moderation and as a quality-assurance check.
What this means for you
Aim to top your SAC cohort and perform on the exam – both feed your study score, which is then scaled and added into your ATAR aggregate. See how the VCE ATAR works, or estimate yours with the free VCE ATAR Calculator.
Written by Haobo Zhang (98 ATAR, University of Melbourne Biomedicine), founder of HZ Tutoring. Updated June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do SACs affect my study score?
Your SAC scores are combined with your exam results, after being statistically moderated against your school’s exam performance, to produce your study score.
Do SACs or exams matter more?
Both – the split varies by subject (often 30-40% SAC, 60-70% exam; sciences about 50/50). Your SAC rank within your school and your exam performance both count.
Does the GAT count towards my ATAR?
Not directly. It is used to check and moderate assessments, and as a quality-assurance measure.
When are VCE exams?
The main written exams are held in the October-November exam period at the end of Year 12.