SENIOR HANDBOOK for 2012

REQUIREMENTS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
For entry to any course, you must satisfy the minimal educational and / or other requirements specified for it.
Most tertiary courses require English over four semesters in Years 11 and 12. Some TAFE courses accept English
Communication studied over four semesters and many courses require a minimum Exit Level of a Sound
Achievement in English / English Communication. QUEENSLAND TERTIARY COURSES, published each year by
QTAC, outlines prerequisite studies and achievement levels for all tertiary courses in Queensland.
Students leaving Year 12 to go directly to university generally require an OP for entry. Students intending to go
to TAFE or private providers from Year 12 can enter via an OP or a Selection Ranking based on all their studies
done across Year 11 and 12.
Students’ Overall Positions are expressed in bands from 1 to 25, with 1 being the top band and 25 the bottom
band. The Overall Position is calculated from the student’s results in her best five Authority subjects, scaled for
state-wide comparability according to results in the Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS) that is administered to all
students in the state seeking tertiary entrance.
Where students’ Overall Positions are inadequate to differentiate between students seeking to enter a tertiary
course (i.e. a number of students have the same OP but there are inadequate places in a course for all of them)
their Field Positions will be considered in selection. Subjects are weighted in various fields according to the skills
emphasised in the subject. Field Positions are calculated according to the scaled results for the best three
subjects in that field and are expressed on a scale of 1 (top position) to 10 (bottom position).
Tertiary Selection Rankings which can be used for entry to TAFE are based on all results listed on the Queensland
Certificate of Education. QCS Test mark is used if the student chooses to sit for this exam. Selection ranks are on
a scale from 99-1 with 99 being the highest.
IMPORTANT POINTS FOR STUDENTS SEEKING ENTRANCE TO TERTIARY COURSES
Make sure that you cover the prerequisite subjects and fields for that course.
To be eligible for an OP you must study at least five Authority subjects. Three of these
subjects must be studied for the full four semesters.
You must sit for the Queensland Core Skills Test.
QUEENSLAND STUDIES AUTHORITY - TAFE ADVANCED STANDING INFORMATION
The Queensland Studies Authority and TAFE Queensland have worked together to provide students with
Advanced Standing from selected Authority Subjects and Authority-Registered Subjects (Study Area
Specifications) to TAFE Queensland courses.
‘Advanced Standing’ refers to the amount of credit granted to a student towards an accredited course or training
program on the basis of previous study, experiences or competencies held.
It is increasingly being recognised, in Queensland and nationally, that students moving between different
education and training sectors should receive appropriate recognition and credit for existing relevant
educational achievements. As well as avoiding duplication of study and saving time, the provision of credit can
provide greater incentive for students to continue improving their educational and training qualifications.
St Margaret Mary’s College Senior Handbook for 2012 Page 24