Notice to Schools 93/2021 – 14 July 2021

Requirement to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Thursday 29 July

Principals/directors, VASS administrators, and VCE, VCAL and VET coordinators

Requirement to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Thursday 29 July 2021

All students enrolled in one or more VCE Unit 3−4 sequence or VCE VET scored Unit 3−4 sequences, including VCAL students, must sit the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Thursday 29 July.

This includes students not completing any graded assessments associated with VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3–4 sequences.

A GAT Statement of Results will be mailed to each student with their VCE and VCAL results. The statement will indicate if the student sat the GAT and will include the student's raw score and their relative score, with descriptive comments about their performance on each of the three components:

• written communication
• mathematics, science, and technology
• humanities, the arts and social sciences.
  

Critical dates

Thursday 29 July – GAT held

Additional information

The GAT is an essential part of VCE assessment. GAT results are used to check that School-based Assessments and external assessments have been accurately assessed. They are also used to calculate a Derived Examination Score, where applicable.

A student may be deemed eligible for an exemption from the GAT if they are:

• blind or have vision loss, or have an impairment for which Special Examination Arrangements cannot reasonably be made (arrangements can be provided for students who are deaf or hard of hearing)
  
• prevented from sitting the GAT by injury, illness, personal trauma or a serious intervening event
• employed and cannot be absent from work (evidence from their employer is required).

To download the '2021 Application for Authorised Absence from the GAT', go to VASS > SYSTEM ADMIN > Downloads > KEYWORD 'Authorised Absence.

For more information, go to the Scored assessment: General Achievement Test page of the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2021.