TO:
The Principal
ATTENTION:
VCE Coordinator, Examination Centre Coordinator
FROM:
Justin Seabury, Manager Assessment Operations
DATE:
31 May 2017
SUBJECT:
Examination centre arrangements for the 2017 VCE written examinations
________________________________________________________________________
This document should be read in conjunction with the following forms (included as attachments to
Notice to Schools 56/2017) to enable your school to confirm and/or establish centres for 2017 VCE
written examinations:
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2017 VCE written examination centres
2017 Approval to transfer VCE written examinations
2017 VET Creative and Digital Media examination centres
2017 Approval to transfer VET Creative and Digital Media
2017 CCAFL written examination centres.
Background
VCE Providers with students enrolled in one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 sequence
must meet the VCAA requirements for the conduct and administration of VCE external
assessments as outlined in the 2017 Agreement to conduct and administer VCE external
assessments signed earlier this year.
Principals are responsible for ensuring that all their home school students are appropriately
accommodated and correctly supervised for all VCE written examinations. This applies for all
students including those undertaking one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 sequence at a
provider other than the home school, for example, Distance Education Centre Victoria, VET
providers, the Victorian School of Languages, other single Language providers or where the
assessing school differs from the home school.
The VCAA does not fund supervision costs when fewer than 10 students from only one school are
scheduled to present at a centre unless there is no other VCE provider within 15 km of the school.
It is preferable that your school combines with one or more other schools when fewer than ten
students are enrolled in a study at your school. If schools do combine the VCAA will fund the
supervision, even if the combined number of students is less than ten.
(Refer to Section 1.6.5 of the VCE Examination Manual 2017.)
Examination centres have a designated host school. When two or more schools combine, the host
school is the school where the centre is located or the school coordinating the arrangements for an
external centre.
All VCE external assessment materials and stationery will be delivered to the host school.
For more detailed information on the conduct and administration of VCE written examinations,
please refer to the VCE Examination Manual 2017.
© VCAA
VCE Written Examination Centres
Action Required
1. All VCE providers with VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 enrolments must complete and return
the 2017 VCE written examination centres form.
2. Home schools with Unit 3-4 enrolments in VET Creative and Digital Media must complete and
return the 2017 VET Creative and Digital Media examination centres form.
3. Home schools with Unit 3-4 enrolments in Languages (CCAFL) studies must complete and
return the 2017 CCAFL written examination centres form.
Note: Languages (CCAFL) written examinations are conducted on Wednesday 18 October.
Please choose one mode of delivery for the return of the completed forms:
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Email – Scan the forms and email to: [email protected]
Post – addressed Private and Confidential, Attention Maria Fragale, PO Box 326,
COBURG 3058
Please arrange for these forms to be returned no later than Friday 16 June 2017.
Contacts
For queries about examination centres contact Heidi Reiter on (03) 9225 2253 or
[email protected]
For queries about supervisors and the agreement form contact Susan Meadows on
(03) 9225 2237 or [email protected]
Examination Centre Summary (Written) report
Schools should print a copy of the Examination Centre Summary (Written) report from VASS
before determining their preferred Examination centre arrangements for the 2017 VCE written
examinations.
Schools are able to access this report using the parameters set out on page 3.
The information provided on this report summarises the current 2017 VCE written examination
centre arrangements for your school.
If one or more examinations are listed as being conducted at another school and you want this
arrangement/s to continue, you must obtain written approval from that school. At the same time, if
there are other schools listed as attending your centre for an examination/s, this arrangement can
only continue if they have also sought and gained written approval from your school in 2017.
The report must be checked carefully before it is used as the basis for organising your 2017 VCE
written examination centre/s. Please ensure that:
1. all expected VCE written examinations are listed including those for studies that are being
assessed by another school/provider/RTO
2. the number of students for each examination is correct. If it is lower or higher than the number
you are expecting, you must check your enrolments immediately.
3. if an enrolment amendment needs to be made, the appropriate form/s must be downloaded
from VASS, completed and returned to Student Records and Result as soon as possible
together with the appropriate fees. [SYSTEM ADMIN > Downloads > SRRU – Application for Late
Enrolment Amendments 2017 – either VCE/VCAL or VET]
All enrolment queries should be directed to Student Records and Results Unit on
(03) 9032 1756 or via email to [email protected] or fax (03) 9032 1591.
© VCAA
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VCE Written Examination Centres
[STUDENT PROGRAM > VCE Reports > Examination Centre Summary]
Note:
‘Date’ order will give you a
summary of examinations by
timetable date/time.
‘Graded Assessment’ order
will give you a summary of
examinations by GA study
code order.
Forms
1. VCE written examination centres
The form should be completed as follows:
Sections 1 & 2
All schools must complete.
Section 3
Only necessary if you are:
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making arrangements to transfer all of your students undertaking a specific
examination/s to another school
confirming previous year’s arrangements with another school.
Section 4
Only necessary if you are transferring a student to another school for one or more examinations.
Note: This section should only be completed if one or only some students from a larger cohort of
students for an examination are being transferred to another school.
If only one student is enrolled in a study and that examination is being transferred, this is classified
as a group move and Section 3 must be completed.
© VCAA
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VCE Written Examination Centres
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The 2017 EAL written examination includes a listening section. Schools will be provided with a CD
for the audio component of the examination.
Consequently, the English and EAL examinations need to be conducted separately in different
rooms, where applicable.
The VCAA will cover the cost of separate supervision for these two examinations.
2. VET Creative and Digital Media (CDM)
Schools with students enrolled in Unit 3-4 of VET CDM must complete and return the 2017 VET
Creative and Digital Media examination centres form.
The VET CDM examination is computer-based therefore you are required to nominate a location
that is suitable for running a computer-based examination.
The location where your students are currently undertaking their VET CDM training − a school or
an external provider, is often the most suitable option.
However, it is possible that not all external providers will be able to function as a centre.
Therefore, prior to nominating another school/provider as a centre for your students, you are
required to:
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contact the school/provider to ensure they are able to provide access to a centre on the
date of the VET CDM examination
check if they are able to meet all technical requirements associated with the
administration of the examination
ensure the school/provider has computers with the same specific operating system your
students have been using in classes.
The host school/provider must confirm their commitment to this arrangement by signing the
Approval to transfer VET Creative and Digital Media form.
Note: CDM centre arrangements must be finalised even if you are aware that your students
will not be completing the VET CDM examination.
The VET CDM form should be completed as follows:
Section 1
All home schools with student/s enrolled in VET CDM must complete this section.
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If you are making arrangements for your student/s to sit at another centre, you must
indicate this by providing the ‘Host School/s’ name in the space provided.
You must also complete the 2017 Approval to transfer VET Creative and Digital Media
form and return it together with this form.
Sections 2, 3 & 4
Host schools must fully complete these sections.
Note: As the home school, you are not required to provide information for Sections 2, 3 and 4
if you are not conducting the VET CDM examination.
© VCAA
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VCE Written Examination Centres
3. Approval to transfer forms
The Approval to transfer VCE written examinations and/or Approval to Transfer VET Creative and
Digital Media forms must be completed if you are:
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making arrangements to transfer examination/s to another school/s or provider
and/or
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requesting the previous year’s arrangements to continue and/or
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transferring a student/s examination/s to another school.
Failure to complete and return these forms will mean that changes will not occur and previous
year’s arrangements will not continue.
The Approval to Transfer form/s should be returned together with the centres forms.
Schools wanting to combine for examinations may access details of other schools offering VCE
studies through VASS: [SCHOOL PROGRAM > Unit 3/4 Home Schools] − please select Unit 4.
4. CCAFL written examinations
CCAFL (Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages) – Wednesday 18 October
Arabic, Armenian, Bosnian, Chin Hakha, Croatian, Dutch, Filipino, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian,
Karen, Khmer, Korean First Language, Korean Second Language, Macedonian, Maltese, Persian,
Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Swedish, Tamil, Turkish,
Ukrainian and Yiddish.
To determine if you currently have students studying one or more of the languages listed above,
rerun the Examination Centre Summary report with the following parameters set:
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Select ‘Cycle 8’
Leave the next two parameters set to ‘ALL’
Include Student Details – ‘No – totals only’
Leave the next three parameters set to ‘Yes’
Report Type – ‘List on Screen’ or ‘Export list’
Report Order – ‘Date’
[Student Program > VCE Reports > Examination Centre Summary]
The VCAA maintains overall responsibility for determining centres for the CCAFL written
examinations.
However, your assistance is required to provide a room/s for the conduct of these examinations.
This will assist the VCAA in localising centres and, where possible, minimise travel requirements
for students.
If you have CCAFLs listed on the Examination Centre Summary report, you must complete and
return the 2017 CCAFL written examination centres form. This form must be returned even if you
do not nominate your school as a centre.
© VCAA
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VCE Written Examination Centres
Please be aware of the following:
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If you don’t nominate your school as a centre or are unable to provide a room/s at your
school, students for whom you are the home school will be required to complete their
examination elsewhere. This will require students to travel to other schools prior to the
2.00 pm commencement time, and then travel home after the completion of the
examination.
If the VCAA is unable to accommodate your students at a localised centre, you will be
required to conduct the CCAFL written examination/s for your home school student/s as
per the signed 2017 Agreement to conduct and administer VCE external assessments.
Although you may be prepared to provide a room/s and accommodate students from
other schools, students in languages with low enrolment numbers will be allocated to
the most central venue.
The form should be completed as follows:
Section 1
All home schools with student/s enrolled in Unit 3-4 in one or more CCAFL must complete this
section.
Section 2
If you nominate your school as a centre, select either Option A, B or C.
OPTION A – Home School Students ONLY
You are choosing to conduct the CCAFL written examinations for only your home
school students. If you choose this option the VCAA will not pay for supervision if
the number of students in each language is fewer than 10.
(This does not apply if you are a remote country school.)
OR
OPTION B – BOTH Home School Students and Students from Other Schools
You are able to accommodate students from other schools together with your home
school students.
If you choose this option, the VCAA will pay for the supervision even if the total
number of students is fewer than 10.
Note: If the VCAA is unable to allocate students from other schools to your centre
for a language/s, then your students will be moved.
OR
OPTION C – Combination of Option A and/or Option B
As per Option B, except if the VCAA is not able to allocate students from other
schools to your centre, you are willing to revert to Option A.
That is, you are still prepared to conduct the CCAFL written examinations for only
your home school students and thus pay for supervision if fewer than 10 students
in each language.
Section 3
Schools who have nominated themselves as a CCAFL centre must complete this section.
© VCAA
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VCE Written Examination Centres
Additional Information
Auslan − Wednesday 25 October 2017
Schools are not required to organise a centre for the AUSLAN examination.
The VCAA will allocate a centre for Auslan students and schools will be notified in writing in the
week beginning Monday 18 September 2017.
Equipment
The written examinations for English as an Additional Language (EAL), Music Style and
Composition, Music Performance, VET Music Industry: Sound Production and most Languages
studies, including CCAFL, have a listening component that will require a CD to be played.
These examinations require the host school to provide a separate room (or rooms if there are two
or more examinations in the one session) and the appropriate equipment for each examination.
This equipment must be of a suitable quality and positioned to enable all students to hear the
examination clearly.
The following languages examinations do not have a listening component: Latin, Classical Greek,
Classical Hebrew and Indigenous Languages of Victoria.
Timetable clashes
If a student has two examinations timetabled for the same session, one of the examinations will be
moved to another session on the same day. Principals should consult the student and on behalf of
the student request which examination is to be moved to a different session on the same day.
This request must be made in writing via email to: [email protected] by
Friday 21 July.
Note:
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Language and Music examinations must be conducted at the scheduled time.
Home schools are responsible for running examinations for students with a timetable
clash.
Three examinations on one day
If a student has three examinations scheduled on the same day, the VCAA will contact the school
in writing outlining the arrangements for these students. Schools will be contacted in September.
Note: A report can be run from VASS which will list both the students with a timetable clash and
those with three examinations on one day.
[Student Program > VCE Reports > Examination Clashes]
© VCAA
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VCE Written Examination Centres
Completing examinations outside Victoria
Students who are required to present for examinations at locations outside Victoria must meet the
eligibility requirements and seek VCAA approval.
The application form, which includes the eligibility rules and service fee, is available on VASS:
[SYSTEM ADMIN > Downloads > Examination Admin > 2017 Application to sit external assessments
interstate or overseas].
All applications must be supported with evidence of eligibility.
Applications will not be finalised until the supporting evidence and appropriate fees are paid.
Students are responsible for paying directly to the supervisor any required supervision fee as well
as the cost of returning the response materials immediately to the VCAA by security mail or
courier.
Closing date: Friday 21 July.
Student Examination/Assessment Timetables
It is also the responsibility of the Principal to ensure each home school student enrolled in a VCE
or a scored VET Unit 3-4 sequence is provided with their individual ‘Student
Examination/Assessment Timetable’ produced from VASS.
The Student Examination/Assessment Timetable will inform students of their centre arrangements
for the VCE written examinations, including VET Creative and Digital Media and CCAFL.
Schools should print Student Examination/Assessment Timetables in the week beginning Monday
11 September after centre arrangements for the VCE written examinations have been finalised.
Supervisors
All schools have appointed their 2017 supervisors. Should any changes and/or additions occur to
the supervisors already appointed, it will be necessary to notify the VCAA in writing immediately.
For any newly appointed supervisors, the following form/s is to be completed and returned:
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2017 Change of Chief Supervisor (if a new chief supervisor is appointed)
2017 Additional Assistant Supervisors (if assistant supervisor/s are appointed).
Both of these forms are available on VASS: [SYSTEM ADMIN > Downloads > Examination Admin].
New chief supervisors appointed for the VCE written examination period must attend a training
session conducted by the VCAA. The training sessions will be conducted at the VCAA Coburg
Assessment Centre on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 October.
It is imperative that all appointed supervisors sign a Supervisor Relationships Statutory Declaration
and Conditions of Appointment form well in advance of commencing work. This form is also
available on VASS.
The signed Supervisor Relationships Statutory Declaration and Conditions of Appointment forms
must be retained at school in the VCE Examination Document Register folder.
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VCE Written Examination Centres
Funding additional assistant supervisors (for multiple rooms within a centre)
If schools are obliged to use multiple rooms for some of the examinations, the VCAA will consider
applications for extra funding of assistant supervisors, bearing in mind the base assumption is that
there is a minimum of 20 students allocated to a room.
Schools requesting funding of additional supervisors must apply on the 2017 Application for the
Funding of Additional Assistant Supervisors form.
Funding for an external venue
Schools requesting the VCAA to meet the hiring fee cost for an external venue must apply on the
2017 Application for Funding of an External Venue for External Assessments form.
Consideration will only be given to those applications where:
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two or more schools share the external venue for an examination/s in a session
the total number of students is 10 or more per session.
The VCAA will not fund the cost of furniture hire, cartage and/or setting up.
You must adhere to the application requirements as printed on the above forms to be considered
for funding.
These application forms are available on VASS: [SYSTEM ADMIN > Downloads > Examination Admin].
The completed application/s must be submitted by Friday 21 July.
Briefing sessions
The VCAA will not be running briefing sessions for ongoing chief supervisors in 2017.
Ongoing chief supervisors, and experienced school personnel responsible for the conduct and
administration of VCE examinations are expected to familiarise themselves with the
VCE Examination Manual 2017.
The VCAA will however be conducting a number of audits of VCE examination administration
procedures during Term 3.
If schools are selected for these audits they will be expected to notify their chief supervisor allowing
them the opportunity to attend and participate.
The schools selected for audit will receive advanced notification, by email, from the VCE
Examinations Planning and Logistics area.
© VCAA
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