Every subject-selection season, WA parents hit the same wall: their child wants to load up on Maths and Science, or English and languages, and nothing else. SCSA won't let them. Every WACE student must study across two curriculum categories, List A and List B, not just their strongest subjects (School Curriculum and Standards Authority, WACE Requirements, 2026). What actually counts as List A versus List B, and why does SCSA insist on both? Here's what the rule means for your child's course selection.
Key Takeaways
- List A covers Arts, Languages, Humanities and Social Sciences (English included); List B covers Mathematics, Science and Technology (SCSA, 2026).
- To achieve the WACE, students need one Year 12 unit pair from List A and one from List B, not just a Year 11 unit pair (SCSA WACE Requirements PDF).
- The rule guarantees breadth: even a Maths-and-Science-focused student needs a List A subject, and vice versa.
- VET industry-specific courses generally aren't assigned to either list, so they can't cover this requirement.
What's the Difference Between List A and List B Subjects?
List A covers the Arts, Languages, and Humanities and Social Sciences, and it includes English (SCSA WACE Requirements, 2026). List B covers Mathematics, Science and Technology. It's a curriculum split, not a difficulty or prestige ranking, so neither list is "harder" by design.
The table below shows representative subjects from each list. Exact course offerings vary by school, so treat this as a guide, not a definitive state-wide list.
Two colleagues planning a weekly schedule with colour-coded sticky notes on a whiteboard
A student doing Chemistry, Physics and Human Biology has three strong List B subjects but zero List A subjects, which is exactly the pattern that trips families up. Isn't it worth checking your child's current subject line-up against both columns before Year 12 locks in?
For a course-by-course breakdown, see our WACE subject guides.
What Does SCSA Actually Require From Each List?
SCSA's WACE Requirements document is specific: as part of the minimum 20 units needed for the WACE, students must complete "one pair of Year 12 units from each of List A ... and List B ... subjects" (SCSA, WACE Requirements 2024 and beyond). That's not a suggestion. It's a certification requirement, sitting alongside the minimum 10 Year 12 units and the mandatory Year 12 English unit pair.
The word "pair" matters here. WACE courses run as unit pairs, typically Unit 3 and Unit 4 taken together in Year 12. A List A or List B subject completed only in Year 11 doesn't satisfy the requirement. It has to be a Year 12 pair, sat in the final year of schooling.
Minimum 10 Year 12 units required for WACE, broken into English unit pair, List A unit pair, List B unit pair and elective units
Source: SCSA, WACE Requirements 2024 and beyond.
SCSA's own requirements document states that students must complete one Year 12 unit pair from List A and one from List B as part of the minimum 20-unit WACE, and that a Year 11 pair doesn't count. Getting this timing wrong is one of the more common, and avoidable, mistakes families make in subject planning (SCSA, 2024).
Why Does WACE Require Breadth Across Both Lists?
SCSA is direct about the reasoning: "Choosing courses from both List A and List B ensures breadth in the WACE," exposing students to a range of learning areas across Years 11 and 12 (SCSA, Parents guidance, 2026). Breadth isn't a side benefit. It's baked into what "achieving the WACE" actually means.
What we see in tutoring sessions: Students who commit early to an all-STEM or all-humanities timetable often realise the List A/B gap in Year 12, when swapping subjects is far harder than it was in Year 10. A five-minute check against both lists in Year 10 avoids a scramble later.
Student studying at a laptop in a university-style library with tall bookshelves
The logic tracks with how universities and employers talk about well-rounded graduates, but SCSA doesn't frame it as career prep. It frames it as a certification standard every WA student meets, regardless of their intended pathway.
How Should Families Plan Subject Selection?
Start the List A/List B check in Year 10, before subject preferences are locked in for Year 11 (SCSA course selection guidance). That gives your child two full years to adjust, rather than discovering a gap when Year 12 timetabling is already set.
VET industry-specific courses generally aren't assigned to List A or List B, so they don't count toward this particular requirement, even though they can count toward other parts of the WACE (check with your school's VET coordinator for course-specific advice). Confirm every subject on your child's line-up against the actual list it belongs to, not just the subject's general vibe. Business Management, for instance, sits in List A despite feeling commerce-adjacent to STEM.
Not sure if your child's current subjects satisfy the List A/B requirement? Apply for tutoring with Apex Tuition Australia and we'll help map out a subject plan that keeps every WACE requirement covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does English count as a List A or List B subject?
English sits in List A, under Humanities and Social Sciences and Languages (SCSA WACE Requirements, 2026). Because a Year 12 English unit pair is separately mandatory, most students already have one List A subject locked in before choosing anything else.
Can a Year 11 List A or List B subject satisfy the requirement?
No. SCSA requires the List A and List B unit pairs to be completed in Year 12, not Year 11 (SCSA, WACE Requirements 2024 and beyond). A student who only studies a List B subject in Year 11 still needs a separate Year 12 List B pair.
Do VET courses count toward List A or List B?
Generally, no. Industry-specific VET courses aren't assigned to either list, so they can't be used to meet this particular breadth requirement, even though they contribute to other parts of the WACE. Check enrolment details with your school's VET coordinator.
How many total units does the WACE require?
WACE requires a minimum of 20 units across Years 11 and 12, with at least 10 of those at Year 12 level (SCSA, WACE Requirements 2024 and beyond). The List A pair, List B pair and English pair sit inside that Year 12 minimum, alongside elective units.
Conclusion
List A and List B aren't just SCSA jargon. They're a certification requirement that shapes which subjects your child needs by Year 12, regardless of where their strengths lie. Miss the Year 12 pairing from either list, and the WACE itself is at risk, not just a single subject grade.
The fix is simple: check your child's current and planned subjects against both lists now, while there's still time to adjust before Year 11 preferences lock in. A well-rounded WACE isn't an accident. It's a requirement SCSA built in on purpose.
