Most families assume that finishing Year 12 in Western Australia automatically means getting the WACE. It doesn't. There are four specific requirements, and a student can sit every class, submit every assignment, and still graduate without the certificate if one piece is missing.
Understanding what the WACE actually requires is one of the most useful things a student or parent can do for Year 12 planning. Here's what each requirement actually involves. For a broader overview of how the system fits together, see our guide to Understanding WACE.
Key Takeaways
- WACE has four requirements: literacy/numeracy standard, 20 units with the right mix, 14 C grades (including 6 in Year 12), and a specific course completion pathway
- Only 27.4% of WA students in the school-leaving age group received an ATAR in 2024 — you can earn WACE without ever sitting an ATAR exam (UWA News, 2025)
- OLNA gives students up to 6 attempts across Years 10–12; there's also a post-Year 12 pathway for anyone who doesn't pass in time
- VET qualifications count toward the 20-unit total — but they cannot substitute for the mandatory List A and List B courses
What Is the WACE — and How Is It Different from a WASSA?
Every WA student who completes Year 12 receives a WASSA. That's guaranteed. The Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement records every course completed, every grade earned, and every qualification or endorsed program finished across Years 11 and 12. You get it regardless of results.
The WACE — the Western Australian Certificate of Education — is different. It's an additional certificate, earned only by students who meet four specific requirements.
There's also a common mix-up worth clearing up early: WACE and ATAR aren't the same thing. The ATAR is a university entry score, calculated only for students who sit at least four Year 12 ATAR external exams. You can earn a WACE without ever sitting an ATAR exam, by completing General or VET courses instead.
In 2025, 10,265 WA students received an ATAR. That's a subset of the total WACE cohort, which also includes students who graduated via General and VET pathways without an ATAR score.
📖 Also worth reading: WACE ATAR Results 2025: Top Performing Schools in Western Australia — see how the 2025 ATAR cohort broke down by school and where WA's highest achievers studied.
(Internal link placeholder — WACE ATAR vs General Courses comparison article, resolve before publishing)
Requirement 1: The Literacy and Numeracy Standard (OLNA)
Student studying at a library surrounded by stacks of books and notes
Before a student can receive a WACE, they must demonstrate minimum standards in reading, writing, and numeracy. The benchmark is Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) Level 3. The level SCSA has set as the minimum for meaningful participation in adult life and work (SCSA, 2025). There are two ways to meet it.
The NAPLAN pathway. Students who achieve the required cut-point score in Year 9 NAPLAN across all three strands — reading, writing, and numeracy — are prequalified.
📖 If you are interested in seeing the analysis of NAPLAN results, you can analysis from 2025
They've already met the standard and don't need to sit OLNA at all. Note: prior to 2023, this was described as "Band 8 or above." From 2023 onwards, SCSA uses cut-point scores aligned to NAPLAN's updated reporting scale, so older articles describing the Band 8 benchmark may not reflect current policy for today's students.
The OLNA pathway. Students who don't prequalify sit the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment during Years 10, 11, or 12. OLNA has three separate components: Reading (45 multiple-choice questions, 50 minutes), Writing (a typed response up to 600 words, 60 minutes), and Numeracy (45 multiple-choice questions, 50 minutes). Each component is assessed independently. A student who passes Writing but not Numeracy only needs to retest on Numeracy, they don't repeat the whole assessment.
Students get up to six attempts across Years 10–12, with two attempts available per year. If a student doesn't pass all three components by the end of Year 12, they aren't automatically blocked from WACE forever. SCSA offers a post-Year 12 completion pathway, and students can continue attempting OLNA after leaving school.
The OLNA assesses ACSF Level 3 literacy and numeracy skills — the standard SCSA requires for meaningful participation in adult life and work. Students get up to six attempts across Years 10–12, split as two per year, and each of the three components (Reading, Writing, Numeracy) can be reattempted independently. For students who don't pass all three by Year 12, SCSA provides a post-school completion pathway (SCSA, 2025).
Requirement 2: What Units Need To Be Completed
High school students sitting at classroom desks writing notes during a lesson
High school students sitting at classroom desks writing notes during a lesson
The second requirement is about the shape of a student's program — not just how many courses they take, but which ones. Students must complete a minimum of 20 units, with at least 10 of those being Year 12 units (SCSA, 2025). A standard subject taken across both year levels is worth 4 units: one pair in Year 11 and one pair in Year 12.
Within those 20 units, there are five sub-requirements:
- 20 units total (across Year 11 and Year 12)
- At least 10 must be Year 12 units
- 4 units from an English learning area — taken post-Year 10, with at least one pair from a Year 12 English course
- One Year 12 pair from List A — arts, languages, and social sciences
- One Year 12 pair from List B — mathematics, science, and technology
List A subjects include English courses, Drama, Visual Arts, Modern History, Ancient History, Geography, Politics and Law, Economics, Business Management and Enterprise, Philosophy and Ethics, and all language courses (Chinese, French, Indonesian, Japanese, and others). List B subjects include Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Applications, Mathematics Essential, Mathematics Specialist, Physics, Chemistry, Human Biology, Biology, Psychology, Computer Science, Applied Information Technology, Engineering Studies, and Physical Education Studies, among others.
Stacked bar chart showing how 20 WACE units break down by category across a minimum program
Stacked bar chart showing how 20 WACE units break down by category across a minimum program
Source: SCSA WACE requirements, 2025. Chart shows minimum composition — most students complete more than 20 units across Years 11 and 12.
What About VET?
VET qualifications can count toward the 20-unit total — but with important limits. VET and endorsed programs combined can contribute a maximum of 4 Year 11 unit equivalents and 4 Year 12 unit equivalents. Endorsed programs are further capped at 4 unit equivalents total across both year levels.
More importantly: VET cannot satisfy the List A or List B breadth requirement. No matter how substantial a VET qualification is, it doesn't substitute for an ATAR, General, or Foundation course from either list. This catches students out more often than you'd expect. A student doing a Certificate II in Construction still needs a qualifying Year 12 pair from a List A subject and a qualifying Year 12 pair from a List B subject.
(Internal link placeholder — WACE subject selection guide for Year 10, resolve before publishing)
Requirement 3: The Achievement Standard — 14 C Grades
Students must achieve at least 14 C grades (or their equivalent) across all Year 11 and Year 12 units. Of those 14, at least 6 must come from Year 12 units specifically (SCSA, 2025). A student who performs well in Year 11 but struggles in Year 12 can still fall short — the Year 12 floor of 6 C grades is independent of the overall count.
For VET units, the "C grade equivalent" means achieving a satisfactory result on the unit of competency. A Competency result counts toward the 14; a Not Yet Competent result doesn't.
💡Our observation: The C grade requirement tends to catch students who take too many demanding ATAR courses relative to their preparation level. A student in five difficult ATAR subjects and struggling in two of them might finish Year 12 with fewer than 6 Year 12 C grades — even with solid Year 11 results. Students who balance General and ATAR courses, or include well-matched VET units, typically have more buffer against this floor. The requirement isn't harsh on its own; it becomes a risk when course selection doesn't account for it.
What happens if you fall short? There's no automatic make-up within the same year. Missing the C grade requirement means missing WACE for that year. Students can, however, enrol in further study post-Year 12 and work toward meeting the standard through SCSA's adult learning pathways.
(Internal link placeholder — WACE ATAR vs General Courses article, resolve before publishing)
Requirement 4: Completing the Right Course Combination
The fourth requirement is the one most people picture when they think of Year 12: completing a defined combination of courses. There are three recognised pathways.
Horizontal bar chart comparing minimum Year 12 courses required for ATAR, General, and VET pathways
Horizontal bar chart comparing minimum Year 12 courses required for ATAR, General, and VET pathways
Source: SCSA WACE requirements, 2025. The VET pathway requires one Certificate II or higher qualification, plus additional ATAR/General/Foundation courses to meet breadth and unit totals.
The ATAR Pathway
Students who want to receive an ATAR must complete at least four Year 12 ATAR courses with SCSA external exams. The external exam counts for 50% of the course result. These four (or more) scaled ATAR course scores are the inputs to the TISC formula that produces an ATAR score used for university entry.
This is the pathway that gets the most attention — but it's not the only route to WACE.
The General Pathway
Students who don't want an ATAR can graduate via five or more Year 12 General courses. There's also a hybrid: up to three Year 12 ATAR courses combined with enough General courses to total at least five Year 12 courses overall. General courses don't generate an ATAR score, but they do lead to WACE — and in many cases, to TAFE entry, traineeships, and employment outcomes that don't require an ATAR at all.
The VET / Certificate II Pathway
A student who completes a Certificate II or higher VET qualification can use that as the course completion pathway — combined with any ATAR, General, or Foundation courses needed to satisfy the breadth and unit requirements. This pathway is commonly taken by students doing school-based apprenticeships.
To receive WACE via this pathway, the student must complete the Certificate II qualification (not just enrol in it) and still meet all four requirements — including the List A/List B breadth requirement through ATAR, General, or Foundation courses.
The Foundation Course Edge Case
There's a rule that's easy to miss: if a student takes any Foundation course in Year 12 (rather than ATAR or General), they must also complete a Certificate II or higher VET qualification. Foundation courses alone — without a VET qualification alongside them — don't satisfy the course completion pathway requirement.
Under SCSA's WACE requirements, students who include Foundation courses in their Year 12 program need a Certificate II VET qualification to complete the pathway requirement — and they must still meet the breadth requirement (List A and List B pairs) through ATAR, General, or Foundation courses separately (SCSA, 2025).
(Internal link placeholder — VET and school-based apprenticeships guide for WA, resolve before publishing)
Does Everyone Who Finishes Year 12 Actually Get a WACE?
Graduate wearing academic gown and holding up a diploma certificate
Graduate wearing academic gown and holding up a diploma certificate
No — and this surprises a lot of families. Finishing Year 12 guarantees a WASSA. It doesn't guarantee WACE.
Only 27.4% of WA students in the school-leaving age group received an ATAR in 2024 (UWA News, 2025). That's the ATAR cohort — a subset of total WACE achievers, which also includes students who graduated via General and VET pathways. The full WACE achievement rate isn't published in a public-facing format; SCSA's statistical breakdowns are released in PDF tables that aren't readily searchable.
Doughnut chart showing 27.4% of WA students received an ATAR versus 72.6% who graduated without ATAR in 2024
Source: UWA News / SCSA, 2025. The non-ATAR segment includes both students who earned WACE via General/VET pathways and students who received a WASSA only.
The opacity here matters. Parents researching "what percentage of WA students pass Year 12" will find the ATAR cohort number prominently cited — because that's what media reports around December each year. But 10,265 ATAR students (2025 figure) is just the university-entry subset. The actual WACE graduation rate, including all General and VET graduates, is higher — and the students who don't achieve WACE at all are a different group again. The public data doesn't cleanly separate these three populations.
(Internal link placeholder — WA university ATAR cut-offs and entry requirements, resolve before publishing)
What Happens If You Don't Meet WACE Requirements by Year 12?
Missing one or more WACE requirements at the end of Year 12 doesn't close the door. SCSA offers continuation pathways.
Students who didn't pass all three OLNA components can keep attempting them after leaving school. Students who fell short on C grades or unit counts can enrol in further study — through TAFE, an adult learning centre, or a school with a Year 13 program — to make up the gap. WACE can be awarded after Year 12 once all four requirements are met.
That said, the practical reality is that most students who finish Year 12 without WACE face a more complicated path to the qualifications or employment they're aiming for. Planning ahead — especially around subject selection in Year 10 — avoids most of the common traps.
💬 What we see at Apex Tuition: The students who run into WACE eligibility problems almost always trace the issue back to subject selection decisions made in Year 10, before they understood how the requirements fit together. A student who swaps out a List B subject for a VET elective without realising they've left a breadth gap, or who loads up on ATAR subjects and finishes with four grades below C, typically had no one walk them through these mechanics when it mattered most. The requirements aren't complex once explained — they just rarely are.
If your child is working toward WACE and could use expert support in any ATAR or General subject, Apex Tuition Australia works with WA students across all year levels and pathways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sit the ATAR exam to get a WACE?
No. ATAR exams are required only for students on the ATAR pathway, who need to sit exams in at least four Year 12 ATAR courses. Students who complete five Year 12 General courses — or a Certificate II VET qualification with additional courses — can earn WACE without sitting any ATAR exam. In 2024, 9,992 WA students received an ATAR (Learnmate, 2024); many more graduated with WACE via General and VET pathways.
What are List A and List B subjects in WACE?
List A covers arts, languages, and social sciences — subjects like English, Drama, Modern History, Economics, Geography, Politics and Law, and all foreign languages. List B covers mathematics, science, and technology — subjects like Maths Methods, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, and Physical Education Studies. WACE requires one Year 12 pair from each list, and these pairs must come from ATAR, General, or Foundation courses — VET qualifications don't satisfy the breadth requirement. (Internal link placeholder — WACE subject selection guide with full List A and List B subject lists, resolve before publishing)
What happens if I don't pass OLNA?
Each component — Reading, Writing, and Numeracy — can be reattempted independently. You get two attempts per year across Years 10, 11, and 12, for six attempts in total. If you pass Writing but not Numeracy, you only resit Numeracy. Students who don't pass all three by the end of Year 12 can continue attempting OLNA post-school through SCSA. The standard assessed is ACSF Level 3 — the literacy and numeracy benchmark required for meaningful participation in adult life and work (SCSA, 2025).
Can VET count toward my WACE?
Yes, with limits. VET unit equivalents can count toward your 20-unit total, with a maximum of 4 Year 11 equivalents and 4 Year 12 equivalents from VET and endorsed programs combined. A Certificate II or higher qualification also qualifies as a course completion pathway. However, VET cannot satisfy the List A or List B breadth requirement — those pairs must come from ATAR, General, or Foundation courses regardless of how much VET you complete.
What's the difference between a WASSA and a WACE?
Every WA student who completes Year 12 receives a WASSA (Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement). It records all courses, grades, qualifications, and endorsed programs completed — it's a comprehensive transcript and every student gets one. The WACE is a separate certificate awarded only to students who meet all four requirements. You can receive a WASSA without earning a WACE — which is why understanding the requirements before Year 11 matters.
Conclusion
WACE has four requirements: demonstrate literacy and numeracy to the OLNA standard, complete 20 units with the right subject mix, earn 14 C grades with at least 6 in Year 12, and finish a defined course pathway. Meeting all four takes planning — the most common mistakes are building a subject list that misses List A or List B, underestimating OLNA early, and taking a course load that makes the C grade floor harder than it needs to be.
The time to understand this is Year 10, not the end of Year 12.
For students on the ATAR pathway, understanding how those results translate into a rank is the next step. (Internal link placeholder — WACE ATAR calculation guide, resolve before publishing)
For students weighing up course types, (internal link placeholder — WACE ATAR vs General Courses article, resolve before publishing).
You might also like
- Understanding WACE: Your Path to Success in Year 12
- WACE ATAR Results 2025: Top Performing Schools in Western Australia
- WACE Scaling 2025: What It Is, How It Works, and What the Data Reveals
- WACE Exam Timetable 2025: Your Complete Guide
- Everything You Need To Know To Ace WACE English ATAR Course
