Drama and Music General courses Years 11 and 12 syllabus review briefings

Contacts

Drama
Clair Lang (08) 9273 6720
Clair.Lang@scsa.wa.edu.au

Music
Nick Fielding (08) 9273 6756
Nick.Fielding@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) is offering syllabus review briefings for Drama and Music General Years 11 and 12 courses. All briefings will be conducted online.

The purpose of these briefings is to:

• identify the main changes between the current and the proposed course syllabuses
• learn about the key features of the proposed course syllabuses
• ask clarifying questions
• provide feedback to the Authority.

It is important for attendees to familiarise themselves with the draft syllabus review materials before the briefing/s. Following each briefing, the syllabus review consultation survey will be available for attendees to complete online.

The draft materials and the survey will be available under the ‘Syllabus review’ accordion on the relevant course page:

• Drama at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/drama
• Music at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/music.

The briefings are not compulsory and are free to attend.

The dates for the briefings are:

• Drama: Thursday, 4 June and Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 3.30–4.30 pm
• Music: Monday, 8 June 2026 and Tuesday, 9 June 3.30–4.30 pm.

Register on the Authority’s Events page at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/news-and-events/all-events/drama-and-music-general-syllabus-review-online-briefings.

Note: the Authority uses Webex as the delivery platform for all online briefings. Registrants will need to download the application prior to the meeting to participate.

2026 ATAR course examination timetables available online

Contact

Barclay Jones (08) 9273 6309
Barclay.Jones@scsa.wa.edu.au

The 2026 Year 12 ATAR course written and practical examination timetables will be available on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/examination-timetables.

The 2026 Year 12 ATAR course written examinations are scheduled from Wednesday, 28 October to Thursday, 19 November 2026.

The 2026 Year 12 ATAR course practical examinations are scheduled from Saturday, 26 September to Sunday, 25 October 2026.

From Tuesday, 8 September 2026, students will be able to download their Personalised written examination timetable and Personalised practical examination timetable by logging into the Student portal at https://studentportal.scsa.wa.edu.au.

The Personalised written examination timetable will contain the date, time and examination centre for the student’s written examinations. The Personalised practical examination timetable will contain the date, time, venue and location of the student’s practical examinations.

2026 ATAR course written and practical examinations – Chief Supervisor and Supervisor applications

Contact

Jeni Jakovleva (08) 9273 6308
examsupervisors@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) is seeking Chief Supervisors and Supervisors to assist with the conduct of the 2026 ATAR course examinations at established examination venues/centres throughout Western Australia.

The Chief Supervisor is a senior role responsible for organising an examination venue/centre and directing a team of supervisors to ensure that the examinations are conducted fairly and in accordance with the Authority’s policies and procedures.

The role of the Supervisor is to work as part of a team assisting the Chief Supervisor or the written Second-In-Charge Supervisor with ensuring examinations are conducted fairly and in accordance with the Authority’s policies and procedures.

Application timeline

Practical examinations

Written examinations

Information regarding the roles and the application process is available at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/about-us/employment.

2027 ATAR course examination dates

Contact

Barclay Jones (08) 9273 6309
Barclay.Jones@scsa.wa.edu.au

The dates for the 2027 ATAR course written and practical examinations have been confirmed.

The 2027 ATAR course written examinations are scheduled from Wednesday, 27 October to Thursday, 18 November 2027.

The 2027 ATAR course practical examinations are scheduled from Saturday, 25 September to Sunday, 24 October 2027. The 2027 ATAR course practical examinations are scheduled as follows:

• Saturday, 25 September to Sunday, 3 October (Saturdays, Sundays and the public holiday included):
  • Aviation, Dance, Drama and Music.
  • Commencement of practical (oral) examinations for Chinese: Second Language, French: Background Language, French: Second Language, German: Background Language, German: Second Language, Hindi: Background Language, Hindi: Second Language, Indonesian: Background Language, Indonesian: Second Language, Italian: Background Language, Italian: Second Language, Japanese: Second Language, Korean: Background Language, Korean: Second Language, Punjabi: Background Language, Punjabi: Second Language, Tamil: Background Language and Tamil: Second Language.
• Saturday, 9 October to Sunday, 24 October (Saturdays and Sundays included):
  • Continuation of practical (oral) examinations.

Schools will not be able to specify particular days for the practical examinations to be held for any student. Students from a school must be randomly allocated to examination times throughout all the days allotted for a course. This process ensures anonymity for all candidates.

All school activities, such as school examinations, final-day assemblies, graduations, valedictory dinners and leavers’ breakfasts, should be on dates other than those listed above.

It is important that schools communicate the written and practical examination dates to students, teachers and parents. No allowance in the timetable can be made for holidays, work or personal arrangements.

Information about ATAR course examination periods is available on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website at
https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/examination-timetables.

2026 ATAR course examinations general information – Late arrivals

Contact

Barclay Jones (08) 9273 6309
Barclay.Jones@scsa.wa.edu.au

It is important for schools to build students’ understanding of processes and key dates for the 2026 ATAR course examinations.

To support schools, various processes will be highlighted over the remaining circulars for 2026, beginning with Late arrivals.

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) has established rules for late arrivals to practical and written examinations.

Practical examinations
The expectations for arrivals at practical examinations are detailed in the practical examinations requirements documents for each course available on the relevant course page on Authority website. The rules for late arrivals are detailed as appropriate for the course. Schools should ensure students are familiar with the information relevant to them by referring to the Examination Materials accordion of the course page.

Candidates who are late to a practical examination may not be admitted to the examination and this could affect their completion of the course and their achievement of a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).

Written examinations
It is mandatory for candidates to arrive at the examination centre at least 30 minutes before the prescribed start time for an examination (8.50 am for morning sessions and 1.30 pm for afternoon sessions). Supervisors will instruct candidates to enter the examination room approximately 20 minutes before the prescribed start time to facilitate administrative procedures and provide essential examination instructions.

Candidates will not be permitted to enter the examination room after the initial 30 minutes of the allocated working time. For all Mathematics course examinations, candidates will not be permitted to enter the examination room after the initial 30 minutes of Section One: calculator free working time.

If arriving after the instructions have commenced for any examination, candidates must read and sign a declaration confirming their understanding of crucial information pertinent to sitting the written examination.

Further information
The Year 12 Information Handbook Part II: Examinations will be available on the Authority website at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/year-12-information from Wednesday, 22 July 2026.

Nominal hours for Certificate II VET qualifications

Contact

Jackie D’Sylva (08) 9273 6316
Adam Smith (08) 9442 9440
Rachael Davidson (08) 9273 6718
vetinfo@scsa.wa.edu.au

It is important for schools to check the total nominal hours of the units of competency selected within Certificate II vocational education and training (VET) qualifications.

Completion of a Certificate II with less than 220 nominal hours will only be awarded two Year 11 unit equivalents towards the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and may affect a student’s ability to meet the requirements for achieving the WACE.

Completion of a Certificate II that meets the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s (the Authority’s) 220 nominal hours threshold will be awarded four unit equivalents (two in Year 11 and two in Year 12).

Commonly delivered VET qualifications with low total nominal hours are:

• CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering (155 nominal hours)
• CPC20220 Certificate II in Construction Pathways (200 nominal hours)
• FSK20119 Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways (205 nominal hours)
• SIS20321 Certificate II in Sport Coaching (190 nominal hours).

Commonly delivered VET qualifications that meet the Authority’s 220 nominal hours threshold, when appropriate electives are used, are:

• AUR20720 Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation (230 nominal hours)
• RII20220 Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations (220 nominal hours)
• CHC22015 Certificate II in Community Services (235 nominal hours).

Nominal hours for units of competency are listed in the WA nominal hours guides for each training package available at https://www.dtwd.wa.gov.au/training-product-search.

Further information is available in Section 4 of the WACE Manual 2026 at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual.

Final dates for Year 12 students to withdraw from courses in 2026

Contact

Perpetua Joseph (08) 9273 6771
Perpetua.Joseph@scsa.wa.edu.au

All student withdrawal information for Year 12 courses must be updated/recorded in the Student Information Records System (SIRS) by the dates published in the 2026 Activities Schedule.

Schools must meet the withdrawal deadlines published in the 2026 Activities Schedule available at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/activities-schedule. Failure to meet these deadlines may have consequences for students meeting the requirements for achieving the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).

Before a Year 12 student withdraws from a course, schools should encourage them to use the WACE checker available at https://wacechecker.scsa.wa.edu.au. This tool enables students to determine how changes to their enrolment may affect meeting WACE requirements.

ATAR Year 12 courses practical and written examinations and meeting WACE requirements

Students who are enrolled in a Year 12 ATAR course must sit the external examination in that course to meet course completion requirements. For ATAR courses with practical components, students must sit both the written and practical examinations. For the Physical Education Studies ATAR Year 12 course, students must complete the school‑based practical external assessment (SPEA).

If a student does not sit an ATAR course examination and does not have an approved sickness/misadventure application for that course, or an approved absence application for a SPEA, the grades for the pair of units enrolled in for that year will not contribute to the calculation of the WACE. As a consequence, the student may not meet WACE requirements.

Further information on meeting WACE requirements is available in the WACE Manual 2026 at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual.

Key dates for withdrawal from Year 12 courses

Thursday, 23 July 2026

• Final date for withdrawal from ATAR courses with a practical examination component or a SPEA.

Monday, 10 August 2026

• Final date for withdrawal from ATAR courses without a practical examination component or a SPEA.
• Final date for withdrawal from General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET industry specific courses.

Note: no changes can be made to student enrolments in these courses after these dates.