Year 11 students: Are you considering transferring out of units?

A word from Russell Dyer, Director - Standards and Certification

A photo of a child's feet balancing on a log

Now that you have completed one term as a Year 11 student you might be thinking about the appropriateness of the course you have chosen. Perhaps you have discovered that certain subjects don’t interest you or the level of the course is too hard or too easy. You might also have decided what you
want to do when you leave school and the course you are currently studying doesn’t suit your goals.

A word from Russell Dyer, Director - Standards and Certification

A photo of a child's feet balancing on a log

Now that you have completed one term as a Year 11 student you might be thinking about the appropriateness of the course you have chosen. Perhaps you have discovered that certain subjects don’t interest you or the level of the course is too hard or too easy. You might also have decided what you want to do when you leave school and the course you are currently studying doesn’t suit your goals.

It is coming up to the time when you need to make a decision about your studies. Transferring out of units that do not suit your interests or abilities might be worth considering. It is a big decision so you shouldn’t make it lightly and be prepared to stick with the decision.

Considerations

If you have any concerns about your unit selection then you should discuss your concerns with your parents as well as your teachers, Year Coordinator or Careers Counsellor. You need to consider a number of factors if you are thinking of transferring out of a unit and individual cases may have additional factors to consider. Ask yourself the following questions:

Unit completion requirement

Does transferring out of a unit involve transferring into a unit? The minimum twenty unit requirement may be achieved with some unit equivalents but you need to complete a specific number of units. The breadth and depth requirement means you need to study:

  • 10 units or the equivalent at Year 12 level
  • two Year 11 units from an English course and one pair of Year 12 units from an English course, and
  • one pair of units completed in Year 12 from each of List A (arts/languages/social sciences) and List B (mathematics/science/technology).

It is important that you don’t confuse transferring units with dropping units. How will you make up the units you still need to meet the minimum 20 units in the breadth and depth requirement?

List A/B course balance

Will a transfer upset your balance of List A and List B courses in your program of study? If you transfer out of a unit, will you still be in a position in Year 12 to complete a pair of List A units and a pair of List B units? The Authority is clear that the responsibility is on the individual student and the school to make sure a student’s course selections meet the List A/List B requirements.

Pre-requisites for post-school options

Consider your plans for when you leave school.  If you have an idea of the courses or training that you hope to pursue, you should be clear about any pre-requisites required. Do any of the courses you are interested in studying at university or TAFE have pre-requisites? Do the courses you are currently studying meet the pre-requisites?

Playing to your strengths

Will transferring units help you to maximise your potential? Developing your areas of strength may also have a positive impact by allowing you to focus your time and energy to improve your performance in other courses. You are most likely to perform at your best when you are interested and challenged which could also mean continuing on with the course you have already chosen.

Implications

If you transfer out of units, assessment programs will need to be completed; you will need to catch up on any content that you missed prior to transferring. Are you able to balance this with your other courses?

Remember, schools need to make arrangements and decisions relating to students transferring units in line with their assessment policies. There may be timetabling and resourcing issues at your school that mean you can’t transfer in or out of courses.

Key dates
  • 4 March 2016 was the recommended last date for student transfers from single Year 11 units for Semester One
  • 6 May 2016 is the recommended last date for student transfers between pairs of Year 11 units (E-code).
  • 5 August 2016 is the recommended last date for student transfers from single Year 11 units for Semester Two.

Please note that in Year 12 you will be enrolled in pairs of units and cannot transfer from one course to another.

Advice

The WACE Manual 2015–16 [Revised edition] contains information about transferring out of units.  You can access this manual on the Authority’s website at: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual

Make sure you have discussed any proposed changes with you parents and key staff at your school. Finally, regardless of the units you enrol in and the programs you complete, it is important to always do your best.

Keywords: Courses and units, WACE

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