Where it fits › Australian Capital Territory
Where does VET fit? · Australian Capital Territory
In the ACT, VET counts towards your certificate and opens a separate door to university.
VET from an outside provider earns E units towards the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate. It adds nothing to the ATAR score, which comes from scaled T courses, but a completed Certificate IV or Diploma can be used to apply to university in its own right.
Year 11–12
College courses + your VET qualification
↓
1 · ACT SSC
VET counts towards finishing school
The ACT Senior Secondary Certificate is built from standard units grouped into courses. VET from a provider such as Shafston is recorded as an E course.
17
standard units for the ACT SSC, completed within five years
4
or more courses, from at least 3 course areas
8
the most VET units that can count towards the certificate
How VET turns into E units
BSSS counts the nominal hours of the competencies you achieve.
100 nominal hours
1.0 E unit
Each further 10 hours
0.1 unit, rounded down
2.0 units
an E course, counted as a minor
3.5 units
a major
From 2024, at most 8.0 units from VET training packages count towards the certificate’s minimum requirements.
What VET cannot replace
A, T or M courses
at least 2
English course area
one of those 2
Course areas
at least 3 in total
E courses help make up the 17 units and the course count, but they do not meet the A, T or M requirement.
The ACT has no separate literacy or numeracy test. The English requirement is met through an A, T or M course, not through VET.
2 + 3 · University
In the ACT, VET reaches university by its own route
The ATAR and a VET qualification are separate. Students can aim for one, or keep both open.
The ATAR
VET adds no score here
BSSS builds the ATAR aggregate from your best three scaled major course scores, plus 0.6 of the next best. Only T and H courses are scaled.
T major
T major
T major
0.6 × next
An E course can still help fill the package of majors and minors needed for a Tertiary Entrance Statement. It just adds nothing to the score.
The VET route
A selection rank of its own
ACT universities assess a completed qualification on its own terms, separately from the ATAR.
Canberra
Ungraded selection ranks: Certificate III 67, Certificate IV 73, Diploma 75
Canberra + CIT
Guaranteed entry and up to a year of credit for listed CIT diplomas
ANU
Diploma or above only, applied for through UAC
A Certificate IV opens many University of Canberra courses; for ANU, aim for the Diploma.
Before you count on it
Check the hours
E units come from nominal hours, so two qualifications at the same level can earn different amounts.
Keep your A, T and M courses
The certificate still needs two of them, including English.
Guarantees name partners
The University of Canberra guarantee covers CIT diplomas, not other providers.
Check the year you apply
Admission rules change between years. Always confirm with the university.
Shafston School of Business · VET in Schools 2027. Sources: BSSS (ACT Senior Secondary Certificate, VET and ATAR information), University of Canberra and ANU admissions information, checked October 2026.