The VCE is the senior secondary certificate for students in Victoria, run by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). This page gives you free practice sets on VCE structure, assessment, the ATAR, English, Mathematics, Sciences and Humanities. It also has worked explanations of sample questions, the 2026 exam and results dates, and a study plan that uses our questions alongside official VCAA material. We write our questions with AI tools, and they are not official exam questions.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (Study score) | Mean study score set at 30 each year for every study[1] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Time limit (Written examinations) | 15-minute reading period (unless otherwise specified)[2] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score | Each unit graded S or N[3] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (VCE Results and ATAR Service) | Results access is free; administrative fees apply to ATAR statements[4] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Units can be repeated with no penalty[5] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery | External exams held in October and November each year[5] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery (General Achievement Test (GAT)) | Pen-and-paper test[6] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility | At least 16 satisfactorily completed units[1] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility (Adult students) | At least 8 units, including an English Group sequence[5] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release | From 7:00 am, 10 December 2026[4] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release (General Achievement Test (GAT)) | Thursday 10 December 2026[6] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Registration deadline (VCE Results and ATAR Service) | Register by 5:00 pm, Wed 9 Dec 2026[4] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window (Performance and oral examinations) | 5 Oct – 1 Nov 2026[7] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window (Written examinations) | 27 Oct – 18 Nov 2026[7] | Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority · Oct 25, 2026 |
According to Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, “Each year, and for every study, the mean study score is set at 30.”[1]
The VCAA awards the VCE when you meet its unit requirements. To earn your VCE, you must satisfactorily complete at least 16 units. Adult students have a separate rule: at least 8 units, including an English Group sequence. Each unit is graded S (satisfactory) or N (not satisfactory). There is no penalty for repeating VCE units, so an N does not close the door.
Assessment combines school-based work with external exams. External exams are held in October and November each year. In 2026, Performance and Languages oral examinations and Extended Investigation oral presentations run from 5 October to 1 November. Written examinations run from 27 October to 18 November. Each written examination starts with a 15-minute reading period unless otherwise specified. The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a pen-and-paper test of general knowledge and skills.
Each year, and for every study, the mean study score is set at 30. Your study score therefore shows how you did compared with other students taking the same study that year. Results, including GAT results, are available from 7:00 am on 10 December 2026 through the VCE Results and ATAR Service. You can see your results for free, but administrative fees apply to ATAR statements. Your subjects, timetable and SAC schedule depend on your school and the study designs you take, so check the VCAA website and ask your school's VCE coordinator for details.
Prepare for the VCE - Victorian Certificate of Education exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: In VCE, what is a 'notional hour' used to measure?
Answer: A. The expected student learning time for a unit
Explanation:
The answer is A. A notional hour is a planning measure in VCE study designs. It estimates the total learning time a student is expected to spend on a unit, including class time and the homework and study around it. It describes the whole unit, not any individual task.
B is wrong because the examination timetable and specifications set how long an exam is. Notional hours do not. C is wrong because SACs are individual school-assessed tasks, and notional hours cover the whole unit, of which SACs are only part. D is wrong because notional hours measure student learning time, not teacher workload or marking.
Rule to remember: notional hours measure a student's expected learning time for a unit. If an option swaps in exam time, SAC time or teacher time, check whose time is being counted.
Question: In VCE Further Mathematics, which module covers loans, investments and annuities?
Answer: A. Financial Mathematics module
Explanation:
The answer is A. Financial Mathematics is the module about money over time: compound interest, loans, investments and annuities, including how a balance changes with each payment.
B is wrong because Networks and Decision Mathematics deals with graphs, paths, flow and scheduling. C is wrong because Geometry and Measurement covers shapes, area, volume and trigonometry. D is wrong because the Matrices module covers matrix arithmetic and uses such as transition matrices, not loan balances.
Rule to remember: if a question mentions interest, repayments, depreciation or annuities, think Financial Mathematics. Further Mathematics belongs to an earlier study design. The current General Mathematics study design still includes financial topics, so check the VCAA study design for the subject you are taking.
Question: In VCE Physics Unit 3, which area of study covers motion and forces?
Answer: A. How do things move and interact?
Explanation:
The answer is A. In the Physics study design this question is based on, the Unit 3 area of study 'How do things move and interact?' covers motion and forces: Newton's laws, momentum and energy.
B is wrong because 'How are fields used to move electrical energy?' is about fields, electromagnetism and electricity generation and transmission, not motion. C is wrong because how fast digital information can be transferred is a question about waves and communication technology. D is wrong because using radiation to examine matter belongs to radiation and nuclear physics.
Rule to remember: match the key words in the question to the area of study title. Motion and forces point to the area about how things move. The VCAA revises Physics study designs, and area titles change between designs, so learn the titles from the current study design for your year.
Learn the rules before the content. Work through VCE Structure and VCE Study Design and Units so you understand units, S and N results and how study designs are organised. Then do VCE Assessment, VCE Examinations and SACs and VCE ATAR to see how SACs, exams and study scores fit together.
Next, move to your subjects: English and Literature, Mathematics, Sciences and Humanities and Social Sciences. When you get a question wrong, go back to that section of the official study design and read it there, rather than relying on our explanation alone.
Our questions are practice, not past papers. For the real format, use VCAA past examinations and examination reports. Practise under timed conditions, including the 15-minute reading period that starts each written exam unless otherwise specified. Check the VCAA timetable for your dates in the 27 October to 18 November written window. If you have an oral or performance exam, confirm its date in the 5 October to 1 November window. Adult and returning students should also try VCE Alternative Pathways.
Written examinations run from Tuesday 27 October to Wednesday 18 November 2026. Performance and Languages oral examinations and Extended Investigation oral presentations run from Monday 5 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. External exams are held in October and November each year. Your own exam dates are in the VCAA examination timetable.
The VCE Results and ATAR Service opens at 7:00 am on 10 December 2026. GAT results are also available on Thursday 10 December 2026. The VCAA says registrations must be completed by 5:00 pm on Wednesday 9 December 2026, so set this up before results day.
You must satisfactorily complete at least 16 units. Adult students must satisfactorily complete at least 8 units, including an English Group sequence. Each unit is graded S (satisfactory) or N (not satisfactory). Your school can confirm which of your units count toward your program.
You can repeat it. The VCAA states there is no penalty for repeating VCE units. An N means the unit was not satisfactorily completed, so it does not count toward the units you need for the certificate. Talk to your school about when and how you can repeat it.
It means you scored at about the average for that study. Each year, and for every study, the mean study score is set at 30. A score above 30 is above the average for students taking that study that year, and a score below 30 is below it.
No. You can see your VCE results for free through the VCE Results and ATAR Service, from 7:00 am on 10 December 2026. Administrative fees apply to ATAR statements, so check the service for current details if you need a statement.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.