General Achievement Test

The General Achievement Test is a test of GENERAL knowledge and skills in:

• written communication
• maths, science and technology
• humanities, the arts and social sciences

Can you Study for the GAT?

Students can get a good idea of the questions by looking at previous GAT papers on the VCAA website www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.

Students are encouraged to familiarise themselves with these questions.

All students studying a Unit 3 & 4 sequence (Year 12 subject) sit the GAT.

Next GAT date: 11th June 2009

What is the GAT for?

The VCAA (Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority) will use students’ GAT scores as a basis for:

• contributing to statistical moderation of school-assessed coursework
• reviewing school assessments in school-assessed tasks
  • Mmm… let’s see if I can explain it simply… if one school’s tests (coursework) are more difficult than another school’s then results can be adjusted – making it fairer – they do this by cross-referencing the results in the GAT and results in the school’s tests
• checking the accuracy of examination marking
• calculating the Derived Examination Score

Derived Examination Scores and the GAT

• A student whose performance on an examination is affected by the onset of illness, accident or personal trauma may apply for a Derived Examination Score.
• All Derived Examination Score applications are assessed by a trained, external panel.
• If a Derived Examination Score application is approved, a student’s GAT scores will be used in the Derived Examination Score calculations.