Students in the Senior phase of learning now work towards a new school qualification. It is the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). The first QCEs will be awarded to eligible Yr 12 students in 2008.

To be eligible for a QCE, each student must have a learning account, be enrolled with a school and registered with the Queensland Studies Authority. For most students the QCE will be achieved over Years 11 and 12.

The total amount of learning required is at least twenty (20) credits. This reflects an amount of learning that could be reasonably achieved by most young people over a two year, full-time program of study in the senior phase of learning. Perhaps the biggest difference between the new QCE and the old Senior Certificate is that students actually have to pass their subjects and complete their certificates. Almost passing or almost completing certification is no longer sufficient. The new QCE will be much more a qualification than a statement of results.

A credit is the new minimum amount of learning at the set standard that can contribute to the QCE. A credit has two elements: an amount of learning and a set standard. For example, a credit for a school subject is one semester (amount of learning) at Sound Achievement (set standard) however; a Very Limited Achievement in a school subject does not meet the required standard to be a credit.

The new qualification will recognise more learning options. Students can design a program of study to match their career goals. There is more flexibility in what, where and when learning occurs. Not all learning need take place at school. Some learning can be with a registered training provider (eg. TAFE), in a workplace (eg. School-based apprenticeship) or with a community group. (see table on page 19)

The Queensland Studies Authority issues the Senior Statement which is an official record of all the learning achievements in a Learning Account. It details: what learning was attempted, the standard achieved and where and when the learning took place. At the end of Year 12, the school assigns levels of achievement on the basis of student work in the senior years. The levels of achievement are Very High Achievement (VHA), High Achievement (HA), Sound Achievement (SA), Limited Achievement (LA) and Very Limited Achievement (VLA).

It is important to know that these changes will not impact on the calculation of a student’s Overall Position (OP). The infrastructure and processes for OPs will be unchanged. The OP indicates a student's position based on overall achievements in QSA subjects. To be eligible for an OP, a student must choose at least five QSA subjects (authority subjects), and ensure that at least three of these are studied for all four semesters. An OP is reported as one of 25 bands from 1 (highest) to 25 (lowest).

Students who are seeking tertiary entrance and are OP eligible must sit the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test. This test is available for all Year 12 students in Queensland. It should be taken by those students who are eligible for an OP. Students who are ineligible for an OP may choose to sit for the test. For all students who sit, their individual results are reported from A (highest) to E (lowest).