Secondary Update – Term 1 Week 9
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 10
Year 11 prerequisites for 2027
Year 10 students and families have now received the prerequisites for Year 11 subjects at Newman College for 2027. This is to allow for goal-setting in time for the Semester 1 Year 10 report. Prerequisites for Year 11 2027 can found at:
A summary of the different pathway options for Year 11 and 12 can be found by clicking here.
In Term 2, all Year 10 students will commence their subject selection research, in preparation for Year 11 2027.
Career conversations for parents
The WA Government offers a suite of free resources to assist parents and guardians with starting career-related conversations. Families can access them here.
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 11
Selecting Year 12 subjects
Please see below a summary of the rules for selecting subjects in Year 12, 2027:
- Students who select a Year 12 ATAR subject must have achieved at least 50% in that ATAR subject in Year 11.
- Students who select a new Year 12 ATAR subject in Year 12 (not having studied that subject in Year 11) will be required to seek permission.
- Students with a predicted ATAR of less than 70 will not be permitted to continue the ATAR Pathway in Year 12.
- Students who have an ‘E’ grade in a Year 11 General subject will not be permitted to re-select that General subject in Year 12.
- For students wishing to enter the UniReady or UniPath Programs in Year 12:
- If coming from the ATAR Pathway in Year 11, students must have passed at least 4 Year 11 subjects.
- If coming from the General Pathway in Year 11, students must have a ‘B’ grade or better in at least 4 Year 11 subjects, including English.
Alternatives to University
Did you know that University is not the only place you can obtain a degree? There are several alternatives here in Perth:
- SAE: Offers degrees in things like Animation, Audio, Game Development, Creative Industries. https://sae.edu.au/
- ACAP: Offers degrees in things like Psychology, Criminology, Social Work. https://www.acap.edu.au/
- EIT: Offers degrees in Engineering, IT, and Renewable Energy. https://www.eit.edu.au/
For students thinking of attending University
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Here is a parents guide to University: https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1099446/ECU-Parents-Guide.pdf
- And here is the “First in Family” resource, for students who might be the first in their family to attend University: http://firstinfamily.com.au/
- Are you thinking of attending a University Open Day? Dates are below. This blog might help you: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2024/02/20/year-11-how-to-approach-university-open-days/ or this one: https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/open-days
Pathways and Careers Information: Year 12
Key dates for TAFE and University applications for 2027
For those students applying for TAFE for 2027, applications will open in September of this year and close in November of this year. You will be advised of this at the time.
For those students applying for University for 2027, early applications (early offers) will open in June and you will have until mid-December to lodge your application. Closer to the time you will be provided with instructions and further information about applying.
Year 12s are welcome to come and collect (and keep) any of the University handbooks that are on the table near my office. These can be very helpful in making your choice.
Alternatives to University
Did you know that University is not the only place you can obtain a degree? There are several alternatives here in Perth:
- SAE: Offers degrees in things like Animation, Audio, Game Development, Creative Industries. https://sae.edu.au/
- ACAP: Offers degrees in things like Psychology, Criminology, Social Work. https://www.acap.edu.au/
- EIT: Offers degrees in Engineering, IT, and Renewable Energy. https://www.eit.edu.au/
Applying for Medicine or Dentistry or Veterinary Science for 2027
All students who wish to enrol in Medicine or Dentistry in 2027 (including Assured Pathway at UWA and Notre Dame) will need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) this year.
Please see below for some important dates:
- 3 March 2026: UCAT bookings open
- 15 May 2026: Deadline to book your UCAT for 2026
- 12 June 2026: Deadline if you need to cancel your UCAT booking
- 1 July 2026: UCAT testing begins
- 5 August 2026: Last test date
- September 2026: Results available
You can check https://www.ucat.edu.au/ for further information, practice tests, and tips to succeed. It is recommended to book a UCAT as early as possible as demand for testing places is high.
UWA
The official handbook for entry to Medicine at UWA can be found at this link and Dentistry at this link. Please note that Medicine and Dentistry at UWA are postgraduate courses and require completion of a relevant Bachelor degree prior to entry.
Curtin
Curtin University offers the only direct entry medical program in Western Australia. In 2025, the cutoff ATAR for this course was 93.
In addition to the UCAT, students considering applying for Medicine at Curtin University are also required to sit the CASPER Test. Further information about CASPER can be found here: https://acuityinsights.app/ and here: https://www.nie.edu.au/products-listing/category/56-casper-test-preparation
The official handbook for entry to Medicine at Curtin can be found at this link.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame offers a small number of places in postgraduate Medicine via an assured pathway for school leavers. Information about this option can be found here:
https://www.notredame.edu.au/programs/school-of-medicine/postgraduate/doctor-of-medicine-wa
Veterinary Science
Students wishing to enter Veterinary Science at Murdoch will need to undertake the Casper testing during 2026, by June at the latest. Further information can be found here: https://www.murdoch.edu.au/schools/veterinary-medicine/study/admissions/casper-situational-judgement-assessment
University information
- TISC has a series of videos explaining things like ATAR calculation, prerequisite subjects, scaling, and preferences. You can find them here: https://www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/video.tisc
- Are you the first person in your family to attend University? This might assist: http://www.firstinfamily.com.au/
- Here are some useful tools to prepare students for the transition to University: https://unireadytoolkit.com.au/
- Here is a parents guide to University: https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1099446/ECU-Parents-Guide.pdf
- This resource is a place where you can ask current University students questions about their University courses:
https://course-consultants.com/
University scholarships
| Curtin University | Search scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia |
| Edith Cowan University (ECU) | ECU | Overview : Scholarships |
| Murdoch University | Scholarship finder (murdoch.edu.au) |
| Notre Dame University | Find a Scholarship | Notre Dame |
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | The University of Western Australia : Scholarships (uwa.edu.au) |
| Christian Leaders Scholarship | https://ichthys.org.au/christian-leaders-scholarship/ |
Gap year information
Students interested in taking a gap year in 2027 might find the following interesting:
- Defence Force Gap Year: https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/careers/gap-year?page=2&perPage=21&query=
- And: https://infocus-careers.com.au/2022/07/13/leaving-year-12-these-gap-year-ideas-may-interest-you/
- Also this Marist volunteering opportunity: https://maristyouthministry.com/bridge-builders
UPCOMING CAREERS EVENTS
If you are thinking of attending a University Open Day, this link might help you get the most out of it: https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/open-days