SACE Stage 2 Integrated Learning
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ExploreAbout this exam
Integrated Learning is one of the Stage 2 subjects listed in the SACE Board's subject catalogue. It is cross-disciplinary: instead of studying a single discipline in depth, students build a program of learning around a practical activity or area of personal interest, and are assessed on how well they plan, carry out and evaluate that work and connect it to wider knowledge and skills. It suits students who learn by doing and who can set their own goals and sustain a project across the year. Because each program is built around a student's own activity, the subject looks different from school to school. Students should expect to negotiate their focus with their teacher early, keep evidence of their process as they go, and write reflectively about what they did and learned. Assessment combines school-based tasks with an external component; the SACE Board publishes the exact requirements, performance standards and submission rules in the current subject outline, which is the document to read before planning anything. Preparation is largely process discipline: choose a focus you genuinely care about, plan realistic stages, collect evidence continuously, and draft against the performance standards. This guide is independent and is not produced, endorsed or approved by the SACE Board.
What you'll study
About SACE Stage 2 Integrated Learning preparation
Is there a written exam for Stage 2 Integrated Learning?
Do not assume so. The SACE Board's public pages do not publish an exam specification for this subject; each subject's external component is defined in its current subject outline. Some Stage 2 subjects are externally assessed through work other than a written paper, and this subject is organised around a personal program, so confirm with your teacher before drilling practice papers.
How is the subject assessed?
Assessment combines school-based tasks, marked by your teacher and quality assured through moderation, with an externally assessed component. Integrated Learning is commonly organised around a practical exploration, a connections task and a personal endeavour, but the official names, weightings, deadlines and evidence requirements are stated in the current subject outline. Ask your teacher for the class learning and assessment plan, which maps those tasks and dates.
Where can I find sample exams and past papers?
The SACE Board has announced that sample exams and exam front covers will be removed from its website, and that past examination papers remain available and continue to provide the most accurate resource for exam preparation. For a subject built on personal programs, also ask your teacher about annotated student work samples and the performance standards in the subject outline.
What should I do first when the course starts?
Read the current subject outline, then draft a focus you can sustain for months and negotiate it with your teacher before committing. Set up one place to store evidence, such as logs, photographs, drafts and feedback, from day one. Plan the year backwards from your school's due dates and decide early which skills your practical activity is meant to develop.
How do I choose a practical focus?
Pick something you can actually do, repeatedly, with resources you have access to, and that shows development rather than a one-off event. It should connect to knowledge beyond your own experience, such as a community, industry, cultural or disciplinary perspective, so you have something substantive to reflect on. Avoid topics that depend on other people's availability or on equipment you may not get.
Can I use AI tools in my work?
The SACE Board publishes guidance on artificial intelligence in SACE assessments that focuses on assessment design and on verifying student understanding, and individual schools set their own rules. Assume that submitted work must be yours and that evidence of your practical activity cannot be generated. Disclose tool use if your school requires it, and keep drafts so your process stays visible.
Where do my results appear?
The SACE Board has announced that the SACE Record of Achievement (ROA) and the SATAC Tertiary Entrance Statement (TES) will be available digitally only in Students Online from 2025. Plan to access and download copies from Students Online rather than expecting a printed document, and raise any access problems with your school's SACE coordinator.
What are the most common ways students lose marks?
Thin evidence is the usual problem: a polished final product with no record of planning, decisions, setbacks or feedback. The others are an over-ambitious focus that stalls, and reflection written at the end from memory rather than across the year. Re-read the performance standards each time you submit a draft, and ask for feedback on your reflection, not only the practical work.
Is Integrated Learning easier or harder than a traditional subject?
It is different rather than easier. There is no single textbook or content list to memorise; the difficulty lies in self-management, scoping a realistic program, generating your own evidence and reflecting critically on your decisions. Students who wait to be told what to do each lesson usually struggle, while students who plan, seek feedback early and keep records tend to do well.