VCE Auslan

It depends on your units and year. Units 1–2 from 2026 and Units 3–4 from 2027 use the new VCE Auslan study design. If you are undertaking Units 3–4 in 2026, you continue to use the earlier study design, VCE Auslan from 2002. Confirm your cohort's design with your teacher before planning revision.

For the 2026 VCE examination, the VCAA directs students to the VCE Auslan study design rather than to a separate new specification. Past examinations and videos from earlier years remain published. Treat the study design as your authoritative scope document and use past materials for practice rather than as a prediction of content.

A Comprehension and Production Examination is introduced for 2027. In June 2026 the VCAA released a sample examination, English translations of sample texts, assessment criteria and expected qualities, and examination specifications, plus a sample examination video. These are the best guide to the new format, so use them once available.

Published external assessment reports from 2020 onward are organised as an Interactive Sign report and a Sign Comprehension and Sign Production report. That indicates the external assessment covers interactive signing plus comprehension and production of signed texts. Detailed weightings and timing are not stated here; check the examination specifications for your cohort.

Auslan assessment is visual and gestural, so examinations are supported by video, and past examination videos are published. Practise by watching signed texts once only, signing responses to camera, and reviewing recordings of yourself. Rehearse with the sample examination video and past videos under timed conditions to build stamina.

Videos accompany examinations across many years, and a sample examination video is published for the 2027 format. Older papers without video are still useful for structure but cannot replicate the receptive demand. Prioritise video-based papers, and use the most recent ones last as full rehearsals.

The reports are the clearest statement of what assessors reward. Read them alongside your own recorded responses, note recurring comments about grammar, text structure and interaction, and target those weaknesses in your next practice round. This is more productive than repeating papers without reviewing your performance.

The VCAA publishes planning materials, sample learning activities for Units 1 and 2 and for Units 3 and 4, notes on Auslan grammar, Auslan text types, and a glossary of command terms. The grammar and text type materials are especially useful for production, while the command terms clarify what a question is asking.

Recurring weaknesses reported in assessment reports typically involve responding to only part of a signed text, weak control of grammar and text structure, and underdeveloped interactive skills. Build a habit of watching a whole text before responding, and practise interactive exchanges with a partner rather than alone.

Retake and repeat arrangements are set by the VCAA and your school, and the source material for this page does not state them. Ask your VCE coordinator or check the VCAA administrative handbook and key dates for the rules that apply to your enrolment.