What is the GAT?

● Year 10 Core Maths leads into Year 11 General Mathematics, Foundation Maths and VCAL Numeracy. ● Year 10 Numeracy Maths leads to Foundation Maths Units 1 & 2. Foundation

Maths 1 & 2 does not provide students with a pathway into any 3/4 Maths Units. ● Year 11 General Maths 1 & 2 leads only to Further Maths 3 & 4. ● Maths Methods CAS 1 & 2 leaves most options open for Year 12: Maths Methods

CAS 3 & 4 and/or Further Maths 3 & 4. ● Specialist Maths Units 1 & 2 must be taken with Maths Methods CAS 1 & 2. CAS stands for Computer Algebra System.

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a test of general knowledge and skills in written communication, mathematics, science and technology, humanities, the arts and social sciences. Each of these broad areas represent a body of general knowledge and skills that students are likely to have built up through their school years.

Students will already have done preparation for the GAT in past study of subjects like English, Mathematics, Science and History, where they have built up general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy and reasoning. These are the knowledge and skills that will be tested. All students enrolled in one or more Unit 3 and 4 VCE or VCAL must sit the GAT. Achievement on the GAT is a good predictor of achievement on other assessments. If students have done well on the GAT, then their achievements are likely to be high on their school assessments and examinations. Clearly, some GAT questions relate more closely to achievement in particular studies. The VCAA takes this into account when it calculates students’ expected achievements in each study for each school.

Why the GAT matters

Since no special study is required for the GAT, because it does not come from any particular subject area, and because it does not count directly to any study score, it is easy to dismiss the importance of the test.

It is, however, important to take the GAT seriously and to do as well as possible in all sections. For the following reasons:

1. Students will receive a grade of "not demonstrated" ,

"demonstrated" or "highly demonstrated" against reading, writing and numeracy. These assessments will be

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