UK Curriculum vs Australian Curriculum: What’s the Difference?
The key differences between senior secondary school learning in the UK and Australia explained.
If you're moving between the UK and Australia, one of the biggest differences in the schooling systems to consider is how the senior years of school and their associated assessments are structured. Whether you're a student or a parent, it can be tricky to compare systems that use different names, formats, and grading styles. In this post, I hope to break down some of the similarities and differences in the systems to make them easier to digest and offer some peace of mind.
Year Group Comparisons
Firstly, let’s compare the differences in school years, and the milestone assessments that accompany them.
As we can see our table, primary school begins with a Reception/Foundation/Prep year, and finishes at the end of Year 6.
Secondary school also begins in Year 7 for, but finishes a year later in Australia.
Students continue education until Year 13 in England/Wales to study for A-levels, but for this article we are focussing on the assessments at the end of secondary school.
| UK | Assessment | AUS | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | F/P | ||
| 1 | Phonics screener | 1 | |
| 2 | Optional SATs | 2 | |
| 3 | 3 | NAPLAN | |
| 4 | Multiplication check | 4 | |
| 5 | 5 | NAPLAN | |
| 6 | SATs | 6 | |
| 7 | 7 | NAPLAN | |
| 8 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 9 | NAPLAN | |
| 10 | GCSEs (studying) | 10 | SSCEs (studying) |
| 11 | GCSEs | 11 | SSCEs (studying) |
| 12 | A-Levels | 12 | SSCEs |
| 13 | A-Levels |
How are Senior Ages Assessed? GCSEs v SSCEs
Here’s the headline difference for the final secondary school assessments: in England/Wales, pupils study for GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and in Australia pupils study for SSCEs (Senior Certificate of Secondary Education), which have a different name depending on your state:
Don’t be intimidated by the many variant names of SSCEs. They are somewhat analogous to how students in England/Wales can study for different exam boards, such as OCR, Pearson Edexcel and AQA. Just like in England and Wales, there is a national framework/curriculum that prescribes what students are expected to learn, and different states (exam boards) interpret that framework in their own (but similar) way.
What are the differences between GCSEs and SSCEs?
While GCSEs are awarded at the end of Year 11 (around age 16), the SSCE is awarded at the end of Year 12 (around age 17–18), making the timing and purpose slightly different.
GCSEs act as a mid-point qualification before further study (such as A-levels or vocational pathways), whereas SSCEs are a school-leaving certificate that can lead directly to university, TAFE, or employment. The SSCE is more comparable to the combination of GCSEs and A-levels.
Despite these differences, both qualifications serve a similar role: they mark the end of compulsory schooling, assess a wide range of subjects, and open doors to future pathways.
In England/Wales, your GCSE grades affect the subjects a student can study at A-level. A-level subjects and grades determine your chances university admission, so GCSE grades, by extension, shape the opportunities available at university level. In a more direct manner, Australian SSCE grades determine a student’s ATAR score (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank), which ranks students nationwide for university admission. This is why GCSEs are considered a mid-point in a student’s journey, and why SSCEs are considered a combination of GCSE/A-level. I will expand on this down below.
Which subjects are studied?
Both systems involve study across a broad range of subjects in lower secondary, gradually narrowing focus as students progress. GCSE students typically take around 8–10 subjects across Years 10 and 11. They include compulsory English, maths, and science combined with subjects chosen by the student.
Students in Australia study a mix of 5-6 core/chosen subjects in Years 10–12. Technically, only English (one of General English, Literature or Essential English) is essential, but maths is strongly encouraged and is, in effect, compulsory.
Assessment Style Comparison
A key difference between the two systems is how students are assessed. In England and Wales, GCSEs are primarily exam-based, with most subjects assessed through final written exams at the end of Year 11. Some subjects also include a coursework or practical component, but these usually count for a significantly smaller percentage of the final grade.
In Queensland, the assessment approach is more blended. Students complete internal assessments (IAs) throughout Year 12, followed by external exams (EAs) at the end of Year 12. In other words, there is more emphasis on coursework assessments in Australia compared to England/Wales.
How is Performance Graded? What do Results Mean for University?
How grades are awarded is a key difference between the systems, especially for university admission.
GCSEs in England and Wales use a grading scale of 1-9. 1 is the lowest grade, a 4 is a pass, and a 9 is the highest possible grade. This recently replaced the older A*-U scale that most parents will be familiar with.
A GCSE grade determines the subjects available for study at A-level. A-levels are graded A*-U, and those grades are converted into UCAS points which are a strong (but not the only) factor in determining if a university accepts your admission. Some universities will only accept your application if you reach a certain threshold of UCAS points, but some may be more lenient. In this sense, England/Wales have more subjective criteria for admission. that Australia.
In Australia, students receive A–E grades for each SSCE subject. The grades you receive are then converted into a scaled number to reflect the difficulty of the subject and the strength of the cohort taking it. Your top five scaled numbers are added together, and the resultant number is ranked according to percentile against the rest of your cohort.
Sound confusing? Here’s an example of how that might work:
A student completes the following five subjects:
This student’s total scaled score is 427. This score might be better than 90% of the rest of the cohort, giving them an ATAR score of 90.0. Alternatively, if 427 is better than 92.5% of their cohort, the ATAR score would be 92.5.
To repeat, the scaled score is determined year-by-year based off the relative difficulty of the subject and the overall performance of the year’s cohort. There is no direct way of calculating your scaled score, but remember that the stronger you perform, the better your scaled score, and therefore your ATAR score. Also note that, while all students aim to complete their SSCE, only those aiming for university entry will receive an ATAR.
In Summary…
The differences between the UK and Australian systems can initially feel overwhelming, but once you break them down, they’re not as far apart as they seem. Both lead to recognised school-leaving qualifications and help students move toward university, training, or work. Here is a quick table to summarise the key differences: