High school to uni jargon

101

Does it feel like your brain is going to explode from trying to keep the meaning of one end-of-high-school acronym straight from the next?

Here’s a list of the most common acronyms you are likely to come across

and what they mean:

If you struggle to keep one end-of-high-school acronym straight from the next and wish you knew what your teachers were on about when they talk about OPs, SAIs and QCAA, don’t worry!

High school to uni jargon 101

If you struggle to keep one end-of-high-school acronym straight from the next and wish you knew what your teachers are on about when they talk about OPs, SAIs and QCAA, don’t worry!

Feeling overwhelmed and confused is totally normal.

High school to uni jargon 101

If you struggle to keep one end-of-high-school acronym straight from the next and wish you knew what your teachers were on about when they talk about OPs, SAIs and QCAA, don’t worry!

Feeling overwhelmed and confused is totally normal. We know that once you put your mind to it, you’ll understand these acronyms better in no time! Ever had to explain what LOL or IDK or TBH meant to your parent or teacher? These are just a couple more acronyms that you will be throwing into everyday conversation before you know it!

To help you out, we have created a list of the most common acronyms you are likely to come across and what they mean. #excitingright?

High school to uni jargon 101

Common acronymsSome common acronyms you might come across and what they stand for:

OP Your ‘Overall Position’ or OP

score is your position in a statewide rank order based

on your overall achievement in your authority (OP) subjects. Your OP score will be from 1 (highest) to 25 (lowest). Having an OP score is the

most common way Australian high school students gain

entrance to uni.

Common acronymsSome common acronyms you might come across and what they stand for:

OP Your ‘Overall Position’ or OP

score is your position in a statewide rank order based

on your overall achievement in your authority (OP) subjects. Your OP score will be from 1 (highest) to 25 (lowest). Having an OP score is the

most common way Australian high school students gain

entrance to uni.

VET Vocational Education and

Training is another learning option that many high school

students do instead of, or as well as, completing their OP. VET focuses on teaching

students skills and knowledge required for work within

specific industries.

Common acronymsSome common acronyms you might come across and what they stand for:

OP Your ‘Overall Position’ or OP

score is your position in a statewide rank order based

on your overall achievement in your authority (OP) subjects. Your OP score will be from 1 (highest) to 25 (lowest). Having an OP score is the

most common way Australian high school students gain

entrance to uni.

VET Vocational Education and

Training is another learning option that many high school

students do instead of, or as well as, completing their OP. VET focuses on teaching

students skills and knowledge required for work within

specific industries.

QCAA The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority

(QCAA) is a Queensland government body that provides

high schools with syllabuses and assessment items. One of the main functions of the

QCAA is to set and assess the QCS test every year.

Common acronymsSome common acronyms you might come across and what they stand for:

SAI There are only 5 achievement levels for

your assessment in high school: Very High Achievement (VHA), High Achievement (HA),

Sound Achievement (SA), Limited Achievement (LA) and Very Low Achievement (VLA). SAIs are just a numerical way of showing how you have performed compared to others in your subject group. You will be assigned a number between 400 (A) and 200 (V) to indicate your position in

the rank order of students in that subject.

Common acronymsSome common acronyms you might come across and what they stand for:

SAI There are only 5 achievement levels for

your assessment in high school: Very High Achievement (VHA), High Achievement (HA),

Sound Achievement (SA), Limited Achievement (LA) and Very Low Achievement (VLA). SAIs are just a numerical way of showing how you have performed compared to others in your subject group. You will be assigned a number between 400 (A) and 200 (V) to indicate your position in

the rank order of students in that subject.

QCS The Queensland Core Skills (QCS) test is designed to see how well you understand a set of generic skills called Common Curriculum Elements (CCEs),

such as general knowledge, vocabulary and maths. You won’t need to do any extra study to sit for the QCS test, everything you need to

know you will have learned just by going to your classes and doing your homework. It never hurts

to revise though!

If you’ve forgotten them already, don’t worry! You can print or save this list so you always have the answers on hand!

There… that wasn’t too painful, was it?

If you’ve forgotten them already, don’t worry! You can print or save this list so you always have the answers on hand!

If you have any more questions about how OPs, SAIs or any other high school to uni concepts work, visit the QCAA website for additional information.

There… that wasn’t too painful, was it?

If you’ve forgotten them already, don’t worry! You can print or save this list so you always have the answers on hand!

If you have any more questions about how OPs, SAIs or any other high school to uni concepts work, visit the QCAA website for additional information.

And remember, while it may seem as though getting a good OP will determine whether or not you get into uni, this is not the case. If you don’t get the OP you wanted, there are always other ways to get into uni and complete your dream degree.

There… that wasn’t too painful, was it?

CRICOS: QLD00244B NSW02225M TEQSA: PRV12081 15.1.K 11.2016

usq.edu.au #usq#usqstudy

Have questions?Check out understanding uni lingo for more information on uni terminology, or chat to one of our Student Relationship Officers

if you have any questions.