Admission criteria
Overseas secondary qualifications
Institutions use the National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC) and Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) as the primary resources for determining the educational standard of overseas secondary qualifications. Australian Education International (through the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR)) guidelines and other relevant resources are also used as required.
All our institutions consider the following qualifications as equivalent to an Australian Year 12 qualification, although some conditions may apply.
Institutions may also accept other overseas secondary qualifications. Contact the institutions to which you are applying for further information.
Note that equivalence of qualifications alone does not guarantee entry into courses. Entry into a course is competitive and there may be limited places. Some courses also have additional admission criteria. Qualifications may also be superseded by, or looked at in combination with, other assessable qualifications you hold.
Advanced International Certificate of Education |
All India Senior School Certificate (as awarded by Central Board of Secondary Education) |
| American College Test (ACT) and Advanced Placement Subjects |
Austrian Maturity Certificate |
Belgian Certificate of Access to Higher Education |
| Belgian Upper Secondary School Certificate |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Bulgarian Diploma of Completion of Secondary Education |
Canada – Alberta High School Diploma |
Canada – British Columbia Senior Secondary School Graduation Diploma |
Canada – Manitoba High School Graduation Diploma |
Canada – New Brunswick High School Graduation Certificate |
Canada – Newfoundland Provincial High School Graduation Certificate |
Canada – Nova Scotia High School Completion Certificate |
Canada – Ontario Secondary School Diploma with Ontario Academic Courses |
Canada – Ontario Secondary School Diploma with University Preparation Courses or University/College Preparation Courses |
Canada – Ontario Secondary School Honour Graduation Diploma (1989 and earlier) |
Canada – Quebec Diploma of Collegial Studies or comparable qualification |
Canada – Saskatchewan Complete Division IV or Grade XII Standing |
China Peoples Republic National Entrance Examination (Gaokao) |
| Croatian Matura (2010 and onwards) |
Cyprus Pancyprian Examinations |
Czech Republic and Slovakian Maturita |
Danish Studentereksamen or equivalent |
| Danish Upper Secondary School Leaving Examinations |
Dutch Diploma of Pre-University Education |
European Baccalaureate |
Fiji Seventh Form Certificate |
Finnish Matriculation Certificate |
French Baccalauréat (qualifications assessed in the same way include: Option Internationale du Baccalauréat and Baccalauréat Françiase Internationale) |
German Abitur |
Great Britain GCE Advanced Level or comparable qualifications (qualifications assessed in the same way include: University of Malta Matriculation Certificate examination, International Advanced Levels awarded by Pearson-Edexcel, Oxford International AQA and Cambridge Assessment International Education) |
Greek Panhellenic Examination (1987 and earlier) and State University or General Entrance Examination (1988 and onwards) |
Hong Kong ALE |
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education |
Hungarian Maturity Certificate |
Iceland Stúdentspróf |
Indian School Certificate (as awarded by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations) |
International Baccalaureate Diploma |
Israel Teudat Bagrut |
Italian High School Diploma |
Korean Republic College Scholastic Ability Test (1993 onwards) |
Luxembourg Diplôme de Fin D’études Secondaires |
Malaysian Matriculation Certificate (Matrikulasi) |
Malaysian Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia |
New Zealand NCEA Level 3 |
New Zealand Universities Bursaries and Scholarships Examinations |
Norwegian Certificate of Completion of Upper Secondary School Examinations or equivalent |
| Panhellenic Examinations for General Lyceum (2000 onwards) |
Polish Matriculation Certificate |
Portuguese Certificate of Secondary Education |
Republic of Ireland Leaving Certificate or equivalent |
Romanian Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Scottish Certificate of Education |
Scottish National Courses at Advanced Level |
Singapore–Cambridge GCE Advanced Level |
| Slovakian Maturita (2005 and onwards) |
Slovenian Matura or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (1994 onwards) |
South African National Senior Certificate |
South African Senior Certificate or Matriculation Certificate of the Joint Matriculation Board (2008 and earlier) |
South Pacific Form Seven Certificate (2017 onwards) |
Spanish University Orientation Year or equivalent |
Sri Lankan GCE Advanced Level |
Swedish Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Swiss Federal Maturity Certificate |
| Taiwan General Scholastic Ability Test (GSAT) |
United States of America Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Advanced Placement Subjects |
The following qualifications are comparable to Australian Year 11. Not all institutions may accept these qualifications for entry to courses. Please contact the institution directly for any further enquiries.
| Brazil National High School Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio – ENEM) |
Certificate Examination (2018 onwards) |
| Egypt Final Examination (Thanaweya Amma) |
| Indian Higher Secondary School Certificate |
| Jordanian General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjiha) |
| Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (1989 and onwards) |
| Lebanese Baccalaureate |
| Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools Unified Examination Certificate |
| Nepalese Higher Secondary Education Certificate (up to 2017) and School Leaving |
| Thailand Ordinary National Education Test (ONET) |
| Yugoslavia (Republics of the Former) Matura or Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Institutions do not consider the following qualifications as comparable to an Australian Year 12 qualification.
However, some of these qualifications may be used as a basis of entry to pathway courses or as proof of completion of high school studies when applying in conjunction with the United States of America Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) 1 and American College Test.
If your only qualification is listed below, contact the institution to which you wish to apply for further information on your competitiveness for the courses that interest you. Institutions are also able to suggest possible pathway courses.
If you have qualifications in addition to those listed below, your overseas secondary studies may be superseded by or looked at in combination with these other qualifications.
Afghanistan Baccaluria |
Albanian Certificate of Maturity |
Algerian Baccalauréat |
Bangladeshi Higher Secondary or Intermediate Certificate |
Brazilian Secondary School Leaving Certificate or comparable qualification UAC assesses the Brazilian National High School Exam (ENEM). If you have this qualification, contact UAC’s participating institutions for more information about your competitiveness for entry into courses that interest you. |
Canada – Newfoundland Senior High School Graduation Diploma (1982 and earlier) UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
Canada – Quebec Secondary School Diploma or comparable qualification UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
Chilean Licencia de Educación Media or comparable qualification |
Costa Rican Diploma of Completion of Diversified Education Studies or comparable qualification |
Dutch Diploma of Higher General Secondary Education UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
Egypt Technical and Vocational Secondary Education Certificate, Al-Azhar Secondary Education Certificate UAC assesses Examination of General Secondary Education Certificate (Thanaweya Amma). If you have this qualification, contact the institution for more information about your competitiveness for entry into your preferred courses. |
Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate |
Finnish Secondary School Leaving Certificate UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
French Pattern Senior Secondary Level qualifications UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
Greek Apolyterion |
Indonesian Sekolah Mengah Atas Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Iranian Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Iraqi Certificate of Preparatory Studies |
Japanese Upper Secondary School Graduation Diploma UAC assesses the Japanese National Centre Test (Senta). If you have this qualification, contact UAC’s participating institutions for more information about your competitiveness for entry into courses that interest you. |
Korea Republic Senior High School Diploma UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
Libyan General Secondary School Leaving Certificate or Vocational Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Libyan General Secondary School Leaving Certificate or Vocational Secondary School Leaving Certificate |
Mexican Upper Secondary School Programs |
Middle Eastern School Leaving Certificate |
Moroccan Baccalaureat |
Nepalese Proficiency Certificate UAC assesses the Nepalese Higher Secondary Education Certificate. If you have this qualification, contact UAC’s participating institutions for more information about your competitiveness for entry into courses that interest you. |
Nicaraguan Upper Secondary School Diploma |
Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate |
Pakistani Higher Secondary School or Intermediate Certificate |
Peruvian Official Certificate of Secondary Education or comparable qualifications |
Philippines National College Entrance Examination |
Portuguese Pattern Secondary School Completion Certificates UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
South American Bachillerato |
Spanish Secondary School Diploma or equivalent UAC assesses a senior secondary qualification or scholastic admission or aptitude test from this country based on commonly accepted guidelines and resources. Check the Commonly Accepted Overseas Secondary Qualifications table above. |
Sudanese Higher Secondary School Certificate |
Taiwanese Senior High School Diploma |
Tunisian Baccalauréat |
Turkish High School Diploma |
USA General Educational Development (GED) Test |
USSR (New Independent States of the Former) Certificate of Secondary Education or Certificate of Maturity |
Vietnamese Bàng Tót Ngiêp Phó Thông Trung Hoc |
West African Senior School Certificate |
Zimbabwean M-Level Examination of the Associated Examining Board |
The following qualifications will be accepted for admission to courses commencing in 2026.
| Learning Resource Network International A-Levels |
| Tonga National Form Seven Certificate (2016 onwards) |
| Vietnam National High School Graduation Exam (2020 onwards)* |
* This qualification is comparable to Australian Year 11. Not all institutions may accept this qualification for entry to courses. Please contact the institution directly for any further enquiries.