VCE Psychology Units 1-4 Study Design Changes - Summary snapshot - Assessment and practical activity updates

Sep 20, 2026

VCE Psychology Units 1–4 study design changes reduce the overall content load while strengthening key science skills and practical work. Assessment weighting shifts in Units 3 and 4, lowering the exam contribution and increasing the SAC weighting. VCAA also adds specific SAC assessment types for both Year 11 and Year 12. Practical activities and scientific investigations receive more class time, and the student-designed investigation time requirements are updated. Activity titles are further codified.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Summary snapshot

Changes to assessment

Year 11 SAC assessment types

Year 12 SAC assessment types

How are we addressing assessment changes?

Changes to practical activities and scientific investigations

How are we addressing changes to practical activities and scientific investigations?

VCE Psychology Units 1-4 Study Design Changes Please note, this is based on our analysis of the new Study Design-we encourage you to also review the changes for yourself. Summary snapshot VCAA has decreased the amount of content to be taught across Units 1-4 VCE Psychology. In turn, they have increased the emphasis on key science skills and practical work, as well as including content on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures, and perspectives. Changes to assessment The contribution of the exam to students’ study scores in Units 3&4 Psychology has decreased from 60 to 50 percent. This means that the weighting of SACs has increased from 40 to 50 percent (20 percent Unit 3; 30 percent Unit 4) . VCAA has added a series of assessment types that are to be used for SACs across Units 1-4, whereas in the previous study design these assessment types were unspeciﬁed. For year 11, they are as follows: ● analysis and evaluation of an experiment or case study ● a data analysis of generated primary and/or collated secondary data ● reﬂective annotations of a logbook of practical activities ● media analysis of one or more contemporary media texts ● a literature review ● response to a psychological issue or ethical dilemma ● a modelling or simulation activity ● problem-solving involving psychological concepts, skills and/or issues ● a report of a scientiﬁc investigation, including the generation, analysis and evaluation of primary data. For year 12, they are as follow: ● analysis and evaluation of at least one psychological case study, experiment, model or simulation ● analysis and evaluation of generated primary and/or collated secondary data ● comparison and evaluation of psychological concepts, methodologies and methods, and ﬁndings from three student practical activities ● analysis and comparison of two or more contemporary media texts. How are we addressing assessment changes? ● Assessment skills questions in every lesson, prior to exam-style questions. ● AOS reviews (for AOS1 + 2 in both books), which take the form of an extended practice SAC. Each AOS review which will be worth 40 marks, as per study design guidelines. ● Mapping the new assessment types to our ‘assessment skills questions’( previously only called ‘skills questions’) . Changes to practical activities and scientiﬁc investigations VCAA has increased the amount of class time that is to be spent on practical activities and scientiﬁc investigations. The old study design speciﬁes that between 7 and 10 hours of class time should be dedicated to practical activities and scientiﬁc investigations for Units 1-3, and between 4 and 8 hours for Unit 4. The new study design advises that a minimum of 10 hours of class time should be devoted to practical activities and scientiﬁc investigations across Units 1-4. VCAA have also changed the amount of class time that is to be dedicated to the student-adapted/student-designed scientiﬁc investigation. The old study designspeciﬁed that between 6 and 8 hours should be dedicated to undertaking the investigation in Units 1 and 2 and between 7 and 10 hours for Units 3/4 . The new study design now advises that a minimum of 7 hours be devoted to undertaking the investigation in Units 1 and 2 and minimum of 10 hours in Unit 4. In summary, VCAA are increasing the amount of time to be spent on practical activities and scientiﬁc investigations in class, which places a greater emphasis on teachers to provide additional log-book activities to their students. All of the above changes are summarised in the following table: | Unit | New study design | Old study design | | --- | --- | --- | | Unit 1 | A minimum of 10 hours of class time across AOSs 1 and 2 and a minimum of seven hours of class time for the student-adapted/student-de | Between 3½ and 5 hours of class time for each of AOSs 1 and 2. Between 6 and 8 hours of class time for undertaking the investigation and | | |

FAQs

What main focus does the new VCE Psychology study design emphasize across Units 1–4?

It decreases taught content and increases emphasis on key science skills, practical work, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures, and perspectives.

How does the exam contribution change for Units 3 and 4 Psychology?

It decreases from 60% to 50%, which increases SAC weighting from 40% to 50% (20% for Unit 3; 30% for Unit 4).

What changes were made to practical activities and scientific investigations time requirements?

The minimum class time devoted to practical activities and scientific investigations across Units 1–4 increases to at least 10 hours. The student-adapted/student-designed investigation time requirements are also increased, with specific minimums for Units 1–2 and Unit 4.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan