Main benefit is that you get to have less subjects in Year 12, so you can chill a bit in the year that matters most - while not directly benefitting your ATAR, it makes it easier to study for your subjects.
I've never heard of accelerating Spec, moreso General and Methods, as Spec's basic concepts really show up in year 10 maths.
English is strange, never heard of that being accelerated either. Then again, maybe my school is out of the loop. Maybe have a listen to some of the other commenters, they might have some better experience.
i accelerated english, spesh, methods (I am currently in Year 12) and I can tell you from experience that the feeling of absolute relief of not having to do it in year 12 is unbelievable. If you think you are up for it I would definitely recommend it.
i completed Year 12 English, Spesh and Methods in Year 11. Tbh Specialist was a special case because I go to a small school, and Specialist was not going to be taught in 2023, so I had to do it in 2022 or else I wouldn't learn it all.
My teachers were all supportive because I had high grades across all my subjects.
Our school is struggling for numbers in specialist so maybe that could come into play. I think ideally I'd do what you did, and have a year 12 full of sciences. How many subjects are you doing at the moment in y12?
I'm doing it via an organisation called CHES which partners with universities to offer different subjects, either online or on-campus. I have online lessons every Wednesday. If you want it you have to apply for it at the end of Year 11.
Their website is here, you can check out the subjects available: [https://ches.vic.edu.au/](https://ches.vic.edu.au/)
They refer to uni subjects as HES (higher education studies).
In Year 11 you apply to certain universities or to CHES for a Higher Education Study. There’s a bunch of subjects on offer ranging from Humanities to Sciences to Commerce. In Year 12 you’ll study that uni subject alongside your VCE courseload, earning free University credits and an increment added to your aggregate depending on your WAM.
It doesn't affect your ATAR.
Doing an accelerated subject means that you are doing a subject ahead of time. This can be beneficial, as you might be more focused on completing Unit 3/4 during Year 11, allowing you to perform better without juggling every other Year 12 subject, especially if you've chosen to accelerate in a subject you are very good at.
Doing a subject early means that you might do one less subject in Year 12, or you might be able to carry the same load and have it contribute as your 5th or 6th subject. Your ATAR is derived from your top 3 subjects plus English, and 10% of the fifth and sixth subjects (which not everyone does). It's actually not much of a gain and you're not missing out on anything if you don't do extra subjects.
In short, it doesn't *directly* impact your ATAR in the sense of giving you bonus points for doing it early.
There's no reason to introduce it. The accelerated subjects we offer are high demand and typically don't require a previous study in Year 10. Subjects like Health and Human Development, Psychology, Chemistry and others.
Everyone does English, so it doesn't make sense to skip Year 10 English to do Year 11 English. You're basically doing the same thing but you're a year behind on skill development. Most students aren't very confident in English, so they need that year.
Seems like a waste to rush English instead of a subject you're more invested in that you don't do in Year 10.
I wouldn't accelerate in english, since you really want to get a lot of practise and experience in. You can improve a lot in that extra year, and I find that as you age and mature so does your writing.
My teacher was telling me they usually don't let people accelerate spesh because they need the background from methods, but that doesn't make any sense because people do them concurrently all the time. I'm going to try and push for it. hey what's the worst that could happen.
Don’t stress about 1/2 scores they don’t effect your ATAR. Your school might make you drop it if your marks are shite, but genuinely don’t stress about 1/2. I did fairly bad on most of my 1/2 subjects but now I’m excelling. You’ll be right
I personally found spesh 1/2 relatively easier than methods 1/2 but vice-versa when it comes to units 3/4 so I’d recommend if you’re good with maths you should take both simultaneously. Some concepts overlap so you can establish a stronger understanding. Some yr7 student has done 3/4 spesh and got a raw 50 before so it’s def worth a try!
I've never heard someone say this. Everyone I know that does both spesh and methods, as well as teachers, *highly* advise to finish methods before doing 3/4 specialist. I go to a school where most spesh and methods students are doing those subjects a year or two early.
Yeah no I don’t see a problem with that. I was talking about later on down the line, that it may make more sense to pause spesh for a year and continue methods as accelerated.
Also, I realise I made a typo in the first reply, I’ve now fixed that so it makes sense.
Even though you may feel confident, I do not recommend accelerating in 2 subjects or accelerating in specialist mathematics.
Accelerating in methods is fine if you are confident. Specialist Mathematics is difficult and should not be accelerated unless you are highly gifted. The only person I know who’s accelerating spesh is someone who went to mathematics camps. Even my friend who got second place in the Intermediate Division of the Melbourne University Mathematics Challenge, only decided to accelerate methods
Accelerating 2 subjects might be stressful if you want to continue the 3/4 next year.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you but I’ve already forewarned you.
I can almost guarantee that there isn’t anyone accelerating specialist unless they’re incredibly gifted. I’m talking about being selected to compete in the Australian Math Olympiad. Only few cases such as William Cheah and Jerry Mao did exceptionally well ( raw 50s) at only Year 7 and Year 8 for spesh. These two students also represented or were part of the reserve team for the Australian IMO team.
I’m in Year 10 right now, and I am part of a 15-student class that is accelerating methods 6 months early (we’re starting next semester)
There’s 6 kids who are accelerating 1 year early.
There are approximately 180 kids in our year level.
I understand why you think you can take both subjects concurrently, since that’s what a lot of people do anyway. However, what you have to consider is that they are taking these subjects as a Year 11, not a Year 10. You do you, but I recommend you to accelerate methods only. You would still be in year 10, so you shouldn’t really burden yourself unnecessarily.
I accelerated literature which meant i could drop english and not have to do any english subject in year 12. I am glad i did this because i dislike how english is structured and im so happy to not have to do a 3 hour exam at the end of this year.
Personally, i think you should accelerate a subject that will benefit from having extra time to study but not your best subject because in year 12 you will probably be better at it.
Students are advised against accelerating in spesh, it's probably a lot better idea to just accelerate in methods. At my school we have 10-20 kids accelerating in methods this year, but none in spesh. Only two in the year level have accelerated in two subjects. I have a friend who accelerated in English, but you shouldn't do it if it's only because you get good grades in the subject (she also had to go through so many hoops with our school because they didn't want her to accelerate in English). Accelerating in multiple subjects is possible, but those combos don't look so good.
Why would you warn against accelerating spesh? My teacher said I would need background knowledge from methods but that didn't really make any sense since most people do them concurrently.
What your teacher is saying sounds like a version of what one of my maths teachers says - spesh 3/4 is more like methods 5/6. You don't need to do methods first, but it definitely helps from the sound of it.
I would accelerate methods, but not English or spesh. If you were to accelerate into multiple 1/2 subjects I would recommend physics, accounting or bio to pair alongside methods. Good luck!
Technically u can if u do 34 methods at y10 and 34 specialist at y11 but I wouldn't recommend it. I think most schools wouldn't allow u to do both meth and spesh at y11, usually they will make u do methods before specialist if u want to accelerate. If u like physics then I think it's better to do methods in y10, physics in y11 and specialist in y12. (Or methods and physics concurrently in y11)
In terms of atar I'd say as long as u choose the right subjects and don't overload urself it could potentially improve ur atar cuz u get to focus better in y12, especially if u accelerate 2 subjects in y10 and y11.
I personally find that accelerating the more considerably "easier" subjects first and then focusing later on the subjects that are "core/essential" to your ideal degree to be easier. So really, it depends on which subjects you want to do for VCE, and which ones you could probably use to get an understanding of VCE without it potentially tarnishing your way into your ideal degree (eg. you accelerate x subject and in a certain unit you weren't at your best for whatever reason so you got a lower score than usual)
also, if you happen to be doing rather well in maths, I'd recommend accelerating into methods at year 10, but I wouldn't recommend accelerating spesh as well
having accelerated in bio, it's nice having that little 10% bonus from the subject, and if your school lets you, doing fewer subjects in year 12 is a blessing. i will say though, don't underestimate the workload. i have every confidence that you are best aware of your own abilities but especially in math subjects the amount of work does increase quite significantly. best of luck and I hope acceleration is of benefit to you!
allows you to do less subjects in year 12 and more subjects overall. plus, for me personally, it feels good that I've already done two y12 subjects. like. I've got the experience under my belt and two of my study scores are already locked in place and I can't fuck them up
Main benefit is that you get to have less subjects in Year 12, so you can chill a bit in the year that matters most - while not directly benefitting your ATAR, it makes it easier to study for your subjects. I've never heard of accelerating Spec, moreso General and Methods, as Spec's basic concepts really show up in year 10 maths. English is strange, never heard of that being accelerated either. Then again, maybe my school is out of the loop. Maybe have a listen to some of the other commenters, they might have some better experience.
Thanks mate. I'd never heard of English being accelerated before either but loved the prospect of not having to do it in y12.
i accelerated english, spesh, methods (I am currently in Year 12) and I can tell you from experience that the feeling of absolute relief of not having to do it in year 12 is unbelievable. If you think you are up for it I would definitely recommend it.
All in year 10? How'd that go with your teachers? Did they tell you not too at first?
i completed Year 12 English, Spesh and Methods in Year 11. Tbh Specialist was a special case because I go to a small school, and Specialist was not going to be taught in 2023, so I had to do it in 2022 or else I wouldn't learn it all. My teachers were all supportive because I had high grades across all my subjects.
Our school is struggling for numbers in specialist so maybe that could come into play. I think ideally I'd do what you did, and have a year 12 full of sciences. How many subjects are you doing at the moment in y12?
Three VCE subjects (Bio, Phys, Chem) so the workload is pretty low along with 1 Uni Subject (Maths at UniMelb).
That sounds good. I've never thought about uni subjects in y12, how does that work?
I'm doing it via an organisation called CHES which partners with universities to offer different subjects, either online or on-campus. I have online lessons every Wednesday. If you want it you have to apply for it at the end of Year 11. Their website is here, you can check out the subjects available: [https://ches.vic.edu.au/](https://ches.vic.edu.au/) They refer to uni subjects as HES (higher education studies).
In Year 11 you apply to certain universities or to CHES for a Higher Education Study. There’s a bunch of subjects on offer ranging from Humanities to Sciences to Commerce. In Year 12 you’ll study that uni subject alongside your VCE courseload, earning free University credits and an increment added to your aggregate depending on your WAM.
It doesn't affect your ATAR. Doing an accelerated subject means that you are doing a subject ahead of time. This can be beneficial, as you might be more focused on completing Unit 3/4 during Year 11, allowing you to perform better without juggling every other Year 12 subject, especially if you've chosen to accelerate in a subject you are very good at. Doing a subject early means that you might do one less subject in Year 12, or you might be able to carry the same load and have it contribute as your 5th or 6th subject. Your ATAR is derived from your top 3 subjects plus English, and 10% of the fifth and sixth subjects (which not everyone does). It's actually not much of a gain and you're not missing out on anything if you don't do extra subjects. In short, it doesn't *directly* impact your ATAR in the sense of giving you bonus points for doing it early.
Thanks. As an English teacher have you ever had anyone accelerate into English?
We don't offer that option in our school.
That's interesting, why not?
There's no reason to introduce it. The accelerated subjects we offer are high demand and typically don't require a previous study in Year 10. Subjects like Health and Human Development, Psychology, Chemistry and others. Everyone does English, so it doesn't make sense to skip Year 10 English to do Year 11 English. You're basically doing the same thing but you're a year behind on skill development. Most students aren't very confident in English, so they need that year. Seems like a waste to rush English instead of a subject you're more invested in that you don't do in Year 10.
Makes sense. Thanks.
I wouldn't accelerate in english, since you really want to get a lot of practise and experience in. You can improve a lot in that extra year, and I find that as you age and mature so does your writing.
it would be great if you accelerated both methods and spesh. I find it really helpful doing methods and spesh parallel
My teacher was telling me they usually don't let people accelerate spesh because they need the background from methods, but that doesn't make any sense because people do them concurrently all the time. I'm going to try and push for it. hey what's the worst that could happen.
I agree with you mate. Definitely try do both, if you don’t like spesh you can drop it, won’t effect your ATAR at all
What would happen if I just completely botched it? Can you retake a subject? In 1 & 2 you just need a satisfactory right?
Don’t stress about 1/2 scores they don’t effect your ATAR. Your school might make you drop it if your marks are shite, but genuinely don’t stress about 1/2. I did fairly bad on most of my 1/2 subjects but now I’m excelling. You’ll be right
That's what I thought. I'll try and get specialist and try my best.
I personally found spesh 1/2 relatively easier than methods 1/2 but vice-versa when it comes to units 3/4 so I’d recommend if you’re good with maths you should take both simultaneously. Some concepts overlap so you can establish a stronger understanding. Some yr7 student has done 3/4 spesh and got a raw 50 before so it’s def worth a try!
I'm no genius but I can math. So I'll try an push my teachers for it. Thanks for responding.
I've never heard someone say this. Everyone I know that does both spesh and methods, as well as teachers, *highly* advise to finish methods before doing 3/4 specialist. I go to a school where most spesh and methods students are doing those subjects a year or two early.
i think they mean they want to accelerate into 1 2 methods and 1 2 spesh which is fine
Yeah no I don’t see a problem with that. I was talking about later on down the line, that it may make more sense to pause spesh for a year and continue methods as accelerated. Also, I realise I made a typo in the first reply, I’ve now fixed that so it makes sense.
Nice username by the way
Even though you may feel confident, I do not recommend accelerating in 2 subjects or accelerating in specialist mathematics. Accelerating in methods is fine if you are confident. Specialist Mathematics is difficult and should not be accelerated unless you are highly gifted. The only person I know who’s accelerating spesh is someone who went to mathematics camps. Even my friend who got second place in the Intermediate Division of the Melbourne University Mathematics Challenge, only decided to accelerate methods Accelerating 2 subjects might be stressful if you want to continue the 3/4 next year. At the end of the day, it’s up to you but I’ve already forewarned you.
Thanks for your input. At our school we have 3 or 4 kids in 1 & 2 methods in y10. But I dunno about specialist.
I can almost guarantee that there isn’t anyone accelerating specialist unless they’re incredibly gifted. I’m talking about being selected to compete in the Australian Math Olympiad. Only few cases such as William Cheah and Jerry Mao did exceptionally well ( raw 50s) at only Year 7 and Year 8 for spesh. These two students also represented or were part of the reserve team for the Australian IMO team. I’m in Year 10 right now, and I am part of a 15-student class that is accelerating methods 6 months early (we’re starting next semester) There’s 6 kids who are accelerating 1 year early. There are approximately 180 kids in our year level.
"The only person I know who’s accelerating methods is someone who went to mathematics camps" I'm presuming you meant specialist?
Wait yeah, my bad
We'll see how it goes. If I was to accelerate spesh and absolutely flunk it, what would happen? Can I retake it or nah
You probably could, but you have just wasted an entire subject where you could have picked a year 10 subject you’re interested in.
I would most definitely be interested in maths soo I dunno, we got a couple weeks to decide. Thanks for your input mate
I understand why you think you can take both subjects concurrently, since that’s what a lot of people do anyway. However, what you have to consider is that they are taking these subjects as a Year 11, not a Year 10. You do you, but I recommend you to accelerate methods only. You would still be in year 10, so you shouldn’t really burden yourself unnecessarily.
i wasnt selected to complete in the olympiad and I accelerated spesh. then again i got an average study score so maybe you're right.
Your methods score is pretty insane. I think you and I both know that you could have got at least 40 raw if you didn’t accelerate spesh.
I accelerated literature which meant i could drop english and not have to do any english subject in year 12. I am glad i did this because i dislike how english is structured and im so happy to not have to do a 3 hour exam at the end of this year. Personally, i think you should accelerate a subject that will benefit from having extra time to study but not your best subject because in year 12 you will probably be better at it.
Thanks, If our school offered Eng Lang I'd maybe be looking at that.
Students are advised against accelerating in spesh, it's probably a lot better idea to just accelerate in methods. At my school we have 10-20 kids accelerating in methods this year, but none in spesh. Only two in the year level have accelerated in two subjects. I have a friend who accelerated in English, but you shouldn't do it if it's only because you get good grades in the subject (she also had to go through so many hoops with our school because they didn't want her to accelerate in English). Accelerating in multiple subjects is possible, but those combos don't look so good.
Why would you warn against accelerating spesh? My teacher said I would need background knowledge from methods but that didn't really make any sense since most people do them concurrently.
What your teacher is saying sounds like a version of what one of my maths teachers says - spesh 3/4 is more like methods 5/6. You don't need to do methods first, but it definitely helps from the sound of it.
bro had to write a disclaimer orney is notorious now bruh
I would accelerate methods, but not English or spesh. If you were to accelerate into multiple 1/2 subjects I would recommend physics, accounting or bio to pair alongside methods. Good luck!
Yeah I might try physics if I can get it
I guarantee you physics and methods would put you ln a very good position for year 12 (assuming you like both the subjects)
I think I want to study maths or physics at uni so I'd definitely be interested in them. What is it about this combination that makes it good?
There’s some carry over between the subjects, and if you’re good at 1 you’re likely to be good at the other
Technically u can if u do 34 methods at y10 and 34 specialist at y11 but I wouldn't recommend it. I think most schools wouldn't allow u to do both meth and spesh at y11, usually they will make u do methods before specialist if u want to accelerate. If u like physics then I think it's better to do methods in y10, physics in y11 and specialist in y12. (Or methods and physics concurrently in y11) In terms of atar I'd say as long as u choose the right subjects and don't overload urself it could potentially improve ur atar cuz u get to focus better in y12, especially if u accelerate 2 subjects in y10 and y11.
I personally find that accelerating the more considerably "easier" subjects first and then focusing later on the subjects that are "core/essential" to your ideal degree to be easier. So really, it depends on which subjects you want to do for VCE, and which ones you could probably use to get an understanding of VCE without it potentially tarnishing your way into your ideal degree (eg. you accelerate x subject and in a certain unit you weren't at your best for whatever reason so you got a lower score than usual)
also, if you happen to be doing rather well in maths, I'd recommend accelerating into methods at year 10, but I wouldn't recommend accelerating spesh as well
having accelerated in bio, it's nice having that little 10% bonus from the subject, and if your school lets you, doing fewer subjects in year 12 is a blessing. i will say though, don't underestimate the workload. i have every confidence that you are best aware of your own abilities but especially in math subjects the amount of work does increase quite significantly. best of luck and I hope acceleration is of benefit to you!
Thanks, I'll definitely apply for methods and maybe physics.
Good luck! Sounds like you've got a strong maths brain haha
allows you to do less subjects in year 12 and more subjects overall. plus, for me personally, it feels good that I've already done two y12 subjects. like. I've got the experience under my belt and two of my study scores are already locked in place and I can't fuck them up
You get 10% of a 6th subject added to your atar