Entry requirements
Entry requirements vary depending on the course you want to study. Find out more about the entry requirements for your course before enrolling
Entry requirements are the minimum qualifications, knowledge, skills, experience and attributes you must have to be considered for entry into a course. Not all courses have entry requirements but some have very specific mandatory conditions such as licensing or regulatory requirements.
When you register for a TAFE NSW course, the entry requirements for the course are clearly displayed in the course information. You must be able to show that you meet the entry requirements when you enrol in the course.
How do you show you meet the entry requirements?
When you enrol, you may be asked to:
- prove that you meet the entry requirements for your chosen course (e.g. your HSC transcript, or proof of your work skills)
- support your claim for recognition (e.g. certified copies of your previous qualification/s, transcript of studies you have undertaken)
- support your claim for an exemption from fees or a fee concession (e.g. proof of pension, which you can obtain from Centrelink.)
We recognise the equivalents listed below
HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE (HSC) (YEAR 12) OR EQUIVALENTS:
- TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation (TPC)
- completion of a post-school course or courses that meet the equivalent of one year of full-time assessed study (about 540 hours)
- completion of all of the following:
- NSW School Certificate (Year 10) or equivalent
- at least six months' paid work or unpaid work or voluntary community activity that reflects performance at AQF Certificate III
- a course at AQF Certificate II level.
- completion of all of the following below:
- NSW School Certificate (Year 10) or equivalent
- at least six months' paid work or unpaid work or voluntary community activity that shows you can perform at AQF Certificate III level. (e.g. in your work – paid or unpaid – or voluntary community activity you are responsible for your own work outcomes. You may also have limited responsibility for other people's work. You have a range of well-developed skills and knowledge. You use your discretion and judgement to meet workplace needs, and you're able to solve every day work problems.)
- the equivalent of six months' full-time training (about 270 hours).
SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OR EQUIVALENTS:
- a TAFE NSW Certificate II in General and Vocational Education (CGVE)
- completion of a post-school course at AQF Certificate II level or higher
- a combination of study and work or life experience.
What if I don't meet the entry requirements?
By law, you must remain in school until you have completed Year 10 or reach the age of 17 years. However, in exceptional circumstances, some young people are able to complete the equivalent of Year 10 in TAFE NSW with written permission from the school principal and the TAFE NSW Institute Director.
The minimum age for entry to these programs is 15 years at the date of your enrolment.
Students can either take up an apprenticeship or traineeship or study another TAFE qualification usually at a Certificate II level.
For more information on the above, talk to a Course Information Officer or a TAFE NSW counsellor.