QCE system update — February 2026

The start of the year is the perfect time to make sure your QCAA Portal access and subscriptions are up to date:

QCAA Portal key tasks

To ensure ongoing access to relevant QCAA Portal apps, we recommend your school completes three tasks:

• Check staff access
• Assign and revoke roles for staff in your school
• Assign the Principal position and the Principal’s delegate QCE and Principal’s delegate NAPLAN positions.

All staff should review and update their details in the My Details app.

See memo 005/26 (PDF, 148.2 KB) for more information.

QCAA subscriptions

• Subscribe to QCAA memos to stay up to date with critical curriculum, assessment and certification information throughout the year.
• Subscribe to QCAA newsletters for regular updates relating to the QCE system or P–10 Australian Curriculum.

We’re making changes to the QCAA website to better support teachers and educators. 

Share your feedback through our short survey to help improve how the new website works for you. The survey closes on 27 February.

Schools delivering Ancient History and Modern History syllabuses (including Alternative Sequence syllabuses) must choose a topic for the external assessment from the QCAA-nominated options. Registrations are due by Thursday 2 April via the Prescribed Lists app in the QCAA Portal.

See memo 013/26 (PDF, 157.9 KB) for further information about the available topics and how to submit choices for your school.

Prescribed text lists for 2026 are now available for the following subjects:

• English General Senior Syllabus 2025
• English as an Additional Language (EAL) General Senior Syllabus 2025
• Literature General Senior Syllabus 2025

Schools are now required to register their 2026 text choices for these subjects via the Prescribed Lists app in the QCAA Portal. Registrations close on Thursday 2 April.

See memo 012/26 (PDF, 159.2 KB) for further information about the texts and how to submit choices for your school.

Version 7.0 of the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook is now available online and in PDF format on the QCAA website. The PDF is also available in the Noticeboard app in the QCAA Portal. The updates:

• incorporate the new academic integrity requirement for the QCE
• reflect changes to VET policies and procedures for RTOs
• provide additional information about AARA, Applied quality assurance, General (SEE) subjects and school assessment policies
• incorporate feedback from Queensland schools and stakeholders
• enhance clarity and consistency.

Principals of senior secondary schools are reminded they must complete the senior secondary certification agreement by Friday 20 March 2026 via the Student Management app in the QCAA Portal.

See memo 010/26 for further information.

In Term 4, the QCAA will hold examinations across Queensland for General (SEE) subjects. Year 12 students may be eligible to sit a maximum of two General (SEE) subjects if the subject is not taught at their school or where a timetable clash occurs.

See memo 009/26 (PDF, 204.0 KB) for further information, including registration dates and fees.

AARA updates

Key updates have been made in Section 6 of the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook v7.0 to provide schools with greater clarity about AARA requirements, increase efficiency when submitting applications and reduce school workload. 

We’re also updating the AARA resources to support schools.

See memo 006/26 (PDF, 175.1 KB) for further information.

Due date for alternative format papers for CIA and EA

AARA applications for alternative format papers for students completing the below assessments are due by 27 February:

• General and General (Extension) subject external assessments for 2026
• Essential English and Essential Mathematics Common Internal Assessment (CIA) Second Phase

Starting this year, Year 12 graduates will need to complete an academic integrity course during their senior schooling as part of the eligibility requirements for the QCE.

We’ve updated the suite of QCE resources to reflect the new requirement. The myQCE website for students has also been updated.

Free webinars are available to assist schools with Student Management functionality relating to the new requirement. See memo 011/26 (PDF, 155.0 KB) for more information.

Schools with students undertaking a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA) are reminded they must register eligible students via the Student Management app in the QCAA Portal and create curriculum plans. They also need to prepare for quality assurance processes.

See memo 008/26 (PDF, 168.3 KB) for more information, including key dates.

The 2025 subject reports for General, General (Extension) and Applied (Essential) subjects are now available. They provide insights into the teaching, learning and assessment cycle.

This year's reports also highlight key differences between the 2019 and 2025 senior syllabuses to support the implementation and assessment of Units 3 and 4 for the 2026 exiting cohort — the first to complete the revised syllabuses.

The reports and a related factsheet can be accessed on each syllabus page and in the Syllabuses app in the QCAA Portal (under the resources section for each subject).

See memo 003/26 (PDF, 150.6 KB) for more information.

We’ve updated the Confirmation submission information to include details relating to the 2025 General senior syllabuses. It provides general guidance and subject-specific information to support the confirmation process, including details of file types and sizes for submitting via the Confirmation app in the QCAA Portal.

The new version is available on on each syllabus page (under  Resources > Quality assurance) and in the Noticeboard app in the QCAA Portal.

See memo 007/26 (PDF, 153.9 KB) for more information.

The Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS) reimburses schools for the cost of relief teachers when they release teachers to undertake duties or professional development with the QCAA.

See memo 001/26 (PDF, 166.9 KB) for information about the TRS claim process and rates for Semesters 1 and 2, 2026.

AARA webinars

Our free AARA webinars in Term 1 provide advice about how to prepare and submit applications. Click on the topics below to register:

• Preparing AARA applications — supporting documentation for students with disability (23, 24 and 25 February)
• Submitting AARA applications (2, 3 and 4 March)

Curriculum conversations (Music Extension, Dance and Film, Television & New Media)

Music, Dance and Film, Television & New Media teachers can attend our free curriculum conversations webinars about IA3. Click on the topics below to register:

• Music Extension (2026) IA3 Statements (24 and 26 March)
• Dance 2025 — IA3: Dance work (choreographic statement and evaluative response) (30 April)
• Film, Television & New Media (31 March and 30 April)

Economics

We're offering a free webinar on 24 or 25 February for economics teachers who want a better understanding of the 2025 subject reports.

Essential English and Essential Mathematics CIA

Essential English and Essential Mathematics teachers and heads of department can attend our free webinars to learn more about Phase 1 and 2 Common internal assessment (CIA). Click on the topics below to register:

• Essential English: Phase 1 and 2 CIA (22 April, 12 May and 18 June)
• Essential Mathematics: Phase 1 CIA (21 April and 13 May)
• Essential Mathematics: Phase 2 CIA (13 May and 18 June)

Hospitality Practices — using evidence to support judgments

Our free webinar on Thursday 26 March will help Hospitality teachers and heads of department understand the instrument specific standards for the 2024 Hospitality Practices Applied syllabus.

Languages internal assessment

Teachers of General Languages senior syllabuses for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish can attend a free webinar on 19 or 24 February about making judgments using the Instrument-specific marking guides for IA1.

QCIA processes

Our free QCIA webinar on 3, 4, 10 or 12 March will help teachers prepare for quality assurance processes in the final year of senior schooling.

The QCAA is recruiting to the following position:

• Manager, Governance and Policy Unit (Permanent full-time AO8). Applications close on 1 March. See Smartjobs for more information.

The Senior Education Profile (SEP) calendar lists the key dates for endorsement, assessment, data submission and certification throughout the year — see the key dates for February.