Queensland law requires young people to be earning or learning until they turn 17, or until they achieve a QCE or a vocational qualification at Level III or higher.
Young Queenslanders are registered for the QCE during Year 10 or in the 12 months before they turn 16, whichever comes first. Young people from other states or overseas can be registered after completing Year 10 or turning 16 years of age. Generally schools register young people in Year 10.
Who registers young people
Young people are registered by their main learning provider: schools (state or non-state), registered training organisations (e.g. TAFE) or other approved organisations. In most cases, schools register young people.
The Director-General of the Department of Education and Training can register students who undertake home schooling and in certain other situations.
How young people are registered — learning accounts
The learning provider submits a young person's details through the QCAA's Registration and Banking System. An Intended Learning Option (ILO) must be entered to complete registration.
When a student is registered, the QCAA opens a learning account for them. The student is assigned a learner unique identifier (LUI) and password so they can access their web-based account through the Student Connect website.
The learning account records enrolments and results of any completed studies in the different types of learning that may lead to a QCE.
Account activity
Most students are awarded a QCE at the end of Year 12. Students who do not meet the QCE requirements at the end of Year 12 can continue to work towards their certificate — their learning account remains open, regardless of their age (however credits expire after 9 years). The QCAA will award a QCE in the following July or December, once a person becomes eligible.
All students who finish Year 12 receive a transcript of their learning account in the form of a Senior Statement, which is issued in December.
More information
Details of registration policies and procedures are available in the QCE handbook.
