Course Admission Requirements (TAFE SA)

Examples of Qualifications that may meet Course Admission Requirements (CAR)

As course admission requirements are specific to each course, we encourage you to check the course entry details carefully when adding preferences to your SATAC application. You can also find course information on the TAFE SA website.

Core Skills Profile for Adults (CSPA)

The CSPA is a tool designed to indicate reading, writing and numeracy/maths skills. Some courses at TAFE SA require CSPA as part of the course admission requirements.

The CSPA is free for TAFE SA applicants. The test is 90 minutes in total and has three sections, allowing 30 minutes for each:

1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Numeracy

Find out more about the CSPA on the TAFE SA website
 

Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Skills (LLND)

The LLND Assessment indicates your reading, numeracy and digital skills to make sure that any learning and support needs can be planned for. The LLND is a course admission requirement (CAR) for a range of TAFE SA courses, and may also be used to assess eligibility to access subsidised training.

Find out more about the LLND on the TAFE SA website

Completion of SACE or equivalent

Students who are awarded the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) have successfully completed Year 12 (final year of secondary school) in South Australia.

When a course lists “Satisfactory completion of SACE Stage 2 (or equivalent)” as an admission requirement, applicants must have completed the SACE, an International Baccalaureate (IB), or an interstate Year 12 qualification. Some courses also have a minimum ATAR requirement. Satisfying the qualification requirement alone does not guarantee selection.

Overseas school qualifications are assessed individually on a country-by-country basis.
 

TAFE, VET and Higher Education level study

When a course requires a completed Certificate-level course (for example, any Certificate III), this requirement is met by applicants who have completed a Level 3 qualification or higher, as defined by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Applicants who have successfully completed at least one year of full-time study at university at AQF Level 6 or above (for example, an Associate Degree or Bachelor Degree) also meet this requirement.

For more information, visit the Australian Qualifications Framework website.
 

Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) results

STAT results can be used to meet course admission requirements and contribute to your selection score for entry into higher education courses only.
 

University bridging and foundation courses

Successful completion of a recognised university bridging or foundation course may be used to meet course admission requirements.

A successfully completed bridging or foundation course of 12 months duration may be considered equivalent to completion of SACE Stage 2 or a Certificate III.

Competitive and non-competitive courses

Courses may be competitive if there are limited places available. They are non-competitive if TAFE SA expects that all qualified applicants will be accepted.

Competitive courses

Your chances of being selected for a place in a competitive TAFE SA course depend on:

• The number of places available in the course
• Whether you have met the course admission requirements (i.e. whether you are eligible)
• How many other eligible applicants are applying
• How competitive your qualifications are compared to other eligible applicants (i.e. your rank). 

When applying for a competitive course, you need to demonstrate in your application that your qualifications meet the course admission requirements. SATAC will assess your qualifications to determine your eligibility and rank before an offer can be made to you.

Non-competitive courses

Many non-competitive courses have no course admission requirements. In these instances, there is usually no ranking or other selection criteria applied. However, if demand is higher than expected, TAFE SA may make offers based on the order in which applications were received – so SATAC encourages students to submit their TAFE SA applications as early as possible once they open.

Note for Existing Worker courses

Most Existing Worker courses do not have formal course admission requirements, but you will be required to provide evidence to TAFE SA when you enrol that you are currently employed in a relevant position.
 

How TAFE SA allocates places in a course

Each course will have a total number of places it can allocate. This is called the quota.

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the quota, applicants will be ranked for selection using predetermined criteria – often the date your application was received – which is why SATAC encourages students to submit their TAFE SA applications as soon as possible once they open.

You can find more information about selection criteria in the individual course entries on the TAFE SA website or in the course descriptions in the online application.
 

Ranking applicants

For competitive courses with limited places, eligible applicants are ranked in order of merit. TAFE SA has specific ranking rules that determine this order.

Selection rules and decisions are made by TAFE SA, and SATAC applies these rules and decisions on TAFE SA’s behalf.