The Queensland Certificate of Education is generally awarded to students completing Year 12, though alternative avenues of study are available.
[2] All Queensland courses of study are awarded credits, which can contribute towards a QCE.
Authority subjects are those whose syllabuses are maintained by the QSA and whose results contribute to a student's Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), which is the ranking used for entrance to tertiary education institutions, whereas Authority-registered subjects are developed from a Study Area Specification.
Advanced courses are often university subjects completed alongside a student's regular secondary schooling.
[6] A student's result in the Queensland Core Skills Test also appears on their QCE as a letter grade.