AUSMAT & SACE In Malaysia: Your One Stop Guide

AUSMAT and SACE International (SACE) are two very popular international pre-university courses in Malaysia. They are the best fit for pathways to top Australian Universities, notwithstanding they are also globally recognised.

In this guide, we lay out all the information you need to decide if AUSMAT in Malaysia as well as SACE International, are suitable for you or not. We cover their recognition, course structure, entry requirements and how you should choose the right subject to qualify for your degree specialisation.

1. What Is AUSMAT And SACE?

Essentially both the AUSMAT and SACE qualifications are Australian-based pre-university qualification courses that are comparable with only slight differences in their programme structure.

In Malaysia, AUSMAT is commonly associated with the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) which is administered by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) of Western Australia, on behalf of the Government of Western Australia.

SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) is an alternative Australian Matriculation offered in Malaysia as well and is administered by the SACE Board of South Australia under the South Australian Government.

2. AUSMAT And SACE Recognition

Both AUSMAT and SACE, originating from Australia are popular pathways into universities in Australia.

Owing to Australia’s high standard of education, AUSMAT and SACE are also globally recognised by many universities in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and more.

Beyond Australia, they are adopted and taught in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Phillippines, Indonesia, China, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

Needless to say, in Malaysia, you can enter into all private universities with either one of these qualifications. However, most if not all public universities (e.g. UM, UKM, USM) may not recognise AUSMAT and SACE as they typically use STPM, Matrikulasi and A-Level as the allowable entry qualifications.

Another popular alternative to AUSMAT and SACE in Malaysia is the Monash University Foundation Year or MUFY. Many students enrol into MUFY as a pathway towards entering a Monash undergraduate degree but it is also well recognised and accepted by all Australian universities.

3. AUSMAT And SACE Course Structure

Learning & Assessment Structure

The learning and assessment structure is the biggest difference between AUSMAT and SACE which is the split between coursework and examination evaluation.

AUSMAT

• 50% coursework
• 50% examination

SACE

• 70% coursework
• 30% examination

Coursework is done throughout the course duration and graded while the exams are completed in one sitting at the end of the course.

This is also the driving reason for students deciding between the two. Students who want a more balanced study experience can go for AUSMAT, while those who want to experience a more active participation in non-academic assignments and activities may choose SACE.

Subjects

These are the differences in subjects offered by AUSMAT and SACE in Malaysia:

	AUSMAT	SACE
No. of Subjects	80+ subjects	60+ subjects
Minimum Subjects To Take	5 subjects	5 subjects
Compulsory Subject	English (must pass)	English (must pass)
Subjects Commonly Offered In Malaysia	Accounting and Finance, Business Management & Enterprise, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, English, Psychology	Accounting, Business Innovation, Economics, Legal Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Mathematics, Politics, Nutrition

Most colleges and universities that offer AUSMAT or SACE will typically not have all subjects available as it is determined by demand from students and the overall education market in the country.

Students are required to take a minimum of 5 subjects including English.

Subjects that are commonly available in Malaysia are quite practical and most focus on business, mathematics and science related subjects.

Duration

Both AUSMAT and SACE course duration is about 10 – 12 months depending on the intake.

These are the intake periods

Intake	Duration
January	12 months (Standard)
March	10 months (Fast-track)
July (SACE) August (AUSMAT)	18 months (Extended) 14 months (Extended)

The biggest intake is usually in January as it gives students more time to prepare. As such many students from SPM or IGCSE can enrol using Trial Results since official results will not be out yet.

The fast-track and extended intakes are less popular and not necessarily available all the time, depending on the intake volume.

Assessment & Grading

Both AUSMAT and SACE use ATAR(Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) as the grading system.

It is a score between 0 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position relative to all other students in their age group who are completing Year 12.

For example, an ATAR of 80 means you are in the top 20% of all AUSMAT / SACE students for that year.

How are they calculated?

• AUSMAT – 4 out of 5 of your best subjects are converted to ATAR score + Pass English

• SACE – Takes top 5 subjects to be converted to ATAR + Pass English

4. AUSMAT Entry Requirements

Here we address the requirements to enter AUSMAT and SACE as well as the prerequisites to enter into a Degree using these qualifications.

AUSMAT And SACE Entry Requirements

• Generally speaking, you need a minimum of 5 Credits (including English) for your SPM or IGCSE to enter into either AUSMAT or SACE.

• If you plan to take up science-based or mathematical subjects in AUSMAT or SACE, you must have also taken the same subjects during your SPM or IGCSE, ideally with Credit results.

Prerequisites To Enter Into Degree With AUSMAT Or SACE

• Your ATAR and subjects taken will matter depending on the degree major you plan to study.

• For non-science and non-technical majors such as Business, Communications, Arts & Design etc, there are no strict requirements. Most private universities in Malaysia will require a minimum of ATAR 50 to enter.

• As for Healthcare courses, Science-based courses, Engineering courses and even professional or technical courses such as Accounting, Actuarial Science, Architecture, and Computer Science do require you to have taken certain subjects during your AUSMAT / SACE (more in the next section). These courses normally start at ATAR 60 or higher to enter.

• For critical areas in Healthcare such as Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, most universities set relatively high ATAR scores and subject prerequisites to enter.

5. How To Choose Subjects For AUSMAT / SACE

Here are recommended subjects to take based on the type of Degree and also the corresponding minimum grade you should ideally achieve.

Degree	Must Have Subjects	Recommended Minimum ATAR
Medicine (MBBS), Dentistry	Biology, Chemistry and Physics/Mathematics	ATAR 80 or higher
Allied Healthcare	Any 2 subjects – Biology – Chemistry – Physics/Math	ATAR 65 or higher
Engineering	Mathematics and 1 Science subject (Physics, Chemistry or Biology depending on the type of engineering)	ATAR 65 or higher
Actuarial Science	Mathematics equivalent or more advanced	ATAR 65 or higher
Accounting, Economics, Computer Science	Mathematics equivalent or more advanced	ATAR 60 or higher
Law	No hard requirements on subjects.	ATAR 60 or higher
Business, HR, Economics, Arts, Social Science, Humanities etc	No hard requirements on subjects.	ATAR 55 or higher

It should also be noted that the Degree majors that have subject prerequisites for AUSMAT and SACE, will normally have similar prerequisite subjects that should have been taken during their SPM or IGCSE.

Do check with our counsellors on the specific requirements!

6. Why Study AUSMAT Or SACE

• Global Recognition – You have almost no restrictions entering into universities from Malaysia, Australia, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore and even many colleges from the United States.

• Compact Duration – AUSMAT and SACE only take 10-12 months to complete compared to A-Level or IB Diploma. However, there is flexibility to take the 14-18 months route if you need more time.

• Balanced Assessment – Suitable for students who prefer coursework and assignments to heavy exam-based programmes like A-Level.

• Gets You Ready For University Life – The combination of assignments and examinations is similar to how universities function where more active participation, discussions and critical thinking are encouraged to mould a high-functioning student.

If you are thinking of studying AUSMAT or SACE, try our Pathway Match first to find out if you qualify for any bursary or scholarship! You can also find other alternative pre-university courses and their scholarships.

7. Where To Study AUSMAT And SACE

There are colleges and universities that provide lessons and administer the examinations for AUSMAT in Malaysia and SACE International in Malaysia. Here is the list:

AUSMAT

SACE

About the Author:

Ken Hoong is the co-founder of Uni Enrol and a contributing writer. Drawing on his close work with Uni Enrol’s counsellors, he brings keen insight into Malaysia’s evolving private higher education landscape and the shifting preferences of students in learning and career choices.