Western Australia’s Certificate of Education (WACE) curriculum gets approval from Association of Indian Universities (AIU) granting equivalence to WACE, making it eligible for Grade XII recognition in India.

Three institutions in Karnataka, Delhi Public School (DPS) North and DPS East in Bengaluru, and Shaheen International School in Bidar are set to begin offering the WACE curriculum from July 2025, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

The rollout is part of a broader plan to onboard 100 schools across India in the next three years.

Unlike the conventional Indian education system which are largely driven by exams and evaluated through the grades,the WACE model follows a different approach. The students from Kindergarten to grade 11 won't be having any pen-paper examinations, whereas the evaluation will be done internally by the schools through continuous assessment methods.

”The focus during these years is on participation, problem-solving, and consistent academic performance rather than high-stakes exams,” shared Angelique Smith, Principal Consultant, School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), Government of Australia.

Only Grade 12 students will be having board level examinations which is a combination of 50% derived from school-based assessments conducted throughout the year. These include assignments, projects, classroom participation, and subject-specific tasks and the remaining 50% comes from a final external board examination conducted by SCSA Western Australia after the academic year end, as per the report by The New Indian Express.

Students study six subjects, but the final ATR score is calculated based on the best four. The system is designed so that the internal assessments reflect the student’s capability and are indicative of how they will perform in the final exam. “The goal is to ensure consistency and depth in learning.” shares Syed Sultan Ahmed, Chairperson, The Association of International Schools of India (TAISI)

Teacher training workshops have started in Bengaluru with 30 educators undergoing orientation in WACE pedagogy. Students enrolled in the program will receive certifications directly from the Government of Western Australia, along with a globally recognized ATAR score for university applications.