Course admission requirements

Course Admission requirements are specific to each course so you should check the course entry details carefully when adding preferences to your SATAC application. Alternatively, you can find information about courses on the TAFE SA website.

The CSPA is a tool designed to indicate reading, writing and numeracy/maths skills. Some qualifications require CSPA as part of course admissions requirements when applying for a place at TAFE SA. 

The CSPA is free for TAFE SA applicants. The test is 90 minutes in total and comprises three parts: Reading, Writing, and Numeracy (30 minutes is allowed for each section).

Find out more about the CSPA on the TAFE SA website

Previous TABS scores can no longer be used in the assessment of current applications.

Students who are awarded the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) have successfully completed the requirements of year 12 (final year secondary schooling) in South Australia. Where 'Satisfactory completion of SACE Stage 2 (or equivalent)' is included in the course admission requirements, this condition is met by applicants who have completed the SACE, or an equivalent qualification such as the International Baccalaureate or an interstate year 12 qualification. Overseas school qualifications are assessed on a country by country basis.

Where a completed Certificate level course, e.g. any Certificate III, is included in the course admission requirements this condition is met by applicants who have completed a Level 3 qualification or above, as specified by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Applicants who have studied at university at AQF Level 6 or higher (e.g. Associate degree or Bachelor degree level or above) for at least one year equivalent full-time study will also meet this requirement.

You can find more information about the AQF on the Australian Qualifications Framework website.

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

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

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

Courses may be considered competitive if there are limited places available, or non-competitive if TAFE SA expects that all interested and qualified applicants will be accepted. 

Many non-competitive courses have no course admission requirements. There is usually no ranking or other selection criteria applied. However, if there is an unexpected increase in demand for a non-competitive course, TAFE SA reserves the right to make offers to applicants in the order in which they applied.

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.

Your chances of being selected for a place in a competitive TAFE SA course depend on how many places the course has available; whether you have met the course admission requirements (i.e. whether you are eligible); how many other eligible applicants are applying; and how competitive your qualifications are in relation to those of the 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.

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 for a course, applicants will be ranked for selection using predetermined selection criteria – this is often the date of application. 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.

Find out more about TAFE SA courses on the TAFE SA website

For competitive courses where class numbers are restricted, eligible applicants will be ranked in order of merit. TAFE SA has a set of ranking rules that determines how the order of merit is established. 

Selection rules and decisions are the responsibility of TAFE SA. SATAC implements these selection rules and decisions on TAFE SA’s behalf.