2012 TAFE SA entry requirements   Entry to TAFE SA courses is based merit, and is dependent on eligibility and rank. For each course, TAFE SA sets Minimum Entry Requirements (MER) which applicants must meet to be eligible. If there are more eligible applicants than places available for a given course, applicants are ranked in merit order.   Minimum Entry Requirements (MER)    TAFE SA courses offered through SATAC have Minimum Entry Requirements (MER) which all applicants must meet in order to be eligible for selection. TAFE SA courses of the same level (Certificate I, Diploma, etc) generally share a common set of MER, and successful completion of the SACE/NTCET meets the common MER for all levels.   For applicants who do not successfully complete the SACE/NTCET, there are other ways to meet the MER, including, for most courses, successful performance in the TAFE SA Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS) or the completion of a VET qualification at an appropriate level. TABS sittings are available free of charge to all TAFE SA applicants.   Minimum Entry Requirements regarding the SACE/NTCET for Certificate IV and higher level courses   To meet the MER for Certificate IV and higher level courses a candidate must:   >        qualify for the SACE/NTCET >        obtain a TAFE SA Selection Score   To obtain a TAFE SA Selection Score, you must:   >        have completed 60 credits of TAS, or 50 credits of TAS and 10 credits of Recognised Studies, or 40 credits of TAS and 20 credits of Recognised Studies >        comply with the rules regarding Precluded Combinations     Minimum Entry Requirements regarding the SACE/NTCET for Certificate III courses   To meet the MER for Certificate III courses a candidate must:   >        qualify for the SACE/NTCET     Minimum Entry Requirements regarding the SACE/NTCET for Certificate II level courses   To meet the MER for Certificate II level courses a candidate must:   >        meet the literacy standard of the SACE/NTCET by the successful completion of 20 credits of Stage 1 English, or the equivalent >        meet the numeracy standard of the SACE/NTCET by the successful completion of 10 credits of Stage 1 Mathematics, or the equivalent   Minimum Entry Requirements regarding the SACE/NTCET for Certificate I level courses   There are no MER for Certificate I level courses.     Selection into TAFE SA courses   The scores used to rank applicants in merit order for selection to TAFE SA courses are generally based on measures related to the MER. For example, Certificate II courses (which accept SACE/NTCET Stage 1 literacy and numeracy standards to meet the MER) rank applicants using a score that gives points for Stage 1 studies.     Selection for Certificate IV and higher level courses   For Certificate IV and higher level courses, the TAFE SA Selection Score is used. The TAFE SA Selection Score is calculated from the scaled scores of the best 40 Stage 2 credits of TAS plus the best outcome from either:  >        the score of a 20 credit TAS or Recognised Studies or any two of the following: >        half the score of a 20 credit TAS or Recognised Studies >        the score of a 10 credit TAS or Recognised Studies >        the score of another 10 credit TAS or Recognised Studies   The TAFESA Selection Score is reported to students in the score range 0.0 - 60.0   Furthermore:   >        scaled scores of 0.0 cannot be counted in the calculation of the TAFE SA Selection Score >        there is no limit to the number of 10 credit TAS that can contribute to the TAFE SA Selection Score >        TAFE SA does not use counting restrictions Additional points are awarded to students who successfully complete subjects relevant to the TAFE SA courses for which they have applied Selection for Certificate III courses For Certificate III level courses, the TAFE SA Selection Score is not used.  Instead a Certificate III score is calculated from: >  the results of SACE subjects >  VET studies >  other learning Additional points are awarded to students who successfully complete subjects relevant to the TAFE SA courses for which they have applied. Selection for Certificate I/II level courses For Certificate I/II level courses, the TAFE SA Selection Score is not used.  Instead a Certificate I/II score is calculated from: >  the results of SACE subjects >  other learning Additional points are awarded to students who successfully complete subjects relevant to the TAFE SA courses for which they have applied.