By Term 4 of Year 12, students get their WACE exam timetable from SCSA. Most don't know exactly where their exam centre is, what parking looks like, or which gates to use. Here's the practical guide.
How SCSA assigns exam centres
SCSA does not let you choose your centre. You're assigned one based on your enrolled school and the subjects you take. Most schools become exam centres themselves for the November WACE written exams, hosting their own students plus students from nearby smaller schools that don't run their own centre.
The full list is published in your individual exam timetable, which you'll receive via your school in early Term 4. The timetable shows: subject, date, session (morning or afternoon), reading time start, writing time start, and the centre address.
Common Perth WACE exam centres
The exact list changes year to year, but the centres that usually run WACE exams include:
- Major public secondary schools: Rossmoyne SHS, Willetton SHS, Shenton College, Applecross SHS, Perth Modern School, Mount Lawley SHS, John Curtin College of the Arts, Churchlands SHS, and most other large district schools.
- Independent schools: Hale, Christ Church Grammar, MLC, PLC, Scotch, Wesley, Penrhos, St Hilda's, St Mary's typically host their own students plus selected nearby externals.
- Catholic schools: Aquinas, John XXIII, Trinity, Newman, Iona Presentation, Santa Maria, Mercedes typically host their own cohort.
- Some external sites: for niche subjects, students may be sent to a regional centre (Curtin University, etc), your timetable will say.
Parking and arrival
If your exam is at your home school: use the parent drop-off zone or the visitor parking. Most schools open earlier than usual on exam days. Aim to arrive 30 minutes before reading time starts.
If your exam is at a different school: three rules:
- Visit the centre before exam day. Drive to the school the weekend before, walk to the gate listed on your timetable, identify the building. This sounds excessive. It is the single highest-leverage thing you can do for exam-day calm.
- Allow 25-30 minutes extra travel time. Perth traffic on weekday mornings is unpredictable. The Mitchell Freeway, Kwinana Freeway and Tonkin Highway can lose you 20 minutes for no reason.
- Use the gate specified on your timetable. Most schools have multiple gates and SCSA assigns specific entrances. Going to the wrong gate wastes 5-10 minutes when you have none to spare.
What to bring (the SCSA list)
SCSA publishes the full list in the WACE Examination Personal Information document. The essentials:
- Photo ID (school student card, driver's licence, passport, or photo bus pass with name).
- Black or blue pens (bring 3, pens fail more often than students expect).
- Pencils, eraser, ruler, sharpener in a clear plastic bag or container.
- Approved calculator(s) for Maths/Sciences exams. Check SCSA's approved-calculator list each year. Memory must be cleared (you'll be checked).
- Drink in a clear bottle with no labels.
- Watch (analogue or simple digital). No smartwatches, no devices.
- Tissues (loose, not in a packet).
What you cannot bring into the exam room:
- Phones (must be off and in your bag, in the designated area).
- Smartwatches, fitness trackers, wireless earbuds.
- Notes, formula sheets you've prepared yourself (SCSA provides formula sheets where allowed).
- Any food or drink with packaging or labels.
For the full personal-info document, search "SCSA WACE examination personal information" or check with your school in late Term 3.
Reading time and writing time
Most WACE exams have 10 minutes reading time followed by 3 hours writing time (some are shorter). During reading time you cannot write, you can only read the paper, plan in your head, and pick which questions to attempt.
The single biggest reading-time mistake students make is reading from page 1 to last page sequentially. Smarter approach: scan the whole paper first to locate any unfamiliar question types or surprises, then prioritise by which sections give you the most marks per minute.
If something goes wrong
If you arrive late: go straight to the SCSA supervisor at the centre, not your school's admin. Late arrivals are managed by SCSA, who will either let you sit (with reduced time) or arrange a special examination depending on circumstances and reason.
If you fall ill during the exam: tell the supervisor immediately. SCSA has a "sickness/misadventure" application process for special consideration. Don't try to power through and apply later, the supervisor's record of the incident is critical evidence.
For more on exam-day prep, see our exam day packing list and WACE exam day checklist.