Global Assessment Certificate

The Global Assessment Certificate program (also known as the GAC, /ʤi: eI si:/, jee-ay-see) is a university preparation and foundation studies program that provides students from mostly non-English-speaking backgrounds with academic knowledge and skills to prepare them for western-style postsecondary study. It is owned and developed by ACT Education Solutions, Ltd. (AES),^[1] an international subsidiary of ACT, Inc.^[2]

The GAC is recognized for admissions and credit transfer purposes by more than 90 universities around the globe, including The University of Iowa,^[3][4] LIU Post,^[5][6] the University of Idaho,^[7][8] Oklahoma State University,^[9][10] Southern Oregon University ^[11][12] (in the United States), Bond,^[13][14] La Trobe,^[15][16] Macquarie,^[17][18] and RMIT ^[19][20] (in Australia) for admissions purposes and is considered an alternative or addition to Year 12 for international students.

The GAC is licensed to teaching centers (known as ‘Approved Teaching Centers’ or ATCs^[21]). The program is monitored and moderated by AES staff based at the organization’s regional offices in Shanghai, Jakarta, Singapore, and at the head office in Sydney.^[22]

The GAC is the international version of a Certificate IV program, which has been nationally accredited in Australia since 2002. Following accreditation by the Australian Skills Quality Authority,^[22] which is valid until May 2017, the Certificate IV in Foundation Studies—Global Assessment is listed on the Australian government’s national vocational training register^[23] with course code 10025NAT.

GAC course structure

The GAC can be delivered full-time or part-time as a concurrent co-curriculum with the high school curriculum. The minimum requirements for delivery of the program are 720 hours of face-to-face instruction and 360 hours of independent study, half of which must be supervised. The program is continuously assessed and all assessments are moderated by ACT Education Solutions, Limited's academic staff at a regional and global level, thus ensuring consistency of grading regardless of where and how the program is delivered.

Level I

Six mandatory modules with a total of 240 hours of face-to-face study, plus 120 hours independent study. Includes academic English, study skills, mathematics, computing, and communication skills.

Level II

Two mandatory academic English modules, plus four of five specialization modules across the areas of business, computing, mathematics, science, and social science. Electives in IELTS or TOEFL preparation are available.

Level III

Two mandatory academic English modules plus four of five specialization modules across the areas of business, computing, mathematics, science, and social science. ACT Test preparation is also available.

GAC GPA scale

The GAC Grade Point Average (GPA) scale is based on a four-point scale with a passing grade of 55% (GPA 0.6). Grading criteria for each assessment are clearly stipulated in documentation provided to Approved Teaching Centers (ATCs) and teachers and directors of studies are trained by ACT Education Solutions, Limited's academic staff in the correct application of the grading criteria. All grades are finalized by ACT Education Solutions, Limited's academic staff prior to posting on ACT Education Solutions, Limited's secure online database, iTAP. Higher education institutions can verify GAC graduates' certificates and transcripts through the iTAP database.

ACE credit recommendations for the GAC modules

The American Council on Education’s (www.acenet.edu) College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) recommended college credit for 13 of the GAC program modules in September 2012. ACE found 13 GAC modules to be equivalent to associate degree–level subjects at US colleges and universities. Each was recommended for 3 semester credit hours, up to a total of 39 credit hours.

Information on how each module is recommended for credit is available from ACE’s National Guide,^[24] searching under the organization’s name.

References