SACE Activating Identities and Futures (AIF): the compulsory Stage 2 subject explained
A complete guide to SACE Stage 2 Activating Identities and Futures (AIF), the compulsory 10-credit subject that replaced the Research Project: the Learning Goal and Output of Learning, the Portfolio, Progress Checks and externally assessed Appraisal, the nine assessment design criteria, the capabilities, and how it is graded.
Activating Identities and Futures (AIF) is the compulsory Stage 2 SACE subject. It is about learning how to learn: you set your own Learning Goal, choose how to pursue it, seek feedback, make decisions and reflect on what worked. The SACE Board describes it as developing the skills to "learn how to learn" and to "know what to do when you don't know what to do".
This page explains the subject, how it is assessed and graded, and the capabilities it builds, with links to a focused page for each assessment design criterion.
The basics
- Stage 2, 10 credits, compulsory. You need a C- or better to meet the SACE compulsory requirement.
- Replaced the Research Project. In 2025 schools could offer either; from 2026 all students complete AIF.
- Builds on Stage 1 Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF), the compulsory Stage 1 subject that replaced the Personal Learning Plan (a C grade or better is needed in EIF).
- Taught from the Stage 2 Activating Identities and Futures subject outline (accredited in October 2023; taught in all schools from 2025).
How it works
- Choose a Learning Goal on a topic of personal interest that has purpose and value for you, others or the community (for example, learning sustainable farming practices for the family farm, rebuilding a car engine, or making a short horror film).
- Explore ideas, strategies and perspectives, collecting natural evidence of your learning in a Portfolio.
- Plan and act: seek feedback from co-agents (teachers, peers, mentors, experts), manage time and resources, and make decisions.
- Check your progress with your teacher at points you choose together.
- Showcase an Output of Learning and appraise your learning in the externally assessed Appraisal.
Assessment
| Assessment type | Weighting | What it is | Criteria mainly assessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT1 Portfolio (school) | 35% | A collection of natural evidence of your learning journey: photos, annotated articles, voice notes, observations, sketches. No prescribed conditions, but the volume should suit a 10-credit Stage 2 subject. | E1, E2, E3, PA1 |
| AT2 Progress Checks (school) | 35% | Two or more discussions of your progress with your teacher, using Portfolio examples. For moderation: a combined maximum of 1500 words written, 10 minutes oral, or the multimodal equivalent. | PA2, PA3, A2 |
| AT3 Appraisal (external) | 30% | Evidence your Output of Learning and appraise the value of the learning and the impact of strategies, perspectives and feedback. Maximum 1000 words written, 6 minutes oral, or the multimodal equivalent. Submitted online and marked externally. | A1, A2, A3 |
There is no written exam. The Appraisal is an externally assessed investigation submitted online.
The assessment design criteria
The performance standards group nine criteria into three areas.
| Area | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Exploring (developing agency; "learning how to learn independently") | E1 Exploring ideas related to an area of interest; E2 Selecting and applying strategies; E3 Selecting and using perspectives |
| Planning and Acting (developing self-regulation and metacognition; "knowing what to do when you don't know what to do") | PA1 Seeking and responding to feedback; PA2 Managing time and resources; PA3 Making judgements and decisions |
| Appraising (developing reflective practice and evaluative judgement; "revealing your thinking") | A1 Appraising the personal value of the learning experiences; A2 Appraising the impact of strategies, perspectives and/or feedback to progress the learning towards the learning goal; A3 Appraising learning development as represented in the Output of Learning |
The capabilities
AIF develops the SACE capabilities. The subject outline connects them to the subject's key ideas of agency, self-efficacy, self-regulation and communication:
- Literacy, numeracy and ICT: expressing ideas and presenting findings; building digital fluency through multimodal presentation.
- Critical and creative thinking: monitoring thinking strategies, evaluating and responding to feedback, making reasoned decisions, transferring learning, generating ideas, problem-solving and putting plans into action.
- Personal and social capability: communicating for a purpose, building supportive relationships, accessing community resources, seeking others' perspectives, a growth mindset, owning choices, managing motivation, responding to challenges, self-efficacy, initiative and determination.
- Ethical understanding: acting ethically, recognising the impact of decisions on others, empathy when sharing aspects of identity, valuing diversity.
- Intercultural understanding: recognising aspects of identity linked to culture, exploring identity in local, national and global communities, balancing individual agency with community responsibilities.
How AIF is graded
Your teacher assigns a grade from A+ to E- for each school assessment type using the performance standards, and the Appraisal is marked externally. The school and external results combine into a final grade from A+ to E-. At the A level, for example, the standards describe "discerning choices about the direction of the learning", strategies that are developed, tested or adapted, targeted feedback with discerning responses, strategic management of time and resources, and insightful appraisal of the personal value of the learning.
AIF and the ATAR
AIF is a 10-credit Stage 2 subject. SATAC's university aggregate uses your best three 20-credit Tertiary Admissions Subjects plus a 30-credit flexible option, which can include 10-credit subjects. Check SATAC's current rules and your school's advice for how AIF counts for you. Some universities also run AIF-based entry pathways.
Dot point by dot point
Each of the nine assessment design criteria has its own page: what it means, what evidence shows it, a worked example, common mistakes and original practice activities. Browse them at /sace/activating-identities-and-futures/syllabus.
Study strategy
- Pick a Learning Goal you genuinely care about. Motivation carries you through the middle of the year.
- Collect evidence as you go. Photos, voice notes and quick annotations are better than a portfolio rebuilt at the end. The outline says evidence should be authentic, not artificially curated.
- Name your strategies and perspectives. Say what you tried, why, and what happened.
- Treat feedback as data. Record who gave it, what you changed and the result.
- Plan your Progress Checks with your teacher at meaningful points, not all at the end.
- Start the Appraisal early. It is about the impact of your choices and the value of the learning, not a diary of everything you did.
For the official subject outline
The SACE Board publishes the Stage 2 Activating Identities and Futures subject outline, performance standards, examples of student work and external assessment information on its Identities and Futures subject pages.