Is 6 subjects the minimum for Year 11?

[pm_me_ur_eggs]

I'm Year 10 going into Year 11 (not having done any VCE subjects beforehand) and the subjects I have selected are English, Specialist, Methods, Legal Studies, Biology and Physics. Having 6 subjects in Year 10 felt a little difficult at times, but didn't overwhelm me too much as I was able to get 80s and 90s. However, it's undeniable that the workload will be increased in Year 11, as well as new content being introduced (specialist and biology worry me the most) so I was wondering if this was the case for everyone. How did you feel about it at first?

[vox nihili]

I'm Year 10 going into Year 11 (not having done any VCE subjects beforehand) and the subjects I have selected are English, Specialist, Methods, Legal Studies, Biology and Physics. Having 6 subjects in Year 10 felt a little difficult at times, but didn't overwhelm me too much as I was able to get 80s and 90s. However, it's undeniable that the workload will be increased in Year 11, as well as new content being introduced (specialist and biology worry me the most) so I was wondering if this was the case for everyone. How did you feel about it at first?

No. I think the minimum is four subjects, including English. Happy to be corrected.

[Coffee]

IIRC 6 is the maximum although I’m sure there are people who do 7 or even less than 6. I personally didn’t find the jump from Year 10 to 11 overwhelming. The content is more difficult, but it’s not any different to the jump from Year 8 to Year 9.

Year 11 is a good time for experimentation and working out what works best for you/how you work best in preparation for Year 12. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

No. I think the minimum is four subjects, including English. Happy to be corrected.

Correct. You only need to complete four subjects to receive your VCE.

[PhoenixxFire]

Hey,
The most VCE subjects I’ve done in one year was 4 so I can’t really answer about what the workload is like.

(Subject to your school) you don’t have to do six subjects - you need at least 4 subjects to get an ATAR, it’s a good idea to do at least 5 in case you mess one up.

Doing six subjects next year is definitely doable - lots of people do 5 1/2s and 1 3/4 in year 11, it’ll probably be a bit harder in year 12 though.

If you can’t decide whether to drop a subject or not, it is possible to do six subjects next year and then drop one and just do 5 in year 12 if you think it’s too much work.

[Sine]

I'm Year 10 going into Year 11 (not having done any VCE subjects beforehand) and the subjects I have selected are English, Specialist, Methods, Legal Studies, Biology and Physics. Having 6 subjects in Year 10 felt a little difficult at times, but didn't overwhelm me too much as I was able to get 80s and 90s. However, it's undeniable that the workload will be increased in Year 11, as well as new content being introduced (specialist and biology worry me the most) so I was wondering if this was the case for everyone. How did you feel about it at first?

A lot of schools will make you do six subjects in year 11 since they don't want year 11's to have free periods. Maybe in year 12 they might let you go down to 4 or 5 depending on your needs.

I did 6 subjects in year 11 - 5 x 1/2's and 1 x 3/4 and didn't find it too bad - but I put most of my time into my 3/4 subject and only transiently into my 1/2s. Obviously you will most likely be putting in more time and effort than year 10 but you will have more of an aim and goal - that is to prepare you for units 3/4 next year.

[pm_me_ur_eggs]

If I happen to drop Specialist next year, what are the choices for my subjects (can I stay at 5 or do I have to choose another subject/math) and how does this affect Year 12?

[Sine]

If I happen to drop Specialist next year, what are the choices for my subjects (can I stay at 5 or do I have to choose another subject/math) and how does this affect Year 12?

you can stay at 5 or even go down to 4 in year 12 but you still need to include an English subject and you will receive an ATAR.

EDIT: as PF has eluded to below there are some disadvantages to this as 5th and 6th subjects still contribute to your ATAR and thus you will be effectively locked out of a maximum of ~10 aggregate points.

[PhoenixxFire]

If I happen to drop Specialist next year, what are the choices for my subjects (can I stay at 5 or do I have to choose another subject/math) and how does this affect Year 12?

It depends a bit on your school, if your school lets you then you can just do 5 subjects. It will slightly effect your ATAR - doing a sixth subject can contribute up to 5 points to your aggregate, but it’s a fairly small difference. There’s an explanation on how ATARs are calculated here if you want more info on that.