STANDARD QUESTION MODULES
30. The method of obtaining data on 'Main field of highest educational attainment' is by derivation from the standard variables. 'Highest year of school completed', 'Level of highest non-school qualification', 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' and 'Year non-school qualification completed' are asked. The derivation process then determines which of the 'non-school' or 'school' attainments will be the highest. See the ABS standard variable 'Level of highest educational attainment' for more information.
Interviewer-based collections
31. The standard questions required to derive these variables from interviewer-based collections are:
 | Q1. | What was the highest year of primary or secondary school [you] [the person] [(name)] completed? |
| | | |
| | Year 12 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 11 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 10 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 9 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 8 or below |  |
| | | |
| | Never attended school |  |
| Q2. | The next few questions are about any educational qualifications that [you have] [the person has] [(name) has] completed. |
| | | | |
| | [Have you] [Has the person] [Has (name)] completed a trade certificate, diploma, degree or any other educational qualification? |
| | | | |
| | Yes |  | |
| | | | |
| | No |  | No more questions |
| Q3. | What is the level of the highest qualification that [you have] [the person has] [(name) has] completed? |
| | | | |
| | Level (to be specified) |  | Go to Q3B |
| | | | |
| | Year 12 certificate or equivalent |  | Go to Q3A |
| | | | |
| | Statement of Attainment |  | Go to Q3A |
| Q3A. | [Have you] [Has the person] [Has (name)] completed any other educational qualifications? |
| | | | |
| | Yes |  | |
| | | | |
| | No |  | No more questions |
| Q3B | Enter the level of the highest qualification completed | From Q3 |
| Q3B | What is the level of the highest qualification that [you have] [the person has] [(name) has] completed? | From Q3A |
| | | |
| | ......................................................... | Go to Q4 |
| Q4 | What is the main field of study for that qualification? |
| | | |
| | Interviewer: If 'Nursing', 'Arts', 'Science', or 'Engineering', ask for more detail. |
| | | |
| | ....................................................................................... |
| Q5 | In which year did [you] [the person] [(name)] complete that qualification? |
| | | | |
| | Prior to 1980 |  | No more questions |
| | | | |
| | Year (1980 onwards) |  | |
| Q5A | Enter year qualification was completed (in the format yyyy) |
| | |
| | ....................................................................................... |
32. For collections where there is no requirement for individual years to be ascertained, the following question may be used:
| Q5 | Did [you] [the person] [(name)] complete that qualification before 1998? |
| | | |
| | Yes, before 1998 |  |
| | | |
| | No, 1998 or later |  |
Self-completed collections
33. The standard questions required to derive these variables from self-completed collections are:
| Q1 | What is the highest year of primary or secondary school [you have] [the person has] completed? |
| | Mark one box only | |
| | For persons who returned after a break to complete their schooling, mark the highest year completed when they last left. |
| | | |
| | Year 12 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 11 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 10 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 9 or equivalent |  |
| | | |
| | Year 8 or below |  |
| | | |
| | Did not go to school |  |
| Q2 | [Have you] [Has the person] completedany educational qualification (including a trade certificate)? |
| | Mark one box only | | |
| | | | |
| | No |  | No more questions |
| | | | |
| | No, still studying for first qualification |  | No more questions |
| | | | |
| | Yes, trade certificate/apprenticeship |  | |
| | | | |
| | Yes, other qualification |  | |
| Q3 | What is the level of the highest qualification [you have] [the person has] completed? |
| | For example, trade certificate, bachelor degree, associate diploma, certificate II, advanced diploma. |
| | |
| | Level of qualification |
| | ....................................................................... |
| Q4 | What is the main field of study for [your] [the person's] highest qualification completed? |
| | For example, plumbing, history, primary school teaching, hairdressing, greenkeeping. |
| | |
| | Field of study |
| | ....................................................................... |
| Q5 | In which year did [you] [the person] complete their highest qualification? |
| | |
| | |
| | Year study completed |
| |     |
34. For collections where there is no requirement for individual years to be ascertained, the following question may be used:
| Q5 | Did [you] [the person] complete this qualification before 1998? |
| | | |
| | Yes, before 1998 |  |
| | | |
| | No, 1998 or later |  |
STANDARD INPUT CATEGORIES
35. The standard input categories are the six-digit Field of Education categories of the ASCED. For operational reasons, supplementary codes also exist to enable inadequately described responses to be coded. A full list of valid codes is provided at Appendix A.
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