If you’re not entirely sure how the ATAR system works, why you might need one, and how they’re calculated, you’re definitely not alone. The Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (or ATAR) can seem confusing at first, but once you understand the basics, it all starts to make sense. Here are some of the most common questions answered and misconceptions about the ATAR busted.
What is an ATAR?
Your ATAR is a number between 0 and 99.95 that represents your overall academic achievement at high school compared to the rest of your cohort.
Here’s the important bit: it isn’t a “score” or a “mark”, and it doesn’t reflect your individual achievements in isolation – which is important to remember. Instead, it shows where you sit compared to everyone else who completed Year 12 in your state or territory.
Can you receive an ATAR of 100?
Nobody can receive an ATAR of 100, and that’s because the ATAR is a rank (not a percentage or mark), measured in increments of 0.05.
The highest ATAR you could get is 99.95 – this signifies you performed better than 99.95% of students in your state, while an ATAR of 80.00 indicates that you sit in the top 20% of your cohort, and so on.
In order to receive a rank of 100, you need to score higher than 100% of your cohort…including yourself!
What’s the lowest ATAR that you can get?
30.00 is the lowest ATAR reported. If you rank lower than that, your results will just say “30.00 or less”.
Who needs an ATAR and why?
If you’re in Year 12 and hoping to head to university straight out of high school, applying with your ATAR is the most straightforward way of receiving an offer.
This doesn’t mean if you’re not ATAR-eligible or receive a low ATAR that you can’t go to university. It just means you might have to take a different pathway, and it could take a little longer.
ATARs can also be used as a guide of your performance at university, but it’s not always an accurate reflection of how successful you’re likely to be. For example, a student with an ATAR of 70.00 who is capable and motivated is more likely to do well in a course than a student with an ATAR of 90.00 who doesn’t apply themself.
How do institutions use the ATAR?
Universities often receive many more applications for courses than they have places available, so they need a way to work out who should be admitted first. This is typically done by setting a minimum selection rank (SR) for each course.
As a Year 12 student, your SR is based mostly on your ATAR – so if you receive an ATAR of 79, you know that your selection rank will definitely be at least 79 too (it could even be higher – we’ll go into more detail on this soon).
Does your ATAR expire?
No – you can still use your ATAR to gain entry to university even if you graduated 20 years ago. This means you don’t need to worry if you’re thinking of taking a gap year or aren’t sure if you want to head straight to university after school.
Most universities will use your highest eligible ranked qualification for entry. So, for example, if you go on to complete a Certificate IV qualification, you might also be able to use this for admission. Then once you’ve finished an undergraduate degree, you’ll use that for admission if you want to study a postgraduate qualification, and so on.
How and when will I receive my ATAR?
ATARs are usually released in mid-December, just before TACs send out their first round of university offers to school leavers. You should receive an email from your state or territory’s TAC or education department with information on how to view your results.
Top tip: Make sure that you register a personal email address instead of your school one, as you may lose access to your school emails once you graduate.
Who calculates the ATAR?
ATARs are calculated by Tertiary Admissions Centres (or TACs) for each state:
- UAC in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
- QTAC in Queensland
- VTAC in Victoria
- SATAC in South Australia and the Northern Territory
- TISC in Western Australia
- UTAS in Tasmania
How is your ATAR calculated?
While exact calculations can vary a little between states, the process is similar everywhere:
- Your results from a set amount of your best subjects/units are taken (for example, in NSW your top 10 units are chosen – 2 of these must be from English).
- Your marks are then scaled – more about this next.
- Your scaled results are added together to give an aggregate number.
- Your aggregate results are compared with all other ATAR-eligible students, and your ATAR is based on where you sit in that comparison.
What is scaling?
Scaling is based on the idea that students shouldn’t perform better or worse based on the subjects they choose. It accounts for differences between subjects and individual students’ abilities to determine what your results would look like if everyone did the same subjects and were all marked the same way.
For example, trying to compare results from dance to physics is challenging. The scaling systems have been developed to iron out these differences so universities can assess applicants from a single source.
Can you increase your ATAR once you receive it?
Technically, no. You might have heard that some universities offer adjustment factors – but these are only used to calculate your selection rank, not actually change your ATAR.
So how do adjustment factors work if they don’t increase your ATAR?
Adjustment factors are the bonus points added to your ATAR to calculate your selection rank. Each university calculates selection ranks individually, and your SR is only valid at that institution.
If you apply to multiple universities, you might find your selection rank is different at each – sometimes there are event differences in how adjustment factors are applied for different courses at the same university.
If you meet the minimum ATAR requirement, are you guaranteed entry?
While the ATAR is important, it’s not the only thing universities look at. You might have to complete prerequisite subjects, attend an interview or audition, or provide a portfolio, for example.
Some courses also have caps on the number of students admitted each year (particularly for areas such as medicine, nursing, and other health sciences). This means it’s possible you might not receive an offer, even if you meet – or exceed – the minimum ATAR requirement.
Do you need an ATAR to go to university?
Not necessarily – most universities offer alternative entry pathways into their courses. In fact, only around 1 in 4 students (26%) are admitted based on their ATAR alone. The other 74% gain entry using a combination of things, including their ATAR, adjustment factors, entry schemes, portfolios, auditions, interviews, school recommendations, and other additional tests.
Other entry pathways include undertaking bridging or foundation programs, completing a vocational course and applying for university down the track, or looking at other internal options to get you where you want to be.
The bottom line
Remember, your ATAR is just a number – it’s not a measure of your worth, intelligence, or future success. Whether you receive the ATAR you were hoping for or not, there are always options available to help you reach your goals.
Want to learn more about your study options after high school? You can find information about university courses, alternative pathways, and vocational education on our website here.
