ATAR Requirements and Scaling

What is the ATAR?

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) measures your overall HSC achievement in relation to other students. The ATAR is used by universities to rank and select school leavers for entry into their courses. Therefore, an ATAR only applies to those students who may want to go to university when they finish high school.

To be eligible for an ATAR, you must satisfactorily complete at least ten units of ATAR courses, including at least two units of English. These ten units will be used to calculate your ATAR. 

How is the ATAR calculated?

To understand how the ATAR works, think about two students who get the same mark in two different courses. To assess their eligibility for university we need a fair method to compare them. In other words, we need an ‘exchange rate’ between their marks for each course. The ATAR creates this exchange rate by making a statistical comparison of the distribution of the marks for English, a subject studied by everyone, with the distribution of marks for all other courses. This process is called scaling.

The scaled marks represent the marks that a student might have obtained if all HSC candidates were in the same courses. Scaling gives universities the ability to compare students fairly and properly, even when the students may have completed very different HSC courses.

It is important to note, however, that some universities also use other selection criteria, such as school reports, interviews or a portfolio of work to help them select the best candidates for their courses. Several universities also grant ATAR adjustment factors (or “bonus points”) to students from certain areas, those who are strong in certain subjects, or others who qualify for an Education Access Scheme.

Why do some courses always have higher scaled marks than others?

Courses are never scaled up or down automatically. Scaling takes the raw HSC marks for each course and creates an exchange rate between them according to the strength of each course’s candidates. Scaling is calculated fresh every year, so no course can receive an unfair advantage over others. Scaled marks are only influenced by the distribution of marks from each course.

How should ATAR affect the selection of school subjects?

Students should never base subject selections on a course’s ATAR reputation. If you don’t like a course, or if you cannot cope with its level of difficulty, then you almost certainly will not do well in it and, therefore, your scaled mark is very unlikely to be helpful. Additionally, the extra effort you may need to put into that course could possibly detract from your performance in other courses.

Should potential university studies impact HSC subject selection?

It is important to consider that some university degrees have prerequisite HSC courses i.e. courses that must be studied at the HSC level in order to qualify for entry into a degree. Students are encouraged to research tertiary courses of interest, to ensure that they understand how the HSC subjects and levels studied may impact eligibility. Information about prerequisite courses and eligibility to enrol in degrees can be found on university websites.

The most important things to consider when selecting your courses are: 

Will you be applying for an ATAR?

If so, ensure you have at least ten units of ATAR courses, including two units of English.

What are your interests?

If you choose the subjects you enjoy then you are more likely to work hard and maximise your results.

What are your strengths?

Build on these by selecting courses at the level that will challenge you, without overwhelming you.

Where are you heading after school?

Some subjects prepare you better than others for the university course you want to enter or the career you hope to pursue.

In other words: Right subject, right level, best result!