The ATAR explained

The ATAR is the number most Year 12 students in Australia hear about constantly, yet it's widely misunderstood. These guides explain what the ATAR actually is, how subject results are scaled and combined, how each state's admissions centre calculates it and which common beliefs are myths.

Guides in this section

• What is an ATAR? The rank, the scale, the average and how universities use it.
• How ATAR scaling works Why subjects are scaled and how aggregates are built.
• The ATAR by state NSW and the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, SA and the NT, WA and Tasmania.
• ATAR myths Common misconceptions checked against official sources.

The essentials

UAC describes the ATAR as a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student's position relative to all students in their age group. It runs in increments of 0.05, which QTAC describes as a 2,000-point scale. There's no ATAR of 100. An ATAR of 80.00 means you placed about 20% from the top of your age group, not that you scored 80%. UAC notes the average ATAR is usually around 70.00, because students who stay on to receive one are a smaller group than the whole age group.

How it's calculated

Each state scales subject results so that different subjects can be compared fairly, then adds the best scaled results into an aggregate. In NSW, UAC uses the best 2 units of English and the best 8 other units. In Victoria, VTAC uses one English subject, the next best three scaled study scores and 10% of the fifth and sixth. QTAC uses the best five scaled eligible inputs, SATAC uses the best 90 credits and TISC uses the Tertiary Entrance Aggregate of the best four scaled scores plus 10% bonuses for a language, Mathematics Methods and Mathematics Specialist. Aggregates are then ranked and converted to ATARs.

Scaling, simply

QTAC explains that scaling adjusts for the fact that it's harder to obtain a high result in some subjects than others, not because the subjects are inherently harder but because they attract more competitive students. Both UAC and QTAC state the principle that students should be neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by their subject choices.

Results versus rank

Your senior certificate results show how you performed in each subject against standards. Your ATAR ranks your overall performance against others, and UAC says its only purpose is to help universities select students.

Why we don't predict

SATAC says there is no accurate way to predict an ATAR in advance and doesn't recommend online prediction tools. Scaling and conversions depend on each year's students, so historical tables aren't reliable predictors. We focus instead on explaining how the system works and helping you plan your study.

When ATARs are released

For 2026, VTAC says VCE results and ATARs are available from 7am on Thursday 10 December, and QTAC says Queensland ATARs are released on 18 December. Check your own admissions centre for its date.

Where to go next

Once you understand the ATAR, our study guides cover timetables, exam preparation, stress and sleep, and our after results guides explain selection ranks, course data, pathways and preferences.

Key terms at a glance

Rank: your position relative to others, rather than a mark against a standard. Scaled score: a subject result adjusted so it can be compared with results in other subjects. Aggregate: the total of your best scaled results, which is ranked. Selection rank: your ATAR plus any adjustments for a particular course. Prerequisite: a subject you must have completed to be considered for a course. Knowing these terms makes official explanations much easier to follow.

Five things worth knowing

1. The ATAR is a rank, not a mark, running from 0.00 to 99.95 in steps of 0.05.
2. Scaling aims to be neutral, so choose subjects you enjoy, are good at and need for prerequisites.
3. Most courses select on a selection rank: your ATAR plus any adjustments you're eligible for.
4. Lowest selection ranks aren't set in advance; they result from each year's selection.
5. The ATAR is one pathway, and there are many routes into further study and careers.

About these guides

ATAR Calculator is an independent information site about the ATAR, study and university entry in Australia. We aren't a tertiary admissions centre, curriculum authority, school, university or tutoring company, and we don't predict ATARs, publish cut-offs or recommend particular schools, tutors or courses. Our guides are general information written in our own words, with official sources listed on every page. Rules and dates change each year, so always check with your admissions centre and school.

How we keep these guides current

We review each guide against its sources and show the date it was last checked. Admissions centres update rules, dates and schemes every year. If you notice something out of date, please tell us through our contact page, and we'll check and correct it.

Questions we hear often

Students often ask which subjects "scale best", whether bonus points raise the ATAR, and whether online calculators are accurate. In short: scaling is designed so your subject choices neither help nor hurt you; adjustment factors raise a selection rank, not the ATAR; and SATAC says there's no accurate way to predict an ATAR in advance. Our guides explain each answer in detail, with links to the official sources behind it, so you can check the facts for yourself and ask better questions of your school and admissions centre.

Try the study planner

Our free study planner splits your weekly revision hours between subjects, counts the weeks to your first exam and includes a simple selection rank adder. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.