What is ATAR Score? How to calculate ATAR score when studying in Australia | IDP Vietnam

ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking) is a ranking system used in Australia to assess your academic performance throughout high school. The ATAR is not a specific score but a relative ranking between 0.00 and 99.95, which shows where you stand compared to all other students taking the Australian high school graduation exam.

For example, if you achieve an ATAR of 80, this means that your score is higher than 80% of all candidates who took the exam that year and is in the top 20% of Australia's top performers.

Instead of choosing based on grade point average in class, the use of ATAR in admissions will help universities have the most objective view of each candidate's ability, thereby selecting the most suitable candidates for each major. Besides, owning a high ATAR score not only opens the door to studying at top universities but is also the key for you to get your hands on valuable scholarships, helping you realize your dream of studying abroad to the fullest.

The ATAR score is calculated based on the results of 5 key subjects in grades 11 and 12, including: English, Mathematics, Science, Technology and Social Sciences and Humanities. These subjects will not be applied to each candidate, but depend on the major they want to pursue. Evaluating a variety of subjects will help universities have a comprehensive view of each student's abilities in many different fields, thereby making accurate admission decisions.

Your academic results will be converted into ATAR scores through a rigorous comparison process with all candidates in the same course. You can then use your ATAR score to study in the states of Australia and any country in the world.

The ATAR score changes every year and depends entirely on the individual's achievements. This creates a non-stop race, requiring you to constantly strive to be able to win a place at prestigious universities. In addition, the ATAR score calculation method is not uniform nationwide. Each state in Australia has its own scoring system, which depends on the admissions agency of each state.

Australian State Admissions Centres

Up to now, Australia has 6 state-level enrollment centres including:

• Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

• South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) in South Australia and the Northern Territory

• Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) in Victoria

• Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) in Western Australia

• Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) in Queensland

• University of Tasmania – Tasmania's only university and self-governing admissions centre.

To facilitate students, some top universities in Australia such as the University of Sydney and the Australian National University (ANU) have been more flexible in their admissions when approving grade 12 GPAs instead of graduation exam scores as before. However, not all schools apply this policy. You need to learn more about the GPA to ATAR conversion process and the specific requirements of each school.

GPA is the cumulative average of all subjects, reflecting your overall academic performance. The ATAR is a ranking index based on the results of the high school graduation exam in Australia, helping universities evaluate and compare the qualifications of candidates. To help you better understand the relationship between GPA and ATAR, here is the Australian National University's (ANU) Grade 12 GPA to ATAR scale conversion table that you can refer to:

Read more: What is GPA? 5 Most Important Information About GPA

While the ATAR score calculation may vary from state to state, most states follow a general rule: that is to compare your performance with all other candidates in the same assessment system.

Usually, subjects such as Math, English, and some science subjects will be counted towards the ATAR. In addition, you can also choose to add other electives to increase your chances of improving your ATAR score. The grades of each subject will then be converted into a raw score based on the scale of each subject. The school will use your score and the scores of all candidates in the same grade to come up with an ATAR scale, which indicates what percentage of students you are in with higher results.

4.1. How to calculate the Victorian ATAR (VIC) score

In Victoria, the ATAR score is calculated by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) based on the following factors:

• Highest score in one of the subjects (English, English Language, English as an Additional Language (EAL) or Literature)

• Best test scores of the next three subjects

• 10% of the final two subjects

You will need to provide the results of the 4 core subjects taken from Units 3 and 4 of the VCE or Vocational Education and Training (VET).

4.2. How to calculate the ATAR score of New South Wales (NSW)

The ATAR score in New South Wales is calculated by the University Admission Centre (UAC) based on your academic performance in the High School Certificate (HSC).

To be eligible for ATAR scoring in NSW, you must take courses approved by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). These subjects are divided into two main categories:

• Category A: Economics, Geography, and Visual Arts

• Category B: Financial Services, Hospitality, English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1

ATAR scores will be summarized as the exam results of the subjects as follows:

• Highest score of 2 English subjects

• Highest score of the remaining 8 subjects (including up to 2 subjects in Category B)

4.3. How to calculate the Queensland ATAR score (QLD)

The ATAR score in Queensland is calculated by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). Most schools in the state will use the Queensland Core Skills Test, which assesses your critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.

The Queensland ATAR scoring process includes:

• 5 General subjects (Units 3 & 4)

• 4 general subjects and 1 applied subject (Units 3 & 4)

• 4 "General subjects" in Units 3 & 4, and 1 Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate III or higher).

4.4. How to calculate the ATAR score of Western Australia (WA)

The ATAR score in Western Australia is calculated by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) based on the Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA). TEA is a compilation of the best results from 4 subjects in grade 12. This is a different scoring system than other Australian states, based on:

• Select the 4 subjects with the highest scores to be included in the TEA.

• Grades for each subject are calculated based on 50% of academic performance during the year and 50% of WACE (Western Australian Certificate of Education) exam results.

• Starting in 2017, students will receive an additional 10% of their Mathematics Methods or Mathematics Specialist grades to their TEA score, even if they are not in the top 4 subjects with the highest scores.

4.5. How to calculate the ATAR score of South Australia – South Australia (SA)

The ATAR score in South Australia is calculated by the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) based on your academic performance in the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE).

• To calculate the ATAR score, SATAC will aggregate the scores of the student's best 90 academic credits.

• However, of these 90 credits, at least 60 credits must be in the subjects of university admission (TAS). The score of each subject will be multiplied by a certain coefficient to give the final ATAR score.

4.6. How the Tasmanian State ATAR Score (TAS) is calculated

The ATAR score in Tasmania is calculated by The Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (TASC) based on the Tertiary Entrance (TE) score.

Courses scaled for ATAR calculation include:

• Courses accredited by TASC at level 3

• Courses accredited by TASC at level 4

• Courses from the University of Tasmania's High Achiever Program (HAP) and University Connections Program (UCP)

When calculating TE scores, TASC will automatically select the 4 subjects in which you get the highest score in year 12. The scores of these 4 subjects will be used to calculate the best TE score for you.

4.7. How to calculate the ATAR score of the Australian Capital Territory – Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) ATAR score is calculated by the University Admissions Centre (UAC) based on your academic performance in the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate (ACT SSC).

Your ATAR score will be based on a combination of:

• Best Score from 3 Core Subjects: These are the core subjects of your curriculum.

• 60% of the courses have the next best performance: This provides a more comprehensive assessment of your academic abilities.

Understanding the importance of the ATAR scale when studying in Australia will give you more motivation to proactively build an effective study plan, thereby achieving your goals and increasing your chances of getting into top universities in Australia.

What is a good ATAR score?

Universities and disciplines will have different ATAR score requirements. However, highly competitive majors often require higher ATAR scores. You should also note that ATAR scores may vary from year to year depending on the number of candidates and the scores of other candidates.

To easily visualize the ATAR score applied to each case, you can refer to the scale below:

• ATAR score of 60 or higher: It can be considered as the average score to study at universities and general studies.

• ATAR score of 70 or higher: Increase your chances of getting into prestigious universities and highly competitive majors.

• ATAR score of 80 or higher: This can be considered a fairly high score and opens up many study opportunities at top universities.

IDP is ready to accompany you in conquering a high ATAR score when studying in Australia

Studying in Australia is not only a gateway to world-class study opportunities, but also a solid stepping stone to your future career. IDP is always ready to advise you on all information, support you in hunting for scholarships, and accompany you before, during, and after you go to study abroad.

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