If you\u2019ve studied at an Australian high school, the following questions might sound familiar: \u201cWhat ATAR score did you get?\u201d, \u201cWhat ATAR do you want?\u201d, \u201cWhat ATAR do I need for X, Y, Z course?\u201d. But maybe you\u2019re wondering what an ATAR actually is, how it\u2019s calculated, and how it can help you on your pathway to university. And is ATAR the only way to qualify for your preferred course? Below we answer your most frequently asked questions about ATAR! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
ATAR stands for the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank. It\u2019s a grading system that ranks your work relative to that of other students in your year group. If you take at least four ATAR subjects, you\u2019ll receive a ranking between zero and 99.95. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most students will be selected for admission to university based on their ATAR. However, certain entry pathways, including Curtin\u2019s StepUp<\/a>, can grant you a \u2018Selection Rank\u2019 which is higher than your ATAR if you meet certain criteria based on socio-economic factors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your ATAR is between 60 and 69.95<\/strong>, and you\u2019re eligible for StepUp, your ATAR will be adjusted to 70. You\u2019ll still need to have completed any prerequisite subjects that apply to your preferred course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your ATAR is 70 or above<\/strong>, and you\u2019re eligible for StepUp, you will receive five additional points, up to 99.95. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you complete your WACE (Western Australian Certificate of Education) exams, your four highest scores will be added together to become your Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA). A bonus 10% of your scaled score will also be added to your TEA if you study one of the following subjects: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your final TEA is then calculated and converted to an ATAR which is ranked relative to your peers who graduate high school in the same year. For example, an ATAR of 70 means you rank in the top 30%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The maximum possible TEA is currently 430, but this is set to change. See below for more info.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n TISC is updating the way it calculates the TEA and looking to remove score bonuses for a range of subjects from 2027. These include Mathematics: Methods, Mathematics: Specialist and languages. This means all courses will be weighted evenly and you won\u2019t be positively or negatively impacted by your subject choices. The maximum TEA for all students will be 400.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find out more about changes to ATAR.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re choosing your high school subjects, think about your interests and strengths. Have a look at uni courses that appeal to you and see whether those courses require any specific background knowledge, called a prerequisite. Prerequisites can be met by passing an ATAR course in that subject, or studying it as part of an enabling program. A desirable subject is a school subject we recommend you study in high school that may have transferable knowledge for your preferred course. English proficiency is a prerequisite for all Curtin courses, and can be met in a range of ways<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not sure where to start with your subject selection, or choosing a uni course, try Find U<\/a>, our quick quiz that helps you match study areas with your strengths, interests and personality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The ATAR required for university courses varies. Most courses have a guaranteed ATAR, meaning if you achieve that rank or higher \u2013 and meet the other criteria, like English and any prerequisites \u2013 you\u2019re guaranteed entry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some courses have a minimum ATAR, which is the minimum rank you need to be considered for entry, but places are competitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can find out the indicative guaranteed or minimum ATAR scores for each Curtin course at curtin.edu\/study.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Courses like medicine, law and physiotherapy typically require higher ATAR rankings in the mid-to-high nineties for admission. If you want to know the highest and lowest ATAR scores admitted into individual Curtin courses every year, you can find the information here: ATAR admission scores at Curtin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve completed at least one WACE exam and achieved a scaled score in a WACE course, you\u2019ll be able to access your Year 12 exam results and ATAR on the TISC website<\/a> from late December. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is … no! There are many pathways to university, depending on your life and work experience. Whether you\u2019re finishing high school, coming from TAFE, or considering a career change, at Curtin there is an entry pathway for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on your preferred course, you could apply for one of our enabling or bridging courses, submit a portfolio or qualify for admission based on your TAFE or AQF qualifications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To find out more about our different pathway options, visit our pathway finder tool: curtin.edu\/pathways<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re happy to help! You can get in touch with our friendly team to chat through your options and get tailored advice. We can help with a wide range of queries, from choosing the right high school subjects to exploring your pathway options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can get in touch online<\/a>, book an appointment<\/a>, or call us on 1300 222 888 during business hours. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe you\u2019re wondering what an ATAR actually is, how it\u2019s calculated, and how it can help you on your pathway to university. And is ATAR the only way to qualify for your preferred course?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2670,"featured_media":23823,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[442,408,443,444],"class_list":["post-23794","advice","type-advice","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-and-global-community","tag-atar-rank","tag-pathways","tag-selection-rank","tag-stepup"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"","content":"","image":false},"related_courses":[{"title":"","qualification":"","link":"","description":"","faculty":""}],"credits":{"author":"","photographer":"","media":false},"display_author":true,"banner":{"image":false}},"post_components":false},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/atar2-1000x604.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Anne","last_name":"Griffin-Appadoo","display_name":"Anne Griffin-Appadoo"},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/advice\/23794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/advice"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/advice"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/advice\/23794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How is an ATAR calculated? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Upcoming changes for ATAR <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Choosing the right school subjects <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Guaranteed and minimum ATARs <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What are typical ATAR rankings for admission to study courses like law and medicine at Curtin? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Finding out your ATAR <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is ATAR the only pathway to university? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Still have questions? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n