ATAR Educational Access Schemes (EAS) 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student who cared for a seriously ill parent throughout Year 12 would most likely apply for EAS under which category?
- Isolation and rural disadvantage
- Difficult family circumstances (Correct answer)
- Language background other than English
- Financial hardship
Correct answer: Difficult family circumstances
Significant carer responsibilities for a family member during HSC years fall under 'difficult family circumstances' as an EAS category.
Question 2: EAS adjustment factors are typically capped at a maximum number of points. What is the general maximum additional points a student can receive through EAS in NSW?
- 3 points
- 5 points
- 10 points (Correct answer)
- 15 points
Correct answer: 10 points
NSW EAS adjustments are generally capped at 10 points above the ATAR, preventing selection ranks from significantly exceeding raw performance.
Question 3: A student changed schools three times in Years 11 and 12 due to a parent's employment requiring frequent relocation. Which EAS category best applies?
- Financial hardship
- Disrupted schooling (Correct answer)
- Language background other than English
- First-in-family
Correct answer: Disrupted schooling
Frequent school changes due to family circumstances constitute disrupted schooling, a recognized EAS disadvantage category.
Question 4: When must EAS applications typically be submitted relative to the HSC exam period?
- After HSC results are released in December
- During the middle of Year 11
- Before HSC exams begin, usually by a September/October deadline (Correct answer)
- Anytime within five years of completing the HSC
Correct answer: Before HSC exams begin, usually by a September/October deadline
EAS applications generally have a deadline before or shortly after HSC exams start, requiring students to apply proactively before results are known.
Question 5: Which statement about EAS is most accurate?
- All students who apply for EAS automatically receive adjustment points
- EAS guarantees entry into any chosen university course
- Universities individually decide how much weight to give EAS applications (Correct answer)
- EAS replaces the ATAR entirely for disadvantaged students
Correct answer: Universities individually decide how much weight to give EAS applications
While UAC processes EAS applications, each university independently determines the adjustment points awarded and how EAS affects course offers.
Question 6: A student from a non-English-speaking background applies for EAS. What must they demonstrate to qualify under the language-based category?
- That they failed English in Year 10
- That English was not the main language spoken at home and this affected their academic performance (Correct answer)
- That they never studied English at school
- That they arrived in Australia after completing primary school
Correct answer: That English was not the main language spoken at home and this affected their academic performance
EAS language background eligibility requires evidence that a non-English home environment genuinely disadvantaged the student's academic performance in English-medium schooling.
Question 7: How does EAS differ from a university's own 'early entry' scheme?
- EAS provides points adjustments to the ATAR, while early entry offers conditional places before ATAR release (Correct answer)
- EAS is only for mature-age students, while early entry is for school leavers
- EAS requires a portfolio, while early entry is purely ATAR-based
- EAS and early entry are identical programs with different names
Correct answer: EAS provides points adjustments to the ATAR, while early entry offers conditional places before ATAR release
EAS adjusts the selection rank used to assess ATAR-based offers, whereas early entry schemes offer provisional university places based on Year 11 results or other criteria before ATAR is known.
ATAR Educational Access Schemes (EAS) 3
A student who cared for a seriously ill parent throughout Year 12 would most likely apply for EAS under which category?