ATAR Selection Rank vs. ATAR 2

Question 1

A student receives a selection rank of 85.00 but their ATAR is 83.50. What most likely accounts for the difference?

Accepted Answer

Educational Access Schemes or bonus points were added to their ATAR

Answer

Selection ranks can exceed a student's ATAR when Educational Access Schemes (EAS) or other bonus points are applied by a university.

Question 2

Which of the following students would most likely receive a selection rank HIGHER than their ATAR?

Accepted Answer

A student from a rural area who experienced significant educational disadvantage

Answer

Students from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds are typically eligible for EAS bonus points, raising their selection rank above their ATAR.

Question 3

A university course lists a selection rank cutoff of 80.00. A student has an ATAR of 79.50 but a selection rank of 80.25. Can they receive an offer?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because their selection rank meets the cutoff

Answer

Universities use selection ranks—not raw ATARs—to make offers, so a selection rank of 80.25 meets an 80.00 cutoff.

Question 4

What is the maximum ATAR a student can achieve in Australia?

Accepted Answer

99.95

Answer

The highest possible ATAR is 99.95, meaning a student scored in the top 0.05% of their age cohort.

Question 5

If a selection rank cutoff for a course was 75.00 last year, what does this tell a prospective applicant?

Accepted Answer

The lowest selection rank that received an offer in that intake was 75.00

Answer

A cutoff represents the lowest selection rank that received an offer in the previous intake, not a guaranteed minimum for future years.

(ATAR) Australian Tertiary Admission Rank Practice Test