ATAR Selection Rank vs. ATAR 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Australian state or territory does NOT use the ATAR as its primary tertiary admissions rank?
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Queensland
- Queensland used a separate system called the OP until 2019 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Queensland used a separate system called the OP until 2019
Queensland replaced its Overall Position (OP) system with the ATAR in 2019, so before that year it used a different ranking system.
Question 2: A student applies to a nursing course requiring a selection rank of 70.00 plus a mandatory interview. The student has a selection rank of 75.00 but fails the interview. What happens?
- They receive an offer because their selection rank exceeds the cutoff
- They may not receive an offer because additional requirements must also be met (Correct answer)
- The university must offer them a place in an alternative course
- The interview result is averaged into their selection rank
Correct answer: They may not receive an offer because additional requirements must also be met
Many courses have supplementary requirements such as interviews or portfolios that must be satisfied alongside the selection rank cutoff.
Question 3: What does it mean when a university publishes a 'clearly-in' selection rank?
- Applicants at or above this rank are almost certain to receive an offer (Correct answer)
- Applicants at this rank are placed on a waiting list
- This is the absolute minimum rank required by law
- It is the median rank of all enrolled students
Correct answer: Applicants at or above this rank are almost certain to receive an offer
A 'clearly-in' rank is a threshold above the previous cutoff at which applicants can be confident they will receive an offer.
Question 4: How does a school-based traineeship or apprenticeship typically affect a student's ATAR and selection rank?
- It replaces one of the student's ATAR-contributing subjects with a scaled vocational score (Correct answer)
- It has no effect on the ATAR or selection rank
- It automatically adds 5 bonus points to the selection rank
- It reduces the selection rank because vocational subjects are penalised
Correct answer: It replaces one of the student's ATAR-contributing subjects with a scaled vocational score
Recognised vocational education and training (VET) subjects can contribute to the ATAR aggregate in place of a standard subject, depending on state rules.
Question 5: A student's selection rank is used by a university. Which of the following is the university assessing when it looks at this rank?
- The student's predicted first-year university GPA
- The student's relative academic performance compared to their age cohort (Correct answer)
- The raw scores the student achieved in each subject
- The number of subjects the student completed
Correct answer: The student's relative academic performance compared to their age cohort
The ATAR and selection rank reflect a student's performance relative to their peers in the same age cohort, not their absolute scores.
Question 6: If two students both have a selection rank of 82.00, but one earned it purely through their ATAR while the other received EAS bonus points, how does the university treat them in the admissions process?
- The student with EAS bonus points is ranked higher as a reward for overcoming disadvantage
- Both are treated equally because their selection ranks are identical (Correct answer)
- The student without bonus points is preferred as evidence of unassisted ability
- The university requests further documentation before making a decision
Correct answer: Both are treated equally because their selection ranks are identical
Once selection ranks are calculated, applicants with the same rank are treated equally in the admissions process regardless of how that rank was reached.
Question 7: A medical course at a Group of Eight university requires a selection rank of 99.00 plus UCAT. A student has an ATAR of 98.80 and a 0.30 EAS bonus. Will their selection rank meet the threshold?
- No, because 98.80 + 0.30 = 99.10, which exceeds the cap of 99.00
- Yes, because 98.80 + 0.30 = 99.10, which meets the 99.00 cutoff (Correct answer)
- No, because EAS bonuses are not applied to medicine courses
- Yes, but only if the UCAT score is in the top decile
Correct answer: Yes, because 98.80 + 0.30 = 99.10, which meets the 99.00 cutoff
98.80 + 0.30 = 99.10, which meets the 99.00 selection rank requirement, though the UCAT must still be satisfied separately.
ATAR Selection Rank vs. ATAR 3
Which Australian state or territory does NOT use the ATAR as its primary tertiary admissions rank?