ATAR - Australian Tertiary Admission Rank Eligibility and Prerequisites Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following is a mandatory requirement for a student in New South Wales to be eligible for an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)?

Accepted Answer

Satisfactory completion of at least 10 units of HSC Board Developed courses, including 2 units of English.

Answer

To be eligible for an ATAR in NSW, a student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 10 units of HSC Board Developed courses. A key component of this is the mandatory completion of at least 2 units of English.

Question 2

A student in Queensland is planning their senior secondary studies to ensure they are eligible for an ATAR. Which combination of subjects would meet the eligibility criteria?

Accepted Answer

Four General subjects (Units 3 and 4) and one completed VET qualification at Certificate III level or higher.

Answer

In Queensland, one of the pathways to ATAR eligibility is completing four General subjects at Units 3 and 4, plus one Applied subject (Units 3 and 4) or a VET course at AQF Certificate III level or higher. Satisfactory completion of an English subject is also a requirement.

Question 3

In the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), how are the fifth and sixth permissible subjects treated in the ATAR calculation?

Accepted Answer

10% of their scaled study scores are added to the aggregate.

Answer

For Victorian students, the ATAR is calculated from the scaled study scores of the top four scoring subjects (including at least one English subject), plus 10% of the scaled scores from the fifth and sixth permissible subjects, if available.

Question 4

A student receives an ATAR of 85.00. What does this rank signify?

Accepted Answer

The student's performance places them in the top 15% of their age cohort.

Answer

The ATAR is a percentile rank, not a score. An ATAR of 85.00 indicates that the student has performed better than 85% of their peers, placing them in the top 15% of all students in their age group for that year.

Question 5

A university admissions offer refers to a 'Selection Rank' that is higher than a student's ATAR. What is the most likely reason for this difference?

Accepted Answer

The student was eligible for adjustment factors.

Answer

A Selection Rank is the ATAR plus any adjustment factors. Universities may apply these factors based on criteria such as performance in specific HSC subjects, the location of the student's school, or eligibility for an Educational Access Scheme. These adjustments raise the student's rank for a particular course at a particular institution but do not change the ATAR itself.

(ATAR) Australian Tertiary Admission Rank Practice Test

(ATAR) Australian Tertiary Admission Rank Practice Test

ATAR - Australian Tertiary Admission Rank Eligibility and Prerequisites Questions and Answers