How the ATAR works, in plain English

The ATAR is a rank, not a mark

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a number between 0 and 99.95 that shows how a student performed relative to their age group. An ATAR of 90 means the student performed better than about 90% of their age group. In Victoria it is calculated by VTAC from VCE study scores.

How study scores become an ATAR

• Each VCE subject (Units 3/4) produces a study score out of 50.
• Study scores are scaled, to adjust for differences in the strength of the students taking each subject.
• The ATAR aggregate adds the scaled score for an English subject, the next three best scaled scores, and 10% of the fifth and sixth scores.
• The aggregate is then converted into a rank — the ATAR.

What this means for students

Every subject counts, and consistent effort across all of them matters. Choose subjects you're genuinely good at and interested in — strong results in subjects you enjoy usually beat weak results in subjects picked only for scaling. Check VTAC and university websites for official, up-to-date details.