Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

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Who is eligible for an ATAR?

There are many HSC courses but not all will contribute to an ATAR. Courses that do contribute to the ATAR are Board Developed courses for which there are formal examinations that yield graded assessments. These are termed ATAR courses.

ATAR courses are classified as either Category A or Category B courses. The criteria for Category A courses are academic rigour, depth of knowledge, the degree to which the course contributes to assumed knowledge for tertiary studies, and the coherence with other courses included in the ATAR calculations. Category B courses are those whose level of cognitive and performance demands are not regarded as satisfactory in themselves, though their contribution to a selection index is regarded as adequate if the other courses included in the aggregate are more academically demanding.

In 2009 the Category B courses were:

  • Accounting1
  • Automotive Examination2
  • Business Services Examination2
  • Construction Examination2
  • Electrotechnology Examination2
  • Entertainment Industry Examination2
  • Hospitality Examination2
  • Industrial Technology3
  • Information Technology Examination2
  • Metal and Engineering Examination2
  • Primary Industries Examination2
  • Retail Operations Examination2
  • Tourism Examination2.

1 This is a Board Developed course delivered by TAFE.
2 These are 240-hour Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses. An optional written examination is offered for students who want their results from these courses to be available for inclusion in the calculation of their ATAR.
3Industrial Technology recategorisation - Industrial Technology has been recategorised as a Category A HSC Board Developed Course. This recategorisation will be implemented for the 2010 HSC, so that in 2010 it can be included in ATAR calculations as a Category A course. Current Year 10 and Year 11 students should consider this recategorisation when choosing their subjects. UAC sent a letter to schools at the end of August advising of the change.

To be eligible for an ATAR in 2009, a student must satisfactorily complete at least 10 units of ATAR courses. These ATAR courses must include at least:

  • eight units from Category A courses
  • two units of English
  • three Board Developed courses of two units or greater
  • four subjects.

A student will be considered to have satisfactorily completed a course if, in the principal’s view, there is sufficient evidence that the student has:

(a) followed the course developed or endorsed by the Board

(b) applied themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school

(c) achieved some or all of the course outcomes and

(d) completed at least 50 per cent of the HSC assessment tasks mandated by their school in that course.

Failure to satisfactorily complete a course will result in that course not contributing to the eligibility requirements. If the course is a 2-unit course for which there is an associated extension course, failure to satisfactorily complete the 2-unit course will result in neither the 2-unit nor the extension course contributing towards their ATAR.

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If you apply after the on-time closing date of 30 September 2009 you will need to pay a late fee. Most offers are made in the Main Round on 20 January 2010.

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October Mon 12 Oct 2009 Fri 23 Oct 2009 Tue 27 Oct 2009 Thu 29 Oct 2009 Thu 21 Jan 2010
November Mon 2 Nov 2009 Fri 13 Nov 2009 Tue 17 Nov 2009 Thu 19 Nov 2009 Thu 21 Jan 2010
December Mon 23 Nov 2009 Fri 4 Dec 2009 Tue 8 Dec 2009 Thu 10 Dec 2009 Thu 21 Jan 2010
Early January Fri 18 Dec 2009 Tue 29 Dec 2009 Sun 3 Jan 2010 Tue 5 Jan 2010 Thu 21 Jan 2010
Main Fri 11 Dec 2009 Fri 15 Jan 2010 Wed 6 Jan 2010 Wed 20 Jan 2010 Thu 21 Jan 2010
Early February Fri 22 Jan 2010 Mon 1 Feb 2010 Tue 26 Jan 2010 Wed 3 Feb 2010 Thu 4 Feb 2010
Final Thu 4 Feb 2010 Mon 8 Feb 2010 Thu 4 Feb 2010 Wed 10 Feb 2010 not published

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