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 2010 the Category B courses are:
- Accounting1
- Automotive Examination2
- Business Services Examination2
- Construction Examination2
- Electrotechnology Examination2
- Entertainment Industry Examination2
- Hospitality Examination2
- Information Technology Examination2
- Metal and Engineering Examination2
- Primary Industries Examination2
- Retail Services Examination2
- Tourism and Events 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.
Industrial Technology has been recategorised as a Category A course.
If you complete Industrial Technology in 2010, this subject can be included in your ATAR calculation as a Category A course.
If you completed Industrial Technology in 2009 or earlier, it will continue to be classed as a Category B course.
Eligibility for an ATAR in 2010
To be eligible for an ATAR in 2010, you 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.
You will be considered to have satisfactorily completed a course if, in the principal's view, there is sufficient evidence that you have:
(a) followed the course developed or endorsed by the Board
(b) applied yourself 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 your 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 your ATAR.
Students undertaking tertiary preparation programs such as the Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPS) and Open Foundation do not receive an ATAR.
