If you’re sick or something goes wrong around a VCE exam, the Derived Examination Score is how Victoria makes sure your ATAR reflects what you actually know. A DES replaces an exam result that doesn’t reflect your ability. The process is fair, but it has firm deadlines and some limits worth knowing before you need…
If you’re searching for how to improve your ATAR this close to exams, you can’t change everything, but you can still change a lot. Your school ranks are mostly set by now. Your exam results aren’t, and in most states they matter more than students realise. Here’s where to focus your remaining weeks. What can…
Most ATAR facts you hear at school are half right. This list sticks to what the admissions centres say, and it focuses on the facts that change decisions, such as which subjects to pick, which courses to list and how much to trust an estimate. The basics 1. Your ATAR is a percentile rank It…
ATAR vs OP vs TER sounds like a choice between three systems, but only one is still in use. The OP and the TER were older state-based university entrance scores. The ATAR replaced both of them, and it’s now the national standard everywhere in Australia. Knowing the difference matters most if you finished school before…
When it comes to ATAR vs GPA, the answer depends on where you are. Your ATAR matters most for your first degree straight out of school. Once you’ve done a meaningful amount of university study, your GPA usually takes over. That’s good news if your ATAR didn’t go to plan, because a strong first year…
If you’re researching the best universities for medicine in Australia, the rankings are easy to find. The harder question is which of those universities will take you, and when. Australia’s top-ranked medical school doesn’t admit school leavers straight into medicine, and some of the most accessible routes are run by regional universities. Here’s how the…
Guaranteed ATAR entry means a university promises you an offer if you reach a set number. You don’t have to wait and see where the cut-off lands. Early entry schemes go further and make you an offer before your ATAR even exists. Both can take a lot of pressure off Year 12, but neither works…
You can get into uni without an ATAR, and it’s more common than most people realise. Researchers writing in The Conversation point out that more students enter university without an ATAR than with one. The best route depends on your age, whether you’re still at school and how soon you want to start your degree….
ATAR adjustment factors, which used to be called bonus points, are extra points universities add when deciding whether to offer you a place. They can be the difference between a yes and a no. But most of what students hear about them is too general. The number of points, the rules and the deadlines all…
The ATAR for psychology at most Australian universities ranged from about 70 to the mid-80s for 2026 entry. Many students got in lower than that once adjustment factors were counted. The number matters less than most students think, because getting into a psychology degree is the easiest step on the way to becoming a psychologist….