Quick answer: your ATAR is calculated in three steps. First your subject results are scaled so different subjects can be compared. Then your best scaled results are added into an aggregate, using your state's rules about which subjects count. Finally the aggregate is ranked against everyone your age and turned into a number between 0 and 99.95. Your state's tertiary admissions centre does the calculation, not your school.
ATAR calculation key facts (2025 data)
- The ATAR is a rank from 0.00 to 99.95 against your whole age group, not a mark.
- Aggregates differ by state: out of 500 in NSW and Queensland, 430 in WA and 90 in SA and the NT.
- An ATAR of 90.00 needed a VCE aggregate of 155.19, an HSC aggregate of about 370.7, a SACE aggregate of 76.45 and a WA TEA of about 270.
- Your state's admissions centre calculates it: UAC, VTAC, QTAC, SATAC, TISC or the University of Tasmania.
The three steps every state uses
- Scaling. A mark of 80 in one subject is not automatically worth the same as 80 in another, because different groups of students take each subject. Scaling adjusts results so they sit on one common scale. How ATAR scaling works explains the method.
- The aggregate. Your best scaled results are added. Every state has rules: how many subjects count, whether English must count, and whether some subjects count only partly.
- The rank. The aggregate is placed in order with every other student's, and the ATAR is worked out against your whole age group, including people who left school before Year 12. That is why it is a rank, not a mark out of 100. See is the ATAR out of 100.
What counts in each state
| State | Certificate | Calculated by | What counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | HSC | UAC | Best 2 units of English + best 8 other units, scaled, out of 500 |
| ACT | ACT Senior Secondary Certificate | UAC | Best 3.6 scaled course scores, moderated with the AST |
| VIC | VCE | VTAC | Best English + next 3 best scaled study scores + 10% of the 5th and 6th |
| QLD | QCE | QTAC | Best 5 scaled results (General, or 4 General + 1 Applied or VET) |
| SA and NT | SACE / NTCET | SATAC | Best three 20-credit subjects + 30-credit flexible option, out of 90 |
| WA | WACE | TISC | Best 4 scaled scores + 10% bonus for Methods, Specialist and LOTE, out of 430 |
| TAS | TCE | UTAS | Best 5 Level 3 or 4 results across any 2 years (from 2025) |
New South Wales: best 10 units
UAC uses the scaled marks of your best 2 units of English and your best 8 other units, for an aggregate out of 500. Most courses are 2 units and Extension courses are 1 unit. To be eligible you need at least 10 units of ATAR courses, including 2 units of English, three courses of 2 units or more, and four subjects. Results can be gathered over five years. In 2025 UAC removed the Category A and B split and started rounding the aggregate to two decimals. Estimate yours with the HSC ATAR calculator.
Victoria: primary four plus increments
VTAC adds your highest scaled English study, your next three highest scaled studies, and 10% of your fifth and sixth. You need at least four study scores, one of them in English, English Language, Literature or EAL. The aggregate is then ranked and converted using that year's table. Estimate yours with the VCE ATAR calculator.
Queensland: best five scaled results
QTAC's Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA) is the sum of your best five scaled results: five General subjects, or four General plus one Applied subject, or four General plus one VET qualification at Certificate III or higher. You also need a C or better in a QCAA English subject. Results from the last five years can count. QTAC then assigns ATAR bands using the size of Queensland's whole potential Year 12 population. Estimate yours with the QCE ATAR calculator.
South Australia and the Northern Territory: aggregate out of 90
SATAC adds the scaled scores of your best three 20-credit Tertiary Admissions Subjects (60 credits) and the best 30 credits from the flexible option, for a university aggregate out of 90. You need the SACE or NTCET and at least 90 credits of eligible Stage 2 study. SATAC then reads your ATAR from its table. Estimate yours with the SACE ATAR calculator. If you only know your assessment grades, the SACE grade calculator turns them into a raw score out of 15.
Western Australia: best four plus bonus
TISC adds your best four scaled scores, then 10% of your scaled scores in Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Specialist and your best language, for a Tertiary Entrance Aggregate out of 430. The bonus applied to 2025 ATARs; TISC has postponed its removal to 2027 at the earliest. Estimate yours with the WACE ATAR calculator.
ACT: best 3.6 and the AST
ACT students' course scores are moderated using the ACT Scaling Test (AST), then scaled. The aggregate is built from the best three major scaled scores plus 0.6 of a minor or a fourth major, often called the best 3.6. UAC releases the ACT ATAR on the same day as NSW. Read more about the ACT Scaling Test.
Tasmania: best 60 to 75 points of course scores
TASC adds your best Level 3 and 4 course scores from any two senior years, up to 75 points (usually five 15-point courses), into a Tertiary Entrance (TE) Score, then converts it to an ATAR with that year's table. University of Tasmania HAP and UCP units can count. In 2025 a TE Score of 88 gave 90.35. Estimate yours with the TCE ATAR calculator.
International Baccalaureate
IB students receive a notional ATAR converted from their IB Admissions Score, using a national table that admissions centres publish each year. It is used in the same way as an ATAR for admission. Convert yours with the IB to ATAR converter.
Common reasons an ATAR is lower than expected
- Subjects scaled down. Strong marks in subjects whose students did less well overall can scale below their raw value.
- A weak English result. In NSW, Victoria and the ACT your best English must count, even if it is not among your strongest.
- Moderation. School assessment marks are moderated against exam performance, which can move them down.
- Comparing with raw marks. The ATAR is a rank against your age group. An average mark of 80 does not mean an ATAR of 80.
If you want to know how calculators handle these, read which ATAR calculator is most accurate.
Who calculates the ATAR?
| State | Calculated by |
|---|---|
| NSW and ACT | UAC, for the Technical Committee on Scaling |
| Victoria | VTAC |
| Queensland | QTAC |
| SA and NT | SATAC |
| Western Australia | TISC |
| Tasmania | University of Tasmania |
Curriculum authorities such as NESA, the VCAA, the QCAA, the SACE Board and SCSA issue your subject results. The admissions centres turn those results into ATARs.
One worked example in each state
Each row is a calculator result on the official 2025 tables. Full working is on each state's calculator page.
| State | Results | Aggregate | ATAR estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | English 30, Methods 35, Chemistry 35, Biology 30, Psychology 30, Legal Studies 30 (study scores) | 144.60 | 85.05 |
| NSW | English Advanced 84, Mathematics Advanced 85, Chemistry 82, Physics 80, Economics 83, Extension 1 40/50 (HSC marks) | 368.31 / 500 | 89.55 |
| Queensland | English 75, Methods 76, Chemistry 85, Biology 81, Psychology 80 (raw results) | 398.20 / 500 | 85.40 (modelled) |
| South Australia | Scaled 17, 16.5, 15, 14 (20 credits) and 7 (10 credits) | 69.50 / 90 | 81.60 |
| Western Australia | Chemistry 72, Methods 70, Physics 68, English 65, French 60 (scaled), with two bonuses | 288 / 430 | 93.75 |
What an ATAR of 90 took in each state (2025)
| State | Aggregate for 90.00 | Roughly means |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 155.19 | a study score of 36 in English, Methods, Chemistry, Biology and Psychology |
| NSW | about 370.7 / 500 | an HSC mark of 85 in English Advanced, Mathematics Advanced, Chemistry, Biology and Economics |
| South Australia | 76.45 / 90 | a scaled score of about 17 out of 20 in each subject |
| Western Australia | about 270 / 430 | four scaled scores of about 67.5, or less with a bonus |
| Queensland | no published cut-off | 24.98% of eligible students received 90.00 or more |
Eligibility: when you do not get an ATAR
- Too few eligible subjects or units. For example, fewer than 10 ATAR units in NSW or fewer than four study scores in Victoria.
- No qualifying English. NSW and Victoria need an English result in the ATAR; Queensland needs a C or better in a QCAA English subject. See can you get an ATAR without English.
- A non-ATAR pathway. The VCE Vocational Major and many vocational programs do not lead to an ATAR. See does VCE VM get an ATAR.
ATAR calculation FAQ
Is the ATAR calculated only from HSC exams or also trials and internals?
Your final HSC mark combines your moderated school assessment and your exam. Trials can affect your school assessment rank, but the trial mark itself is not used. See do trials count towards your ATAR.
How many subjects count towards the ATAR?
It depends on the state: about five in NSW (10 units), up to six in Victoria (four in full), five in Queensland, about four and a half in South Australia and four in WA. The full table is in how many subjects count.
Is the ATAR a percentile?
Yes, broadly. An ATAR of 80 means you did better than about 80% of your age group, including people who did not finish Year 12. It is not a percentage of marks.
Is the ATAR national or set by each state?
Each state calculates its own ATARs, but they are designed to mean the same thing nationally, so a 90 in Queensland is treated like a 90 in Victoria.
Why did I get such a low ATAR when my marks were good?
Usually because of scaling, a compulsory English result that counted, or comparing marks with a rank. Put your results into your state's calculator to see which subjects pulled the aggregate down.
Do bonus points change the ATAR?
No, except WA's 10% subject bonus, which is part of the TEA. University adjustment factors raise your selection rank for a course, not your ATAR.
Is the ATAR calculated from Year 11?
Generally no. The ATAR uses Year 12 level results: Units 3 and 4 in Victoria and Queensland, the HSC in NSW, Stage 2 in SA and ATAR course results in WA. Tasmania counts Level 3 and 4 results from any two years.
What is the maximum aggregate in each state?
500 in NSW and Queensland, 430 in WA and 90 in SA and the NT. Victoria's aggregate has no fixed maximum because scaled scores can exceed 50; in practice it can pass 200.