How it works: UAC scales your marks in each course, adds your best 2 units of English and your best 8 other units into an aggregate out of 500, then ranks that aggregate as an ATAR. This calculator follows the same steps with UAC's 2025 scaling report. Because UAC publishes scaling at selected points only, every NSW result here is an estimate. The method for every state is in how the ATAR is calculated.
HSC ATAR key facts (2025 data)
- Formula: scaled marks of your best 2 units of English + best 8 other units, aggregate out of 500.
- An ATAR of 90.00 needed an aggregate of about 370.7. An ATAR of 99.95 needed about 479.4.
- 77,693 students completed at least one ATAR course and 77.8% received an ATAR. 53 received 99.95.
- From 2025 the Category A and B limit is gone and the aggregate is rounded to two decimals.
- UAC releases 2026 ATARs on Wednesday 16 December 2026.
What to type in
Enter your HSC mark for each course: the mark out of 100 that NESA reports, which combines your moderated school assessment mark and your exam mark. For 1-unit Extension courses, enter the mark out of 50. Before results come out, use the marks you are realistically aiming for.
- Include at least one English course: English Standard, English Advanced, English EAL/D or English Studies.
- Add courses until you have at least 10 units. Most courses are 2 units. Extension courses (and Studies of Religion I) are 1 unit.
- Courses with fewer than 40 students in 2025 are not in the list because UAC does not publish their percentiles.
Wondering whether trial and school marks count? See do trials count towards your ATAR.
How your HSC ATAR is worked out
The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) calculates the ATAR for NSW students in four steps.
- Scaling. Each course's raw marks are scaled so they can be compared across courses. A course taken by students who do well in all their courses scales up; one taken by a broader group scales down.
- Choosing your 10 units. UAC takes your best 2 units of English, then your best 8 units from everything else.
- The aggregate. Your scaled marks for those 10 units are added. The maximum is 500. From 2025 the aggregate is rounded to two decimal places.
- The ATAR. The aggregate is turned into a rank against your whole age group.
Two changes applied for the first time in 2025: UAC removed the Category A and Category B split, so there is no longer a limit on how many units of VET examination courses can count, and the aggregate is now rounded to two decimals instead of one.
Worked example
| Course | Units | HSC mark | Scaled per unit (est.) | Units counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Advanced | 2 | 84 | 35.8 | 2 |
| Mathematics Advanced | 2 | 85 | 36.4 | 2 |
| Chemistry | 2 | 82 | 38.3 | 2 |
| Physics | 2 | 80 | 35.9 | 2 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 | 1 | 40 / 50 | 40.1 | 1 |
| Economics | 2 | 83 | 35.5 | 1 |
Aggregate: about 368 out of 500. In 2025 the lowest aggregate for an ATAR of 90.00 was 370.7, so this student sits just under 90, at an estimated 89.55. Only one unit of Economics counts because the student already has 9 units from stronger courses.
Aggregate needed for common ATARs in 2025
| ATAR | Lowest aggregate (2025) |
|---|---|
| 99.95 | 479.4 |
| 99.00 | 447.8 |
| 95.00 | 404.6 |
| 90.00 | 370.7 |
| 80.00 | 313.8 |
| 70.00 | 262.0 |
| 60.00 | 212.9 |
| 50.00 | 165.7 |
Source: UAC Report on the Scaling of the 2025 NSW HSC, Table A9. The scaled marks for every course are on the HSC scaling 2025 page.
Which courses scaled highest in 2025
Mean scaled mark per unit (out of 50) in UAC's 2025 report:
- Mathematics Extension 2: 43.4. Mathematics Extension 1: 39.7
- English Advanced: 32.8. Chemistry: 32.0. Mathematics Advanced: 31.9. Economics: 31.4. Physics: 31.0
- Biology: 26.2. Business Studies: 23.9. Mathematics Standard 2: 23.3. English Standard: 20.4
These averages describe the students who take each course, not how easy it is. A Band 6 in a course you enjoy can beat a weak result in a course that scales well.
Why your real ATAR may differ
- 2025 scaling. Scaling is recalculated every year from that year's students.
- Percentile points, not a full table. UAC publishes HSC and scaled marks at the 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 99th percentiles of each course. UAC notes that the same HSC mark can lead to a range of scaled marks, so the calculator reads between these points.
- Selected ATAR points. UAC publishes the aggregate for 21 ATAR points. Results between them are read in a straight line.
- Your marks. Moderation and the exam can move your final HSC mark.
HSC and ATAR in numbers (2025)
According to UAC, 77,693 students completed at least one ATAR course in 2025 and 77.8% of them received an ATAR. Of the students who received an ATAR, 17.3% got 90.00 or above.
What one course can change
Starting from the worked example above (an estimate of 89.55), each row changes one thing. Results come from the calculator on UAC's 2025 data.
| Change | Aggregate | ATAR estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | 368.31 | 89.55 |
| English Advanced 84 up to 90 | 380.10 | 91.40 |
| Chemistry 82 up to 90 | 378.86 | 91.20 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 40 up to 45 (out of 50) | 372.26 | 90.20 |
| Drop Mathematics Extension 1 | 363.73 | 88.80 |
English is the strongest lever because both units always count. Dropping Extension 1 costs about 0.75 of an ATAR point here: the second unit of Economics fills the gap, but it scales lower.
A mid-range example
Not every student takes Advanced courses. Take English Standard 72, Mathematics Standard 2 70, Business Studies 74, Biology 72 and PDHPE 73. The calculator gives an aggregate of about 212.7 and an estimate of 59.90. Raise English Standard from 72 to 80 and the estimate moves to 65.10. In the middle of the range, a few marks in English change the ATAR far more than most students expect.
Common mistakes with HSC ATAR calculators
- Entering an Extension mark out of 100. 1-unit Extension courses are marked out of 50. Enter 40, not 80.
- Using only the exam mark or only the school mark. Your HSC mark combines both. Before results, estimate the combined mark.
- Too few units. You need at least 10 units of ATAR courses, including 2 units of English.
- Adding courses that are not ATAR courses. Content Endorsed Courses do not count towards the ATAR.
- Treating a Band 6 as a fixed scaled mark. A Band 6 in a course that scales lower can be worth less than a Band 5 in one that scales higher. See HSC scaling 2025.
Results day 2026 in New South Wales
UAC releases ATARs on Wednesday 16 December 2026, with ACT ATARs on the same day. Times are on ATAR release dates 2026. When your results arrive:
- Enter your real HSC marks here to see which units counted and how far you were from the next ATAR point.
- Check your UAC preferences against lowest selection ranks and guaranteed entry. What ATAR do I need shows where to look.
- If you are just short, check adjustment factors and educational access schemes. See ATAR vs selection rank.
- Change your preferences before the round deadlines UAC publishes.
Need a target?
The reverse ATAR calculator shows the HSC marks you would need across your courses for the ATAR you want.
How accurate is this HSC calculator?
Every NSW result here is an estimate, and we label it that way. UAC does not publish a full scaling table. It publishes the HSC mark and the scaled mark at the 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 99th percentiles of each course, and the aggregate for 21 ATAR points. The calculator reads between those published points in straight lines. UAC also notes that two students with the same HSC mark in a course can receive different scaled marks, because scaling is applied to raw marks before they are aligned to bands.
In practice the estimate is closest for courses with large candidatures and marks near the published percentiles, and least precise for small courses and for marks far above the 99th percentile. Add the year-to-year change in scaling and a realistic margin before results is about three ATAR points either way.
HSC ATAR terms
- HSC mark
- Your mark out of 100 (or 50 for a 1-unit course) reported by NESA. It is the average of your moderated assessment mark and your exam mark, aligned to performance bands.
- Scaled mark
- Your mark after UAC adjusts it for the strength of the students in that course. Scaled marks are what UAC adds up.
- Unit
- Most courses are 2 units. Extension courses are 1 unit. The aggregate uses 10 units.
- Aggregate
- The total of your scaled marks in your best 2 units of English and best 8 other units, out of 500.
- Band
- NESA's performance band from 1 to 6 (E1 to E4 for Extension courses). Bands describe standards; they are not used directly in the ATAR.
- NESA and UAC
- NESA runs the HSC and issues marks. UAC calculates the ATAR for the Technical Committee on Scaling.
HSC ATAR calculator FAQ
Do ATAR calculators use raw marks or scaled marks?
This one asks for your HSC mark, the mark NESA reports out of 100, and estimates the scaled mark from UAC's 2025 data. You do not need to scale anything yourself.
Does the HSC have best of 5?
Not exactly. UAC counts your best 10 units: 2 units of English plus your best 8 other units. For most students that is five 2-unit courses, but Extension courses can fill single units.
Do a couple of Band 6s guarantee a 90+ ATAR?
No. Your ATAR depends on all 10 units and on how each course scales. Two Band 6s in courses that scale lower, with weaker marks elsewhere, can still land well under 90.
Is it better to have 90 internal and 95 exam, or 93 in both?
Both average to the same HSC mark of about 93, and the calculator uses the HSC mark. In UAC's process your raw marks are what get scaled, so the difference is usually small.
Can I count more than one English course?
Your best 2 units of English must count. English Extension courses can then count among your other 8 units if they are among your best.
Is this calculator from UAC?
No. It is an independent estimate built on UAC's public 2025 scaling report. UAC does not endorse ATAR calculators, and your ATAR comes only from UAC.
Do VET courses count towards the ATAR in 2026?
HSC VET courses with an optional exam can count if you sit the exam. Since 2025 there is no limit on how many units of them count, because UAC removed the Category A and B split.
Can I add HSC courses over more than one year?
Yes. UAC lets you gather results over a period of up to five years. Your best units across that time count.
What HSC marks do I need for a 90 ATAR?
In 2025 an aggregate of about 370.7 reached 90.00. The worked example above, with marks in the low to mid 80s across Advanced courses and Extension 1, sits just under 90. Use the reverse ATAR calculator for your own courses.