Yes, you can theoretically get a 99.95 ATAR with almost any subjects, but it's extremely difficult without high-scaling subjects like Specialist Maths or a language, as most top achievers excel across the board and benefit from subjects scaling above 50, making it easier to reach the required aggregate score. While you need top marks in your chosen subjects, including a strong English score, having subjects that scale well significantly increases your chances by boosting your overall aggregate.
To achieve a 99.95 ATAR, students typically take a combination of high-scaling subjects like Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Chemistry, English (Advanced/Extension), and high-level Languages (LOTEs), alongside other subjects they excel in, as achieving top marks (raw 40s and 50s) in demanding subjects is crucial, though success ultimately depends on performing exceptionally well relative to other students in any chosen subjects, notes KIS Academics, The Age, and UAC.
What aggregate is needed for the top ATAR of 99.95?
The highest scaling ATAR subjects consistently include Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Physics, and Chemistry, often alongside Languages (like French, German, Chinese) and Economics, due to their challenging nature and strong cohorts, but the exact scaling can vary slightly by state (HSC, VCE, WACE, QCE) and year, with demanding STEM and language subjects typically benefiting students most.
It's extremely difficult, but potentially possible, to get a 99.95 ATAR with Mathematics Standard, though historically no one has achieved it, with the average highest ATAR being around 99.71, as Standard Maths scales down significantly, requiring near-perfect scores in other, high-scaling subjects (like Ext 2 Maths, Physics, Chemistry, English Advanced), and exceptional marks in all other subjects to compensate for the lower weighting.
All students are ranked in order according to this aggregate and the percentage rank is converted to an ATAR, which is a number between 0 and 99.95. What this means is that a total of 6 subjects can contribute to a student's total ATAR. Students who only do 5 subjects miss out on a valuable possible 10%.
An ATAR of 80 is not extremely rare but is a very respectable achievement, placing you in the top 20% of your Year 12 age group, meaning you performed better than 80% of your peers nationally. While the median ATAR is around 70, achieving an 80 is difficult and requires strong performance, though it's considered achievable with consistent effort, unlike very high ATARs (90+) which are much rarer.
Yes, a 98 ATAR is an excellent score and gives you a strong chance for medicine in Australia/NZ, but it's not a guarantee; you also need a high UCAT score, strong interview skills, and potentially bonus points (SEAS/EAS), as medical admissions are extremely competitive and often require selection ranks well above 98 (sometimes 99+) for direct entry. A 98 ATAR is often the minimum for provisional entry or for some universities, but competitive entry can push requirements to 99+; focus on maximizing your UCAT and interview performance.
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The ATAR is a number between 0 and 99.95, and it's made up of the scaled study scores from your top four scoring subjects (including at least one English subject), plus 10% of your fifth and sixth subjects.
The minimum ATAR for medicine is typically around 90-95, but competitive scores are often 99+, as it's highly competitive, with factors like the UCAT score and interviews crucial for entry into both direct-entry and postgraduate pathways. While some pathways (like rural entry) can lower the ATAR, expect to need a near-perfect score for top universities, often combined with high UCAT results and strong interview performance.
A great ATAR is subjective but generally means scoring high enough for your desired course, with 90+ being excellent for competitive fields (Law, Medicine), 80-89 strong for most uni courses (Business, Science), and scores 70+ considered above average, while the highest possible is 99.95, indicating top-tier performance. Ultimately, a "great" ATAR is simply the score that unlocks your preferred university pathway.
The ATAR's importance significantly drops as you get older; it generally becomes irrelevant for university entry after about 2-5 years from high school, with many universities offering non-ATAR pathways (like mature-age entry or foundation courses) for students typically 21 or over, focusing on life experience, work history, or recent studies instead.
The four compulsory subjects are 2 official Languages (one Home Language and one First Additional Language), Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy and Life Orientation.
There isn't one single "number 1" high school, as rankings vary by source and criteria, but James Ruse Agricultural High School (NSW) consistently appears at or near the top, often cited as Australia's best public school based on academic results like the HSC. Other top contenders frequently mentioned include North Sydney Boys/Girls High Schools, Sydney Grammar School, Melbourne High School (VIC), and Perth Modern School (WA), with rankings shifting slightly depending on the year and specific metrics used (e.g., ATAR, university placements).
Subjects that typically scale down your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) are often those with broader student cohorts or less numerical emphasis, such as Foundation Mathematics, Health & Human Development, Business Management, Psychology, and some Arts/Humanities subjects, while higher-level Maths/Sciences often scale up, but performance is key, and subjects you excel in should be prioritized.
The ∑ symbol, called sigma, is the Greek letter used in mathematics to mean “sum” — it tells you to add things up. Think of it like a recipe that says: “Start with the first number, then add the next one, then the next, and keep going until I say stop.”
Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that disrupts a person's ability to understand numbers and math-related concepts.
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The simple answer is that it takes the least amount of time. After your four years at medical school, (or a 3-year medical school) you can do a three-year family medicine residency, pass your board exams, and that's it, you're a doctor!
HSR – your high school rank at the end of grade 12 may need to be an ATAR of 99 or better for direct entry into medical school, but it is lower for some medical schools; click here for ATAR and entry requirements for every medical school in Australia in 2022.
A very small number of students achieve the perfect 99.95 ATAR each year, typically ranging from the low 40s to low 50s across Australia, with specific numbers varying by state and cohort size (e.g., 53 in NSW/ACT 2025, 42 in Victoria 2025, 37 in Queensland 2025). This top rank signifies performance in the top 0.05% of the age group, making it exceptionally rare.
Yes, a 5.0 GPA in Australia is generally considered good, falling into the "Credit" or "above average" range (65-74% equivalent) on a 7-point scale, meeting expectations for most programs and sometimes qualifying for "Graduation with Distinction" at some universities, though aiming for 6.0+ is better for top scholarships or competitive postgraduate studies.
Results show that Australia's population at the highest ages is growing very quickly. Over the 20 years to 2018 nonagenarians (those aged 90-99) grew in number from 63,000 to 181,000 (an increase of 185%), but centenarians (aged 100+) increased at an even faster rate, growing by 215% (from about 1,300 to 4,200).