Subjects that scale up the most, significantly boosting a student's ATAR, are typically challenging Languages (like Latin, Hebrew, French) and advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects, especially Specialist Mathematics, due to highly competitive cohorts of high-achieving students, though scaling varies by region and year. Subjects like Latin have historically seen huge jumps, with a raw score of 35 scaling to 50 in some cases.
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.
Subjects that scale up for ATAR typically include advanced mathematics (like Specialist Maths, Maths Methods), sciences (Chemistry, Physics), and certain languages (Latin, French, Chinese SL), because students choosing these subjects often perform strongly overall, leading to adjusted scores that better reflect their high achievement, not just difficulty. High-scaling subjects reward top students, while lower-scaling subjects like Business Management often see a dip, though strong raw scores in any subject always matter most for your ATAR.
📚✨ Contrary to popular belief, you can achieve an incredible ATAR, even while taking subjects that may not scale as high. Whether you're studying Standard English, Standard Mathematics, Business Studies, Studies of Religion, or Investigating Science – don't let the subject scaling deter you!
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%.
Yes, getting a 70 ATAR is quite achievable for most students who complete Year 12, as it's close to the median ATAR (around 70) for completers, requiring roughly study scores of 30 in subjects, which is more attainable than a 50 average, though it depends on your cohort and scaling. It's considered the average performance for those who stay to get an ATAR, not necessarily an "easy" score, but definitely within reach with consistent effort, not necessarily top marks.
In general, science subjects like Chemistry, Physics, and Biology have consistently scaled up in the VCE. Chemistry: Chemistry scales up by 2 to 4 points and has an average score of 33.7 in 2024.
Year 11 is commonly regarded as one of the most demanding years in secondary school. This is primarily because it culminates in GCSE exams, which serve as a critical milestone in your academic journey.
Several other studies suggest that mathematics has the dubious honor of being the least popular subject in the curriculum.” In one survey of high-school seniors, investigators found that 12% had never taken any algebra or geometry, 26% had dropped mathematics after only one year, 30% had dropped it after two.
A high mark in a subject with a strong candidature will be scaled higher than the same mark in a subject with a weaker overall candidature. ATAR scaling allows for a fair comparison of performance across different subjects. It attempts to estimate what you would have achieved if every student had taken every subject.
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, an ATAR of 90 means you are in the top 10% of your year level in Australia, indicating excellent performance that opens doors to many university courses, though highly competitive ones like Medicine or Law may need higher scores. The ATAR is a percentile rank, so a 90 means you performed better than 90% of your peers.
Yes, a 98 ATAR is an excellent score and puts you in a very strong position for medicine in Australia and New Zealand, often meeting or exceeding minimums for direct entry, but admission is highly competitive and also depends heavily on your UCAT score, interview performance, and potentially prerequisite subjects, with some top-tier universities requiring scores closer to 99+ for competitive entry. A 98 ATAR makes you a viable applicant for provisional entry (after an undergrad degree) and some direct undergraduate pathways, but you'll need to excel in UCAT and interviews to secure a spot against other high-achievers.
Subjects that scale up for ATAR typically include advanced mathematics (like Specialist Maths, Maths Methods), sciences (Chemistry, Physics), and certain languages (Latin, French, Chinese SL), because students choosing these subjects often perform strongly overall, leading to adjusted scores that better reflect their high achievement, not just difficulty. High-scaling subjects reward top students, while lower-scaling subjects like Business Management often see a dip, though strong raw scores in any subject always matter most for your ATAR.
The most dropped HSC subject is often cited as Mathematics Advanced, with high percentages of students (around 35%) dropping it, making it a common choice for students seeking to reduce workload or move to Standard Maths. Other frequently dropped subjects include Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Legal Studies, PDHPE, and Extension subjects, often due to perceived difficulty, workload, or scaling concerns, with some STEM courses like Software Design also showing high dropout rates.
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.
"I love you" in math code uses numerical patterns, most famously 143, representing the number of letters (I=1, love=4, you=3). Other versions include 520 (Mandarin sounds like "I love you"), 1437 (I love you forever), or even calculator tricks like flipping digits to form letters (e.g., 707 for "LOL").
PEMDAS term is used mainly in the US but in India and the UK, we call it as BODMAS. But there is no difference between them.
Fraction = 1 / 12 = 0.0833333333333 | Desmos.
To be a top 1% student, you need a strategic, disciplined approach combining proactive learning (active recall, using external resources) with smart systems (organization, prioritizing tasks) and a growth mindset (seeking challenges, self-belief). Focus on deep understanding through methods like active recall (flashcards, practice questions) and generation (trying to solve problems before learning the solution), not just passive reading, while managing external factors like deadlines and distractions.
Nobody can receive an ATAR of 100, and that's because the ATAR is a rank (not a percentage or mark), measured in increments of 0.05.
A 70% is often a B or a C, depending heavily on the grading system, but in many US systems it's a low C or C-, while in Australia, 70-74% is typically a Distinction (D), and 60-69% is a Credit (C). It's crucial to check your specific school or country's scale, as 70% can range from a solid pass to a high B or low Distinction.