Subjects that count towards your ATAR are generally Year 12 (or equivalent) courses from your state's education system (like HSC in NSW, QCE in QLD) that have formal examinations and graded assessments, including core English, Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities, and even certain VET/Applied subjects, with specific rules on how many subjects (usually 8 units/best 4 scaled) and types (English requirement) are used for the final calculation, with changes happening in 2025 to include more options.
In NSW, your ATAR is based on an aggregate of scaled marks in 10 units of HSC courses comprising your: best 2 units of English. best 8 units from your remaining units.
Overall, the highest scaling ATAR subjects in QLD are Specialist Maths, Maths Methods, and the Languages subjects, as the subject cohorts are extremely competitive and the content is difficult to learn.
5 raw 50s gets you 205 (ATAR 99.80), so you would need an additional 6.05 aggregate points of scaling. The required aggregate changes each year and it has been higher in the past, but to get 99.95 with 5 subjects you must be basically a perfect student and study some of the best-scaling subjects.
High-scaling ATAR subjects, which boost your overall score by increasing your marks more than average, consistently include Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Chemistry, and languages like French/German, alongside challenging humanities like Economics, because they attract competitive student cohorts and have high difficulty, with STEM subjects often leading. Remember, scaling changes yearly, so focus on subjects you excel in, as a high raw mark in any subject can still yield a great ATAR.
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.
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.
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%.
Only a very small percentage of Australian students achieve a 99 ATAR, as it signifies being in the top 1% of the entire cohort, meaning roughly hundreds of students per state rather than thousands; for example, in larger states like NSW, around 1000 students might score over 99, while in smaller states, it's closer to 100, making it an exceptionally high and rare academic achievement.
It is. In fact, Year 11 is all about effort, but it's also about mistakes. There is a reason your Year 11 results don't end up contributing to your HSC, or your ATAR. Year 11 is all about failure.
No, a 70 ATAR is generally too low for direct entry into an undergraduate medicine degree in Australia, as competitive scores are usually 95+, but you can use it as a stepping stone through pathways like completing a science degree (e.g., Biomedical Science) and applying for postgraduate medicine, aiming for high grades (WAM 70+) and strong GAMSAT/UCAT scores, or exploring rural/Indigenous entry schemes, as some universities (like UWA with specific criteria) might offer adjustments or pathways.
As mentioned earlier, the median ATAR in 2025 was 70.75.
Myths about scaling:
"Subjects like Visual Arts or Standard English can't get you a high ATAR." – False. Students who take "low scaling" subjects still achieve high ATARs by performing excellently in those subjects.
The four compulsory subjects are 2 official Languages (one Home Language and one First Additional Language), Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy and Life Orientation.
Some universities have entry pathways to their postgraduate medical course for Grade 12 graduates provided you complete a relevant undergraduate degree at their institution. These places are highly competitive and generally require an ATAR of at least 90.
The hardest high schools to get into are highly selective public schools, often in Australia (like North Sydney Boys/Girls, James Ruse, Baulkham Hills, Hornsby Girls) or major US cities (like NYC's Stuyvesant High School), known for extremely low acceptance rates (under 15% in NSW) and requiring exceptional scores on competitive entrance exams (like the SHSAT in NYC) for their academically focused environments.
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.
Fifty-seven per cent of international students were from the following five student source countries: China (23% of international students), India (17%), Nepal (8%), Vietnam (4%) and the Philippines (4%).
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.
A 75% is usually a B or C, depending on the grading scale, often falling into a B- or C+ range in US systems (around 70-79%) but can sometimes be a solid B or even an A in some international or specific Australian scales where higher scores are harder to get. It's a strong pass, but its letter grade varies by institution, often sitting at the cusp of B/C or B+/C+.
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.
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).
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.