With its recent advent in 2020, ATAR is still novel to Queensland. It’s quite a comprehensive concept that parents find a tad difficult to decipher. While QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education) is as relevant as ever, ATAR is now equally important for students’ academic future. We are here to help you understand the intricacies of QCE, ATAR and everything in between.

Queensland Certificate of Education

QCE is the senior secondary schooling certification, bestowed for completion of year 12 in Queensland. Schools register the students in the QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) in their year 10 for QCE eligibility in years 11 and 12. A certain level of literacy and numeracy requirements are further needed for QCE. Additionally, QCE entails 20 credits at a set standard in a set pattern. These 20 credits can be attained through:

  • QCAA-developed subjects or courses
  • Vocational education and training qualifications
  • Non-Queensland studies
  • Recognised studies

The set standard equates to satisfactory completion, pass, grade C or better. The set pattern includes 12 credits from Core courses, 8 credits from any combination of Core, Preparatory or Complementary courses. The 12 credits are gained in Year 11 (Unit 1 & Unit 2) and the rest 8 are obtained through Year 12 (Unit 3 & Unit 4). Core courses include English, Health, Social Science, Language, Mathematics, Science, Technology and Arts. These subjects further include Chemistry, Modern History, Dance, Film, Psychology etc.  

Subjects & Points of QCE

The QCE range of subjects is divided into three categories of tertiary courses that correspond to a set amount of credits.  

Core Courses

12 credits are acquired through the following subjects:

  • QCAA General subjects and Applied subjects (up to 4 credits)
  • QCAA Extension subjects (up to 2 credits)
  • Certificate I qualifications (up to 4 credits)
  • Certificate III and IV qualifications, including traineeships (up to 8 credits)
  • School-based apprenticeships (up to 6 credits)
  • Recognised studies categorised as Core by QCAA.

Preparatory Courses

Maximum 4 credits can be acquired through:

  • OCAA Short Courses: OCAA Short Course in Literacy & OCAA Short Course in Numeracy (up to 1 credit)
  • Certificate I qualifications (up to 3 credits)
  • Recognised studies categorised as Preparatory by QCAA

Complementary Courses

Maximum 8 credits can be acquired through:

  • QCAA Short Courses: QCAA Short Course in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Languages and QCAA Short Course in Career Education
  • University subjects
  • Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas
  • Recognised studies categorised as Complementary by QCAA

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank

ATAR is a comparative measure used to evaluate the performance of year 12 students. A rank is assigned to each student to assess their comparative academic performance. This percentile rank can fall in a wide range. The minimum ATAR score can be 0.00 to a maximum of 99.95, with an increment of 0.05. ATAR isn’t a set of marks, but a student’s achievement in contrast to others. For instance, 92 marks in English can equate to 95 percentile which reflects their place in the top 5% i.e better than 95% of the state. This system helps domestic students as well as international students who wish to enter college. For instance, each university has the highest or  lowest selection rank requirement for admission to its courses.  

Subjects to Apply for ATAR in Queensland

QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) determines the ATAR of school students across the state based on 5 subjects. These 5 subjects can be in 3 different combinations:

  • 5 General Subjects
  • 4 General Subjects + 1 VET (Vocational & Educational Training) Course- Certificate III or higher
  • 4 General Subjects + 1 Applied Subject

Since students need to pass an English subject exam to obtain their QCE, a C in English or Essential English is required for ATAR eligibility as well. However, it’s not mandatory in the calculation of ATAR if English isn’t one of the 5 best-scored subjects of the student.   It’s highly recommended that students take 6 subjects in years 11 and 12. This extra subject will provide a safety net to improve their ATAR score. Even if your child’s marks drop in one subject, the other 5 can easily make up for it. However, merely picking high scoring subjects isn’t beneficial. It’s crucial to ensure students’ liking, competency & practical skills in the chosen subject. Also, make sure the student’s choice of subject aligns with their future study plan & career goals.  

How Points Are Calculated for ATAR?

The inter-subject scaling method is applied to calculate ATAR. It involves a comparison of students’ performance with common candidature (other students with 2 or more same subjects) in all available combinations. This determines the relative complexity of each subject. In the end, each result is adjusted and allotted a rank according to the student’s relative academic achievement. The process is as follows:

    • Raw scores of the 5 best subjects of eligible students are chosen through internal and external assessments.
    • Maths and Science subjects garner 50% results from 3 internal assessments and 50% from 1 external assessment. In contrast, the general subject’s 3 internal assessment tasks equate to 75% and a single external assessment makes 25%.
  • QTAC scales the total grade for each subject.
  • The competitiveness for each subject is analysed to convert the raw score into a percentile.
  • The average mark of the best 5 subjects is calculated to derive a polyrank. This rank indicates the QCE performance of students numerically.
  • The average polyrank provides a new set of scaled scores, for each subject’s results. A cycle of the same algorithm is applied continuously. This establishes a stabilised individual polyrank.
  • Students are allocated to a merit list in descending order and assigned an ATAR band.

ATAR Calculator

A study score calculator can simplify the lengthy and complicated process of enumerating ATAR scores. Though final results are released by each state’s tertiary education departments, using raw marks to calculate estimated ATAR and scaled scores is extremely beneficial. Students can gauge the level of their preparation and modify their strategy for the final exams with it. Students of Queensland can check their scores with ATAR Calculator QLD, also on the same website, you can select  VCE ATAR calculator or WACE ATAR calculator.   ATAR sets a fair, comprehensive and systematic standard of education for students. Instead of placing them against each other, ATAR collaborates their results and shifts the focus on practical learning. Moreover, it aligns Queensland students with the rest of the country. The cut-off or the minimum selection rank for all undergraduate courses is dictated by ATAR. Thus, ATAR ensures inclusivity and a level playing ground for college admissions across Australia. The significance of the final year exams is clearly evident. Students need to stay ahead of their studies well before year 12 to ace their final year of school. With the EzyMath Tutoring Calculator, you can better understand how much tutoring is needed to help your child prepare and excel in QCE and ATAR! Â