What is a good ATAR? The ATAR is calculated in increments of 0.05, with the highest score being 99.95. As the ATAR is a percentile, a 99.95 ATAR means that you are in the top 0.05% of your state. Likewise, an ATAR of 99 means that you are in the top 1% of your state.
7. How many students achieve a 99 ATAR? The number of students who achieve a 99.00 ATAR differs from year to year, making up the top 1 per cent in every state. Approximately 500 students will get a 99 ATAR in states like Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Effective study habits
Well, while most students all ensured they prepared a concise set of notes for their subjects and understood them well, students who achieved an ATAR of 99+ had one thing in common – they completed practice exams for their subjects.
Ravenswood student Maria Yang is one of the 48 students in NSW who has received the perfect ATAR of 99.95 in 2022. She could not believe it when she saw she had been given the highest rank possible this morning.
The ATAR is a number from 0 and 99.95 in intervals of 0.05. The highest rank is 99.95, the next highest 99.90, and so on. The lowest automatically reported rank is 30.00, with ranks below 30.00 being reported as 'less than 30'.
3. What is the average ATAR score? The average ATAR is usually around 70.00.
To even have a chance of success, you need a really top-tier ATAR in addition to an excellent UCAT score. This statistic tells us that scoring lower than 99.25 is not considered 'strong' performance when you compare yourself against other students aiming to gain entry into medicine.
An ATAR of 100 is impossible
Because the ATAR is a rank (not a percentage or mark) and it's measured in increments of 0.05 the highest ATAR you could get is 99.95.
For most people, a good ATAR score is 80.00.
Eighty is the minimum ATAR for entry into most programs at the Australian National University. ANU has the fourth highest undergraduate admission standards in Australia. With a score of 80.00, you're in a strong position and have plenty of options.
48 students achieved a perfect score of 99.95. Of the 48 students with the highest ATAR of 99.95, 19 were female and 29 were male. They were enrolled in a variety of government and non-government institutions and pursued a diverse range of subjects.
For instance, to score an ATAR of 95, you would need to score in the top 16% of Physics and 18% of Chemistry, but you need to be in the top 8% of Biology. Students who have fair numeracy should definitely consider taking Physics and Chemistry.
Ultimately, getting 99 ATAR is no easy undertaking. It requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to use all of the resources available to you. For those students who are aiming for the top universities, a high ATAR score is essential – and it is within your reach.
The reality is that most students arrive at university with an ATAR of less than 90. It is a rank, and therefore only some students will get 90 and above. The ATAR shows a student's achievement in relation to other students. It's also not a complete sign of "success".
For non-rural students who do not qualify for any special access schemes, UNSW Medicine has an official ATAR minimum cut-off of 96.00, and no official UCAT ANZ cut-off exists. However, to have a realistic shot, your scores need to be higher than around ATAR 99.50 & UCAT 92%tile.
The short answer is: No. Your Year 11 grades do not count towards your ATAR! Essentially, the ATAR is a percentile number that's calculated using your HSC Marks — aka, your Year 12 marks. This uses your final HSC marks and your Year 12 internal assessment grades.
ATAR FACTS
54,894 students were eligible for an ATAR. This is 137 fewer than in 2019. 48 students received the top ATAR of 99.95. Of these students, 15 were female and 33 were male; they came from a mix of government and non-government schools and studied a wide range of courses.
One Flinders student, Laura Webb, achieved the highest possible ATAR of 99.95. Laura is one of 33 Queensland students to achieve a 99.95, out of a total 27,245 students who received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.
In Australia, the lowest minimum ATAR required by a medical program is an ATAR of 90 (Monash University) or adjusted ATAR of 90 (University of Adelaide). If you're a rural student, you could also apply to La Trobe's medical program, which has a minimum unadjusted ATAR requirement of 80.
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, which can include no more than 2 units of Category B courses.
Complete Year 12 & Any Prerequisites
ATAR scores form part of the entry criteria for the Undergraduate pathway. As entry into medical school is highly competitive, students need to achieve extremely high ATAR scores, often a minimum of 95+ (though higher to be competitive).
Your rank is based on how you went compared to other Year 12 students. So even if your test scores are lower than you'd hoped, if you're still ranked in the top 20% of students, then you'll receive an ATAR of 80. As long as you try your best with what you have, chances are, you'll do better than you expect.
High schools are often ranked compared to other high schools in the state, according to students' achievement in the HSC. Your school's ranking does not affect your ATAR - your ATAR is based on a combination of your scaled marks in your best 10 units.
An ATAR of 80 isn't too hard to get. Get some okay ranks, do decently in your exams and you're set.