Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

The ATAR is one of many factors universities can take into account when deciding which school leavers they will offer places to.

Study with us

Frequently asked questions

Share this

Your path to 2025

Are you a year 12 student in Tasmania or interstate, or an onshore international student? You can gain early access to our courses and apply now. Rather than an ATAR, your application is based on your school’s recommendation and your year 11 results. Learn more about our Schools Recommendation Program.

What is my ATAR?

You meet the General Entry Requirements of the University of Tasmania if you’ve completed the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) and have SA results in at least four (maximum five) Level 3 or Level 4 subjects accredited by TASC, or you’ve completed an interstate senior secondary certificate and have an ATAR. You can find out more about eligibility at Admission requirements.

For most courses, selection of Year 12 Applicants will be based on an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) number. (In Tasmania, the ATAR was previously known as the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER).

This number, between 0 and 99.95, is your rank among all year 12 students in Tasmania.

The ATAR is the percentile ranking of your Tertiary Entrance (TE) score. The TE score is calculated by aggregating the scores of your best three pre-tertiary subjects from your final year of study, together with the best score(s) of up to two other pre-tertiary subjects in that year or one other year.

The ATAR ranges between zero and 99.95 and details the student’s rank compared with other Year 12 students in their state. For example, in Tasmania an ATAR rating of 80.00 indicates that the student has an overall rating equal to, or better than, 80% of Year 12 school leavers in Tasmania.

There are changes to the way ATAR is calculated from 2025

These changes will impact current year 11 students completing the Tasmanian Certificate of Education.

Learn more (PDF File, 238KB)

Will I get an ATAR?

You’ll receive your ATAR once it is finalised at the end of the School year.

To be eligible, you need to meet the standards of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE).

How is it calculated?

Your ATAR is based on your total best-five equivalent scaled scores (PDF).

The two years of study which your ATAR can be calculated from don’t have to be consecutive.

What ATAR do I need?

Each of our courses has a Guaranteed Entry ATAR, which you can find in the Course and Unit Handbook. This means, if you have the right ATAR, you can be guaranteed a place within that course.

If there are no Guaranteed Entry ATAR scores, you’ll need to look at the entry requirements.

Clearly-in/Minimum ATAR

The clearly-in ATAR listed for each course entry is indicative of the ATAR score for first-round offers to school-leaver applicants. For courses where entry is highly competitive (e.g. Medicine, Pharmacy, Health Science/ Medical Radiation Science), a minimum ATAR applies and places are allocated according to strict quotas.

Where a clearly-in or minimum ATAR score is not listed, entry to the course is on the basis of special requirements, such as an audition or portfolio submission, or completion of another qualification.

Not a recent School Leaver?

If you have not recently left school, or have not completed Years 11 and 12, you may meet another of the University’s General Entry Requirements (GER). Please see pages 92– 93 for more information about applying to the University of Tasmania.

What else do I need to get into my preferred course?

Every course has its own requirements. Some of these include interviews and auditions. Special requirements refers to any requirements in addition to normal General Entry Requirements, e.g. UMAT/ ISAT score for Medicine – Surgery, or an audition for performing arts courses.

Specific Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) Level 3 and/or Level 4 subjects (or interstate equivalent) may be required in addition to University of Tasmania General Entry Requirements for entry to some courses.

You can meet these requirements with studies from your TCE or through additional foundation units and pathway programs.

Check the entry requirements section in the Course and Unit Handbook under the degree you want to study.

Refer to Admission requirements for more information.

How does course selection work?

Selection is based on eligibility and merit. Eligibility means you can be considered for your chosen course. Your rank then determines whether you’ll be selected.

Offers are made by rank until the course is filled or the minimum score for the course is reached. However, meeting the admission requirements does not guarantee you entry into the course of your choice.

Remember: Your ATAR isn’t everything

If your ATAR doesn't meet the requirements for a course you want to study, then don’t worry. There are many ways for you to study with us.

If you’re not eligible for your preferences, we’ll provide you with other course options. We have many pathways that can help you get into your chosen course later.

To talk with us about options, contact our Information Centre at course.info@utas.edu.au or call 13 8827 (13 UTAS).

What if I didn't get an ATAR?

Some students complete study paths that don’t result in an ATAR. This might include Vocational Education and Training (VET) study, senior schooling at home, or going to a school with a non-standard curriculum.

Don’t worry. You’ll be assessed according to your study plan, subjects and results. Then, you’ll be given something called an Assessed Entry Score (AES). This will be converted to a rank.

If I studied Year 11 interstate, can I get an ATAR?

Yes, your scores will be converted to an equivalent Tasmanian score. TASC will then calculate your TE and ATAR.

Will my results from Year 13 count towards my ATAR?

Yes, but you can only count results from two calendar years. In other words, you can count results from Year 11 and Year 13, or Year 12 and Year 13, but not from all three.

Do High Achiever Program (HAP) and University Connections Program (UCP) units count towards my ATAR?

Yes. Subject scaling is applied to HAP and UCP units in the same way as scaling for TASC Level 3 and Level 4 subjects.

Will my year 10 results count towards the ATAR?
In some unique circumstances an ATAR may include course score/s from TASC accredited courses studied in Year 10. If you have undertaken a TASC-accredited Level 3 or Level 4 course in Year 10, that course will contribute to your Tertiary Entrance score if:

  • the course score for your Year 10 course is higher than each of the scores you achieved in Year 11; and
  • the sum of the two highest course scores from Year 11 is less than the sum of the Year 10 course and the fourth highest course score in Year 12.

If you have studied more than one scaled course in Year 10, scores for those courses will only be used if they provide the most beneficial outcome when compared to the Year 11 scores you achieved.

What is Scaling?

Scaling is a way of standardising marks to make sure that students are not disadvantaged by their subject choices. It does not change your ranking within a course.

How do I get an ATAR if I’ve completed the International Baccalaureate (IB)?

You won’t receive an ATAR if you've completed the IB diploma. Instead, you’ll be given a rank similar to an ATAR.

What is the TCE?

The Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) is a qualification issued to students who meet the TCE Participation and Achievement Standard and the Everyday Adult Standards. Refer to Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) for more information.

To learn more, go to the TASC website.

Need more information?

You can find more FAQ's relating to your study at AskUs.

Information on how to apply to other Universities interstate