First and foremost, it's important to understand that the ATAR is a rank, not a score. It places your child in a position relative to their peers, with a maximum rank of 99.95. An 99.00 ATAR score means, the student is ranked in the top 1% percent in their cohort. Every state has their own calculation, but at the end of the day, they all land on the same thing: the ATAR.
How is the ATAR Calculated in Victoria?
The ATAR calculation can seem complex, but it boils down to a few key components.
Core Component
English. Your child's study score in English is a mandatory part of the ATAR calculation.
This underscores the importance of English as a foundational subject.
Next Best Three Scores
The scores from your child's next three highest-scoring subjects are added to their English score. These subjects can be from any discipline, reflecting your child's strengths and interests.
Additional Subjects
If your child studies more than four subjects (which is very common), 10% of the study scores from their 5th and, if applicable, 6th subjects are added to their total. This encourages students to broaden their learning but also ensures that their focus remains on performing well in their top four subjects.
How does Scaling Work?
Before these calculations are made, study scores are scaled to account for the perceived difficulty of each subject and to ensure fairness across different subject choices.
This means that a score in one subject may be adjusted up or down in comparison to another subject.
Imagine a student, Alex, with the following scenario:
Biology (Raw Score: 29, Scaled Score: 32)
Indicates scaling up due to the subject's complexity.
Art (Raw Score: 38, Scaled Score: 35)
Scaled down due to higher average scores or lower perceived difficulty.
English and two other subjects make up Jamie's primary scores.
Physical Education as a 5th subject (Raw Score: 27, Scaled Score: 26)
Slightly scaled down, reflecting its comparative challenge level or cohort performance.
What is the Aggregated Score?
The scores from the steps above are combined to form an aggregate score. This score is then compared to all other year 12 students in the state to determine the final ATAR rank.
Example
Let's consider a student with the following scores:
English: 33
Maths Methods: 35
Biology: 33
Physics: 37
Psychology (5th subject): 29
The calculation would be as follows:
Core English score: 33
Scores from the next three highest subjects: 37 + 35 + 33 = 105
10% of the 5th subject score: 2.9
This gives an aggregate of 140.9. The student's ATAR will depend on how this aggregate compares to those of other students statewide.
We hope this guide helps you understand how the ATAR is calculated and assists in supporting your child through their final year of high school. If your child needs assistance for ATAR preparation, get in touch with us to see how we can help!
For more information please visit: http://https//vtac.edu.au/atar-scaling-guide-2023.html#:~:text=What%20is%20scaling%3F,more%20competitive%20cohort%20of%20students.
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