ATAR Calculator

Introduction

This ATAR calculator estimates your ATAR from the marks you enter. Pick your state system, NSW (HSC) or VIC (VCE), then type in your subjects and your marks. Each mark gets scaled, your aggregate is added up, and your ATAR appears straight away.

Your raw mark is not your final score. Each subject is scaled, so the same mark can be worth more in one subject than another. The calculator handles that step, then picks the units or studies that actually count.

Here is what you get:

• A scaled score for every subject you add
• Your ATAR aggregate and your estimated ATAR
• A list of which subjects count, and which do not
• A chart that compares your raw marks with your scaled marks
• A step-by-step solution so you can see the math

You can use real marks, trial marks, or goal marks. Change any number and the result updates at once, so it is easy to test "what if" scores. This is an estimate, not an official ATAR, but it is a good guide for setting goals and planning your study.

How to use our ATAR Calculator

Pick your state system, add your subjects, and type in your marks. The calculator shows your scaled scores, your ATAR aggregate, and your estimated ATAR.

Curriculum System: Choose NSW (HSC) or VIC (VCE). This sets the right subject list and scaling data for you.

Subject: Start typing a subject name and pick it from the list. Each subject can only be added once.

Mark: Type your raw mark for that subject. HSC marks are out of 100 for 2-unit courses and 50 for 1-unit courses. VCE study scores are out of 50. You can use trial marks, Year 11 marks, or goal marks.

Add Subject: Click this to add a new row. HSC needs at least 10 units, with 2 units of English.³ VCE needs at least 4 study scores, with one English study.⁶

Remove: Click the trash button on a row to delete that subject.

Calculate: Click this to update your results. The results also update on their own as you type.

Reset: Click this to bring back the sample subjects and marks.

Clear All: Click this to wipe every subject and start fresh. You will be asked to confirm first.

What Is the ATAR?

The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a number between 0 and 99.95.¹ It is not a mark. It is a rank. It shows how you did in Year 12 compared to everyone else your age in your state.¹ An ATAR of 80.00 means you are in the top 20% of your age group, not just your Year 12 group.¹ Universities use this rank to help select students for their courses.¹

Why Marks Get Scaled

Some subjects attract stronger groups of students than others, and a good rank is more difficult to earn when you are competing against students of high academic ability.² To keep things fair, your raw marks are changed into scaled scores. This is called scaling. Scaling does not reward "easy" or "hard" subjects on its own. It looks at how strong the whole group of students in that subject was.⁵ If a subject attracts very strong students, marks in it usually move up.⁵ If not, marks may move down.⁵ The advice stays the same: pick subjects you like and can do well in, because even in subjects that scale well you still need a high mark to get a high scaled score.²

NSW HSC: How the ATAR Is Built

• Your scaled marks are added up to make an aggregate out of 500.
• Only your best 10 units count.²
• 2 units of English must be included, even if English is not your best subject.²
• Most subjects are 2 units. Extension subjects are 1 unit.
• Since 2025, HSC courses are no longer split into Category A and Category B, so the old limit of two Category B units no longer applies.³
• You must do Maths Extension 1 to count Maths Extension 2.²
• The aggregate is then turned into a rank from 0 to 99.95.

VIC VCE: How the ATAR Is Built

• Each study gets a study score out of 50, then it is scaled.
• Your ATAR aggregate starts with your scaled score in one English study (English, English Language, Literature or EAL), plus your next best three studies.⁴
• You also get 10% of your 5th and 6th scaled study scores added on.
• The aggregate can range from 0 to over 210 in exceptional cases, and it is then turned into your rank.⁵

Things to Know

Any ATAR you work out before results day is an estimate. Real scaling changes a little every year because it depends on that year's students. Trial marks, Year 11 marks, or goal marks can all be used to get a rough idea. Use the estimate to check if you are on track for a course, and to see which subject would lift your rank the most if you studied a bit harder in it.

Quick Word List

• Raw mark / raw study score is the mark you actually get, before scaling.
• Scaled score is your mark after it is adjusted for subject strength.
• Aggregate is the total of your counting scaled scores.
• Percentile rank is your spot in the line-up of all students your age.
• Unit is the size of an HSC course. Most are 2 units; extensions are 1.