Part 3: How the VCE ATAR is Calculated

Calculation of your ATAR

How is ATAR calculated? Let’s see!

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The final step in determining your ATAR is converting your scaled study scores into an aggregate and then your ATAR. 

Flowchart: Calculating your ATAR

Step 1: Determine your aggregate from scaled marks

Your aggregate is the score you get by adding:

  • The scaled study scores of your four highest-scoring studies, including your compulsory English study
  • 10% from the scaled study score of your fifth study (if you did any)
  • 10% from the scaled study score of your sixth study (if you did any).

VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre) then gives you an ATAR score based on how your aggregate compares to other students across the country.

Example

Take a look at this student with the following ATAR courses shown in the table below.

Table: Aggregate of Scaled Study Scores
SubjectScaled ScoreAggregate contribution
English43.4743.47
Mathematical Methods41.3941.39
Physics39.9239.92
Chemistry4949
Biology38.053.80
History38.423.84
Aggregate181.42/211
ATAR97.60

Step 2: Convert your aggregate into percentiles

Your ATAR is determined by the range in which your aggregate score falls. In 2024, you needed an aggregate of 211.19 – 230 to get a 99.95 ATAR.

The aggregate range changes every year based on how students perform, making it hard (but not impossible!) to predict your ATAR.

Your ATAR indicates how well you did compared to other students. An ATAR of 95 means you performed better than 95% of students across Australia that year.

Step 3: Convert your Aggregate into an ATAR

The table below shows the ATAR at various aggregates for 2021 through to 2023 cohorts.

Table: ATAR aggregates, 2021 – 2023 (Source: 2022, 2023, 2024 VTAC)
ATARAggregate 2021Aggregate 2022Aggregate 2023
99.95210.46 – 230211.05 – 230211.19 – 230
99.50197.80 – 198.61197.91 – 198.62198.18 – 198.78
98184.09 – 184.37183.37 – 183.68183.94 – 184.41 
96173.88 – 174.08173.28 – 173.47173.64 – 173.81 
93163.47 – 163.60163.03 – 163.23163.14 – 163.27 
90155.62 – 155.74154.79 – 154.90155.08 – 155.19 
88151.16 – 151.28150.33 – 150.42150.66 – 150.79
86147.04 – 147.13 146.07 – 146.16146.35 – 146.44
83141.22 – 141.31 140.41 – 140.48140.86 – 140.94 

The flowchart below outlines the process of determining your ATAR:

Flowchart: Calculating your ATAR

 

Now that you know how your ATAR is calculated, let’s look at how you can maximise your ATAR.

 

© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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