ATAR Selection Rank vs. ATAR 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student receives a selection rank of 85.00 but their ATAR is 83.50. What most likely accounts for the difference?
- The university made an error in calculating the rank
- Educational Access Schemes or bonus points were added to their ATAR (Correct answer)
- The ATAR was rounded up while the selection rank was not
- The student applied to multiple universities which inflated the rank
Correct answer: Educational Access Schemes or bonus points were added to their ATAR
Selection ranks can exceed a student's ATAR when Educational Access Schemes (EAS) or other bonus points are applied by a university.
Question 2: Which of the following students would most likely receive a selection rank HIGHER than their ATAR?
- A student who attended a high-performing metropolitan private school
- A student from a rural area who experienced significant educational disadvantage (Correct answer)
- A student who completed an accelerated program and finished school early
- A student who received distinctions in all their subjects
Correct answer: A student from a rural area who experienced significant educational disadvantage
Students from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds are typically eligible for EAS bonus points, raising their selection rank above their ATAR.
Question 3: A university course lists a selection rank cutoff of 80.00. A student has an ATAR of 79.50 but a selection rank of 80.25. Can they receive an offer?
- No, because their ATAR is below 80.00
- Yes, because their selection rank meets the cutoff (Correct answer)
- Only if they re-sit the exam to improve their ATAR
- Only if the course is in a different state from their school
Correct answer: Yes, because their selection rank meets the cutoff
Universities use selection ranks—not raw ATARs—to make offers, so a selection rank of 80.25 meets an 80.00 cutoff.
Question 4: What is the maximum ATAR a student can achieve in Australia?
- 100.00
- 99.95 (Correct answer)
- 99.00
- 100.95
Correct answer: 99.95
The highest possible ATAR is 99.95, meaning a student scored in the top 0.05% of their age cohort.
Question 5: If a selection rank cutoff for a course was 75.00 last year, what does this tell a prospective applicant?
- Exactly 75% of applicants were accepted
- The lowest selection rank that received an offer in that intake was 75.00 (Correct answer)
- The average selection rank of enrolled students was 75.00
- Students need a minimum ATAR of 75.00 regardless of bonus points
Correct answer: The lowest selection rank that received an offer in that intake was 75.00
A cutoff represents the lowest selection rank that received an offer in the previous intake, not a guaranteed minimum for future years.
Question 6: Which scenario correctly shows that a selection rank can be LOWER than a student's ATAR?
- A student applies late and misses the early-round bonus
- A student's EAS application is rejected after initially being accepted
- No such scenario is possible; selection ranks are always equal to or higher than the ATAR (Correct answer)
- A student who scored well but did not meet a subject prerequisite
Correct answer: No such scenario is possible; selection ranks are always equal to or higher than the ATAR
Selection ranks are always equal to or higher than the ATAR; they can only increase due to adjustments, never decrease below it.
Question 7: A student's ATAR is 88.00 and they receive a 5-point EAS adjustment. What is their selection rank?
- 83.00
- 88.00
- 93.00 (Correct answer)
- 93.05
Correct answer: 93.00
Adding a 5-point EAS adjustment to an ATAR of 88.00 yields a selection rank of 93.00.
ATAR Selection Rank vs. ATAR 2
A student receives a selection rank of 85.00 but their ATAR is 83.50.
What most likely accounts for the difference?