Selection Rank vs. ATAR Flashcards
7 cards from real ATAR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Selection Rank vs. ATAR flashcards as text
A student receives a selection rank of 85.00 but their ATAR is 83.50. What most likely accounts for the difference?
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.
Which of the following students would most likely receive a selection rank HIGHER than their ATAR?
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.
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?
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.
What is the maximum ATAR a student can achieve in Australia?
Answer: 99.95
The highest possible ATAR is 99.95, meaning a student scored in the top 0.05% of their age cohort.
If a selection rank cutoff for a course was 75.00 last year, what does this tell a prospective applicant?
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.
Which scenario correctly shows that a selection rank can be LOWER than a student's ATAR?
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.
A student's ATAR is 88.00 and they receive a 5-point EAS adjustment. What is their selection rank?
Answer: 93.00
Adding a 5-point EAS adjustment to an ATAR of 88.00 yields a selection rank of 93.00.