ATAR Results Arrive as Debate Over Their Value Grows
Right now, millions of Year 12 students across Australia are in that nervous countdown period, waiting for their ATAR results to drop. It’s that moment everyone talks about from the very beginning of high school — the number that’s supposed to shape your next big step. And this year, the results are being released state by state, with some students seeing their ranks as early as December 11.
The ATAR, or Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, is essentially a national ranking system that places students on a scale from zero to 99.95. It’s calculated by combining a student’s best scaled subjects — two units of English and eight other units — and then comparing that performance with students across the country. For most people, it’s viewed as the key that either opens or closes the door to university.
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But as the release dates approach, it’s not just students refreshing result portals. There’s also a huge national conversation happening about whether the ATAR even matters as much as everyone once believed.
Let’s walk through how the results are being released. In New South Wales and the ACT, students will get their ranks at 9am on December 18 through the UAC website. In Victoria, VCE and ATAR results appear much earlier — 7am on December 11 via VTAC. Queensland follows on December 18 at 7am through the ATAR Portal, while South Australia and the Northern Territory share their results on December 15 at 8:30am through SACE. Tasmania emails results progressively from December 17, and Western Australia releases theirs on December 21, although no specific time has been set.
But behind all this, another layer of discussion is emerging: how much weight should the ATAR really hold? Researchers at Victoria University have sparked new debate after finding that many students were accepted into their preferred university courses without their ATAR being used at all. Their data revealed that in 2023, among students who entered university using school credentials, only 63 percent were admitted solely on their ATAR. Another 7 percent used their ATAR plus extra criteria like tests or portfolios. And remarkably, 30 percent were admitted on completely different grounds, meaning their ATAR wasn’t a factor at all.
Education experts say this highlights weaknesses in the system. Some argue that the ATAR has become outdated, too narrow, and far too stressful for students. Teachers note that universities are already shifting towards broader entry pathways. Others point out that skills like collaboration, adaptability and critical thinking — crucial in the real world — aren’t always captured in exam-based assessments.
So as students gear up to open those result emails or log into those state portals, it’s becoming clearer that while the ATAR still plays a role, it may no longer be the make-or-break measure it once was. The debate over reform is back in full force, and many believe the system is overdue for a rethink.
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