Goodbye UAI, Hello ATAR

22-07-2009

The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) has already informed current Year 12 students by letter about changes in the ranking system used to select students for admission to university. The UAI is no more. The ranking will now be known as the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank or ATAR. In addition to the change of name, other significant differences will be:

  • The highest rank will now be an ATAR of 99.95 as opposed to a UAI of 100
  • The ATAR will indicate a student's position in relation to the Year 7 cohort of students with whom they began secondary school.

The Australasion Conference of Tertiary Admissions Centres decided to adopt a common name for existing indices across all states and territories (except Queensland) to highlight that student ranks are reported on a common scale. UAC provides this explanation of the change: The change in reporting student ranks via the ATAR rather than the UAI can be compared with the change in temperature scales; where once we recorded temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, we now record it as degrees Celsius: the actual temperature has not changed, just the name and the scale have changed.

There will be no practical consequences for students as:

  • The rules for the ATAR are exactly the same as for the UAI
  • Marks will be scaled in the same way so the rank order of students will be the same
  • The same applicants will be selected for the same courses, as any change in an ATAR compared with a UAI will see an equivalent change in course cut-offs.

More information is available on the UAC web site, www.uac.edu.au. Amongst other things, this includes:

  • A complete UAI to ATAR conversion table
  • Frequently asked questions about the change from UAI to ATAR
  • A publication aimed at Year 12 students - All about your ATAR

ON THE EVENING OF 29TH JULY, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY will host an information evening for parents and students to inform you of changes from the UAI to the ATAR. Ms Kim Paino, Director of Information Services at UAC will be speaking directly about the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank and the important information HSC students need to know.

There will also be information available about:

  • Academic Advantage - Macquarie Universities bonus points scheme, and
  • uniTEST, the University's alternative entry process

For a comprehensive overview of the program, parking details and campus maps please go to www.futurestudent.mq.edu.au/undergraduate Information on Macquarie Universities degree programs and the 2010 curriculum will also be available, together with the opportunity to meet current students and academic staff. This event is free of charge and refreshments will be provided. Seats are limited and bookings essential. Please RSVP to 9850 6045 or email events@vc.mq.edu.au.

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