If you want to know how to calculate atar before results day, the process has four clear steps: start with your raw scores, scale them, build your aggregate, then convert that aggregate into a percentile rank. Here is exactly how it works, in every state.
Raw scores differ by subject — see VCE scaling explained.
The 4 steps to calculate your ATAR
- Start with raw scores. Your school assessments and final exams produce a score for each subject, such as a VCE study score out of 50.
- Scale them. Your state's admissions centre adjusts each subject so different subjects can be compared fairly. This accounts for how competitive each subject's cohort was.
- Build your aggregate. Add up your best scaled results using your state's formula (see the table below). Weak subjects are dropped or weighted low, and English is compulsory in every state.
- Convert the aggregate to an ATAR. All aggregates are placed in order and mapped to a percentile scale in 0.05 intervals. The highest aggregate gets 99.95, and ranks below 30 are reported as less than 30.
State-by-state aggregate formulas
| State | Aggregate formula | Maximum aggregate |
|---|---|---|
| VCE (Victoria) | Best 4 scaled study scores including English, plus 10% of 5th and 6th | About 210 |
| HSC (NSW) | Best 10 units of scaled marks including 2 units of English | 500 |
| QCE (Queensland) | Best 5 scaled subject results | 100 (rank equivalent) |
| SACE (SA/NT) | Best 90 credits of Stage 2 scaled scores | 90 |
| WACE (WA) | Best 4 scaled ATAR course scores | 400 |
How to Calculate ATAR: 4 Steps
📝 Start with your raw subject scores
⚖️ Scale each subject fairly
➕ Add your best results into an aggregate
📊 Convert the aggregate to a percentile rank
A quick worked example (VCE)
Say your scaled study scores are English 32, Methods 38, Chemistry 36, Business Management 34, and Psychology 30. Your best four (32 + 38 + 36 + 34) give an aggregate of 140, plus 10% of your fifth subject (3.0), for a total aggregate of 143. That aggregate is then mapped to your ATAR on the percentile scale. This is an illustrative example only: real scaling and the aggregate-to-ATAR conversion shift every year with the cohort.
The honest shortcut
Doing this by hand means guessing at scaling, which is why most students just want to know how to calculate atar quickly. Run your expected scores through the free ATAR Calculator to get an estimate in seconds, and check VTAC's official guide if you want the full technical detail.