Ep 89 - Which ATAR Calculator Should You Use?

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What we’re talking about:

Exams are just about over, and now you’ve shifted to looking at your VTAC preference list and wondering what ATAR you might get. Lots of students are asking about ATAR calculators and which one they should use. Let’s have a look at how you can best work out your ATAR.

1:33 How hard is it to work out what ATAR you might get?

Guessing your ATAR is really difficult because your ATAR is a ranking, based on your study scores, which are also rankings. See Episode 58 (linked below) to get a really clear understanding of how your ATAR would be calculated. There are a couple of ways you may be able to get an idea (eg if you have a sibling who went to the same school doing the same subjects and you perform very similarly academically, or your teachers might have an idea if they’re very experienced) however I explain why even these guesses aren’t super accurate.

10:00 What is an ATAR calculator?

A quick google search will tell you that there are heaps of ATAR calculators to choose from, and nearly all of them will be advertised as the most accurate one. To use an ATAR calculator, you need to guess each of your study scores, and then it will use an algorithm to decide what ATAR it thinks you will get. The problem here is that it’s really hard to guess your study scores, and then your ATAR is a ranking, not a straight calculation. While the algorithm might come close, without accurate study scores it’s really not going to give you a good indication of what ATAR you might get.

So which ATAR calculator should you use? None of them.

13:43 What should you do instead?

Instead of trying to guess your ATAR, do some more research around courses so that you can include your dream course or courses, but then also find other courses that you’d be just as happy to do, or that can be used as a pathway into your dream course. Create a great VTAC preference list, and keep the extra information in your desk drawer in case you want to make some changes to your preference list in the change of preference period.

Links mentioned:

Work with me: https://www.roadmapeducation.com/services

How are ATARs calculated?: https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/58