Frequently asked questions
FAQs about university admission criteria
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For undergraduate and international applicants
Institutions use selection ranks to select Year 12 students for courses. As a Year 12 student, your selection rank is usually your ATAR. However, if other factors are taken into consideration, these will be combined with your ATAR to adjust your selection rank and make it higher than your ATAR.
The interaction of three factors determines selection ranks:
- the number of places available in the course
- the number of applicants for the course
- the academic achievement of those applicants.
Yes. There are a number of reasons why your selection rank may be adjusted, allowing you to get an offer even though your ATAR is below the published selection rank. Read about selection rank adjustments.
Yes. Most institutions offer pathway courses for applicants who don't meet the entry requirements for degree courses, or who need further support or preparation before studying at degree level. Read about pathways to university.
Each institution sets its own admission criteria, including the qualifications it will accept. If you've completed or partially completed a tertiary course, institutions may consider any or all of the following when considering your application:
- tertiary studies
- secondary studies
- post-secondary studies
- other relevant factors such as employment experience.
How we assess and grade your qualifications
Courses not assessed by UAC
The following courses aren't assessed by UAC:
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificates I and II
- Statements of Attainment
- TAFE Statements
- courses delivered by Australian private providers that are not accredited. Only those courses accredited under the AQF, or by the relevant state/territory accreditation authority, will be considered. Qualifications undertaken with private providers will not be assessed without proof of accreditation for the particular course
- short courses run by a university (eg Project Management Essentials)
- other short courses such as first aid certificates.
All of UAC's participating institutions accept the IB Diploma and Bilingual Diploma as equivalent to an Australian Year 12 qualification. Entry into courses is competitive and some courses may have additional selection requirements.
There are a number of pathways available for people with no formal qualifications. There are also pathway courses for applicants who don't meet the entry requirements for a degree course. Read about pathways to university.
Generally speaking, if you are a 2024 Year 12 student the answer is no, but for other applicants it might form part of the selection process. Read about applying with employment experience.
No. It's a common myth that when you are over 21 you are ‘mature-aged' and you can get into uni based on your age. Your age alone is not enough to get you into uni. Generally, you'll need some kind of qualification before an institution will make you an offer. For example, institutions may look at your Year 12 studies, your results in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT), or your achievement in various pathways. Read about general admission criteria.
The way your experience is assessed depends on the individual institution's entry criteria. Some institutions will look at everything you've done (including school, even if it was a long time ago) and give each of your qualifications, studies and experience a different weight. Some institutions will focus on just your highest qualification (eg TAFE Certificate IV). For more information, check with the institutions.
The ATAR replaced the UAI in NSW and the ACT in 2009. The highest rank became an ATAR of 99.95, as opposed to a UAI of 100. The ATAR indicates a student's position in relation to their age cohort, rather than their Year 10 group. These changes brought NSW and ACT students into line with their interstate peers. The scaling process and the rank order of students remained the same, and the same applicants continued to be selected for the same tertiary courses. All states and territories have adopted the universal name 'ATAR'.
For all applicants
No, it’s not enough to just be eligible. You’ll also need to compete against other eligible applicants and your selection will depend on how well you meet the selection criteria for each course.
Yes. UAC’s Qualifications Assessment Service (QAS) provides prospective applicants with an assessment of their qualifications. This may be used as a guide by admissions officers for determining eligibility for courses offered by UAC's participating institutions.
Yes. The following courses aren't assessed by UAC:
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificates I and II
- statements of attainment
- TAFE statements
- courses delivered by Australian private providers that are not accredited. Only those courses accredited under the Australian Qualifications Framework, or by the relevant state/territory accreditation authority, will be taken into account. Qualifications undertaken with private providers will not be assessed without proof of accreditation for the particular course
- short courses run by a university (eg Project Management Essentials)
- other short courses such as first aid certificates.
If you have undertaken any of these qualifications, you don't need to include them in your application.
Yes, but if you are applying on the basis of overseas secondary or tertiary qualifications only, contact the relevant institution/s to discuss your eligibility before you apply through UAC.
Check to see if your secondary overseas qualifications are commonly accepted or non-assessable.
If you have qualifications from countries where English is not the standard language of instruction, you must provide evidence of English language proficiency.
If you believe you can demonstrate your proficiency in English with a test or qualification that's not included in an institution's ELP requirements, write to the admissions office at each institution to which you're applying and include supporting documentation. The institution will determine if the test or qualification is acceptable and record this decision against your application.
Do not send this information to UAC – we cannot make decisions about your English proficiency on behalf of institutions.