Getting into uni without an ATAR

The jump from high school to university can be significant, so it’s important that you are prepared with the knowledge and skills to succeed.

That’s why every university degree, both undergraduate and postgraduate, has entry requirements. These include individual subjects such as English or Mathematics, as well as an approximate minimum ATAR. If you’ve met these requirements, you’ll start your course with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to support you through your degree.

Just as an ATAR wasn’t your only option in high school, it’s not your only option for study at JCU. There are several options for entering university without an ATAR.

JCU has multiple options for alternative entry into uni. These are called JCU Pathways. Pathways are short programs designed to give you the additional qualifications you need to meet the entry requirements for many of JCU's undergraduate degrees. They also support you to gain essential study skills and foundational knowledge relevant to your chosen field.

Learn more about JCU Pathways and find out which path is right for you.

If you have successfully completed a Certificate III, a Certificate IV or an AQF Diploma, you may be eligible for guaranteed admission to several JCU courses.

Your VET/TAFE qualification can also be used to generate a rank that works similarly to an ATAR (also known as an approximate selection rank). For example, completion of a Cert III can be equivalent to an ATAR 68, while a Certificate IV can be equivalent to an ATAR 74 and an AQF 5 Diploma can be equivalent to an 82.

However, you will still need to meet the subject prerequisites of your target degree. The area of your VET/TAFE qualification will determine which subjects you meet. For example, if you want to study a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, a Certificate IV in Business will satisfy the English requirements, but not Mathematics or Chemistry.

These pre-requisites are detailed in the Handbook found on each course page. To discuss your qualifications and options for study at JCU, speak to our friendly Future Students team.

You may have previously started a course at another university, TAFE or a private tertiary education provider in Australia or overseas. but not finished it. This is not uncommon and there are many reasons why you may have chosen not to complete your studies at that time.

Although your subject results from incomplete studies generally cannot be used to gain entry on their own, if these have been completed as part of your secondary studies, they may contribute to your ATAR. You may also be able to transfer credit to your current degree, which would shorten the length of your study. This is called receiving credit or advanced standing.

If you stopped studying previously and moved into the workforce, the on-the-job learning you received may also be able to contribute to your uni degree. This is called recognition of informal prior learning.