Getting into uni without an ATAR
Want to go to uni but chose a non-ATAR pathway? You still have options to study at JCU.
Read on to learn about JCU's ATAR and university entry requirements and discover how you can get into uni without an ATAR.
What is an ATAR?
Your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a score that you may receive after you complete high school, depending on your study choices. An ATAR indicates your ranking relative to every other high school student who graduated in the same year. It is calculated based on your assessment results.
How do I get an ATAR?
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority classifies senior subjects as either General or Applied.
To be eligible for ATAR pathway in a Queensland high school, you must have completed:
- An English subject (generally English, English as an Additional Language, or Literature*)
AND either
- 5 general subjects, or
- 4 general subjects and an applied subject or VET course (Certificate III or higher).
*While Essential English may also count towards an ATAR, you are only permitted the one applied subject on the ATAR pathway.
Why do universities want to know my 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.
"Coming to tertiary education later in life can be a daunting experience. The levels of support and assistance in the learning pathways at JCU came as a pleasant surprise. If you request assistance with a subject, I found staff will go out of their way to help you achieve. This made the whole process a richly rewarding experience."
Bevan Donaldson
Alumni
How can I get into uni 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.
No ATAR? No worries!
Whether you're coming to uni straight from high school, from the workplace or after a few different adventures, there's a place for you at JCU. If you haven't got an ATAR, we'll find the right path for you and equip you to graduate with the degree that suits your career and lifestyle goals. Our Future Students team can assist you with information specific to your unique journey.
