Enter your raw scores · get scaled estimates · predict your ATAR
Cut-offs change annually. Always verify at qtac.edu.au and individual institution websites.
⚠️ This calculator provides estimates only based on 2025/26 QTAC scaling data. Actual ATARs are calculated by QTAC and depend on each year's cohort performance. Scaling changes annually. This tool is not affiliated with QTAC or QCAA.
Use our free QCE ATAR Calculator to estimate your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank based on your Queensland Certificate of Education subject scores. Built using 2026 QTAC scaling data, this tool helps Year 12 students across Queensland plan their studies, understand subject scaling, and predict what ATAR they need to get into their dream course.
The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a number from 0.00 to 99.95 that ranks your overall academic achievement against all Queensland Year 12 students and the broader same-age cohort. An ATAR of 80.00, for example, means you outperformed approximately 80% of your peer group. From 2020, the ATAR replaced Queensland's old Overall Position (OP) system. The ATAR is now calculated by QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) based on your results as certified by QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority).
The ATAR is expressed on a 2,000-point scale ranging from 99.95 (the highest) down to 0.00, in increments of 0.05. Scores at or below 30.00 are reported simply as "30.00 or less."
QTAC follows a defined set of steps to produce your ATAR:
Subject scaling is the process QTAC uses to adjust raw subject scores so they can be fairly compared across all QCE subjects. Scaling does not punish students for choosing easier subjects — it ensures that students who take harder subjects (which attract more academically competitive cohorts) are not disadvantaged, and that students who take seemingly "easier" subjects are not unfairly rewarded.
For example, in 2025, a raw score of 73 in Specialist Mathematics scaled up to approximately 89 — an increase of 16 points — because the Specialist Mathematics cohort is one of the strongest in Queensland. In contrast, a raw score of 94 in General Mathematics scaled down to around 85, because the broader General Mathematics cohort tends to perform lower across other subjects.
The key takeaway: scaling is not a guaranteed boost. It is possible to score higher in a low-scaling subject and still end up with a lower TEA than someone who scored the same raw mark in a high-scaling subject. Choosing subjects you enjoy and excel in is typically better strategy than chasing high-scaling subjects you struggle with.
While scaling changes each year, some subjects consistently rank among the highest-scaling in Queensland:
| Rank | Subject | Type | Scaling Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specialist Mathematics | General | Consistently scales up significantly (e.g. 73 raw → ~89 scaled) |
| 2 | French / German | General | Very high scaling; 92 raw → ~97 scaled |
| 3 | Mathematical Methods | General | Reliably scales up (78 raw → ~90 scaled) |
| 4 | Physics | General | Good scaling; 90 raw → ~95 scaled |
| 5 | Chemistry | General | Good scaling; 90 raw → ~95 scaled |
| 6 | Economics | General | Moderate-high scaling |
| 7 | English (Literature) | General | Moderate scaling |
| — | General Mathematics | General | Consistently scales down |
Note: Scaling is recalculated each year. The figures above are indicative based on 2025-26 QTAC data and may differ in future years.
Not every Year 12 student automatically receives an ATAR. To be ATAR-eligible, you must:
Your TEA is the sum of your best five scaled scores. For top ATAR students (99.95), TEAs typically sit around 480–500. Students with ATARs around 90.00 typically have TEAs around 420–440. The TEA is not a percentage — it is simply the number used to rank all eligible students.
All ATAR calculators — including this one — are estimates based on historical scaling data. Your actual ATAR depends on:
For this reason, always treat your estimated ATAR as a planning guide, not a guarantee. For official results and information, visit qtac.edu.au and qcaa.qld.edu.au.
QTAC calculates the ATAR from your best five scaled results across eligible QCE subjects. Raw scores are scaled via inter-subject scaling to ensure fairness. The top five scaled scores are summed to a TEA, which is used to rank all eligible students into 2,000 ATAR bands (99.95 down to 0.00).
Based on 2024 data: Specialist Mathematics consistently scales highest, followed by European languages (French, German), Mathematical Methods, Physics, and Chemistry. General Mathematics consistently scales down. However, scaling changes yearly based on cohort performance.
You need five eligible inputs — either five General subjects, or four General subjects plus one Applied subject or VET qualification at Certificate III or above. You also need a C or above in an eligible English subject to be ATAR-eligible.
The TEA is the sum of your best five scaled subject scores. QTAC uses your TEA to rank you among all ATAR-eligible students. The top-ranked students are assigned ATAR 99.95, the next group 99.90, and so on down to 0.00.
Requirements vary widely. Medicine at UQ typically requires 99+. Law, Engineering and similar competitive degrees usually need 85–95. Many nursing, education, business and arts programs at QUT, Griffith, JCU, and USC accept students from 60–80. Always check the latest QTAC selection thresholds.
No. This is an independent educational tool using 2026 QTAC scaling data. QTAC calculates official ATARs using exact cohort data and proprietary methods that change each year. Use this tool for planning, and always refer to QTAC for official results and guidance.