The ATAR Explained: What is Scaling and How Does It Work?

In this article, we’ll break down what scaling actually is, why it exists, and how it affects your ATAR – so you can make smarter subject choices and study with confidence.

14 hours ago • 5 min read

By Manoj Arachige

If you’ve ever heard students talking about how “this subject scales better” or that “doing easier subjects will hurt your ATAR,” you’re not alone. Scaling is one of the most misunderstood parts of the ATAR system – and it’s a topic that causes confusion (and anxiety!) for thousands of students each year.

In this article, we’ll break down what scaling actually is, why it exists, and how it affects your ATAR – so you can make smarter subject choices and study with confidence.

First of All – What is the ATAR?

The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that ranks your overall performance compared to your peers. It’s a rank, not a score – so it tells you how well you did relative to the rest of the cohort, not how many marks you got.

To calculate your ATAR, universities use your final subject marks. But here's the catch: not all subjects are marked the same way, and that's where scaling comes in.

What is Scaling?

Scaling is the process of adjusting your raw marks to account for differences in subject difficulty and competitiveness.

In simple terms: if two students score the same raw mark in two different subjects – say, 90 in Extension Maths and 90 in Standard English – their scores don’t necessarily contribute equally to their ATAR. That’s because the scaling process takes into account:

How academically strong the students who take each subject are
How students in each subject perform across all of their subjects

So, if students in Extension Maths tend to do very well across all their subjects, the system assumes the subject is more challenging or attracts high-achieving students – and it scales the marks up. The reverse can also be true: if a subject tends to attract students with lower overall results, marks might be scaled down.

Why Do We Need Scaling?

Without scaling, students could "game the system" by choosing what they think are easier subjects to get higher marks and boost their ATAR. But the ATAR is supposed to reflect your position in the entire cohort, not just your mark in a single subject.

Scaling ensures fairness by comparing student performance across different subjects and making sure your ATAR reflects your overall ability, not just how you did in one subject that may have been easier or harder than others.

Does That Mean I Should Only Choose “High Scaling” Subjects?

Not necessarily!

While some subjects like Maths, Physics, and Languages may scale higher, that doesn't mean you should automatically choose them. If you struggle in those subjects, a low raw mark (even after scaling) can hurt your ATAR more than a strong performance in a subject that scales a bit lower.

Here’s the golden rule:

👉 Do the subjects you enjoy and are good at.

Why? Because:

You’re more likely to stay motivated and engaged
You’ll perform better in assessments and exams
You’ll develop deeper understanding and skills (which is the whole point of school!)

An Example of Scaling in Action

Let’s say two students both get a raw mark of 85:

Student A: 85 in Advanced Maths (a high-scaling subject)
Student B: 85 in Standard English (a lower-scaling subject)

After scaling:

Student A’s score might become 88
Student B’s score might become 80

So, even though their raw marks were the same, scaling changes how much those subjects contribute to their final ATAR calculation. This makes it fair to students who want to pick more challenging subjects.

Final Thoughts: What Should You Do?

If you’re in Year 10 or 11 choosing your subjects, or in Year 12 wondering if you picked the “right” ones – don’t panic. Scaling is not something you can control, and trying to “beat the system” rarely works.

Instead, focus on:
✅ Choosing subjects that play to your strengths
✅ Studying consistently and strategically
✅ Asking for help early (KIS tutors can help with that!)
✅ Doing practice papers to understand exam styles and build confidence

Scaling might seem complicated, but at the end of the day, it exists to make things fair. If you work hard and do well in your chosen subjects, the ATAR will reward you – no matter what you picked.