Myth busting: sorting HSC and ATAR fact from fiction

Sydney Morning Herald

27-07-2025

All the tips and tricks to help you do your best in this year's exams. See all 9 stories.
For decades, students, teachers and families have heard the rumours – that the Higher School Certificate and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank can be gamed – and that some subjects lead to higher HSC marks or a better ATAR.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), which is responsible for the HSC, and the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), in charge of the ATAR, want to bust those myths.
NESA CEO Paul Martin said he understands why some of the myths exist.
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'It is a complex and rigorous process to ensure each year, some 80,000 HSC students get the final marks they worked hard for and earned,' Martin said. 'That complexity can lead to misunderstandings and we see myths being perpetuated.'
The UAC's research and statistics manager, Dr Helen Tam, said misinformation about maximising your ATAR is also rife.
'The confusion starts with the difference between the role and purpose of the HSC and the ATAR. The two are referenced interchangeably when they serve different purposes,' Tam said.
'The HSC is a credential and the highest level of attainment that secondary school students can achieve in NSW. The HSC mark for each course, which is calculated by NESA, shows your performance in the exam and assessments for that course. The HSC mark reflects the standard you achieved.
'The ATAR, calculated by UAC, shows your position or ranking compared to other students in NSW and takes into account your achievement in the best 10 units of your HSC courses. Its only purpose is to help universities select applicants for their courses.'
The overarching advice for students thinking about subject selection is to throw away the game book. Think about what you like, what you are good at, what you think you may want to do post-school and do what you can to achieve your best result in each course.
Your HSC mark will reflect your performance in that course – and if you perform strongly in all your courses, you will achieve a high ATAR.