ATAR in South Australia and the NT: how SATAC works it out

The university aggregate: 90 credits

To get an ATAR you first need a university aggregate. SATAC calculates it from the scaled scores in your best 90 credits of study. Scaled scores are out of 20 for a 20-credit subject and 10 for a 10-credit subject, so the highest aggregate is 90. It is built from three parts:

To be eligible you must qualify for the SACE or NTCET, follow the rules on precluded combinations and counting restrictions, and complete at least 90 credits of study in TAS and Recognised Studies at Stage 2. At least 60 of those 90 credits must come from 20-credit TAS or valid subject pairs. If you do not attempt the publicly assessed part of a subject, such as an exam, you get 0.0 for it. The subject can still count towards the 90-credit requirement, but it adds nothing to the aggregate.

The 90 credits are taken from a maximum of three attempts, which can be in non-consecutive years. If you studied across four or more years, the three that give the best outcome are used. The scaling that produces the scaled scores is covered in SACE scaling explained.

From aggregate to ATAR

SATAC looks at where your aggregate sits compared with the other students in your cohort, the students who completed Year 12 in the same year and qualified for an aggregate. It assigns a percentile rank for each aggregate, then adjusts it for the participation rate: the share of the 16 to 20 year old population in SA and the NT that the cohort makes up, from Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The result is the ATAR. Because it changes every year, SATAC publishes the conversion after results. This is the 2025 SA/NT conversion table, in part:

Look at how the middle compresses: in 2025, going from an aggregate of 60.00 to 70.00 moved the ATAR from 69.30 to 82.20, a rise of 12.90. From 80.00 to 90.00 moved it from 93.65 to 99.95, only 6.30. SATAC warns that prior-year tables cannot accurately predict future ATARs, noting that in 2015 an aggregate of 80.0 out of 90.0 converted to an ATAR of 95.20, and in 2016 to 94.75. It says the 2026 table will be published in December 2026, and does not recommend online ATAR prediction tools.

What the ATAR means, and where to get yours

The ATAR is a rank, not a mark. SATAC only calculates it for SACE and NTCET students, and it is the same everywhere: an ATAR of 81.00 in South Australia is equivalent to 81.00 in every other state and territory. It does not expire, though universities may set time limits or ask for more information if you finished Year 12 some time ago. In 2026 your ATAR is in Students Online with your results on Monday 14 December. See SACE results 2026. SATAC also issues your Tertiary Entrance Statement, which shows your scaled scores, aggregate and ATAR.

Practise first

The aggregate is built from the grades and exams behind it. Sit today's Year 12 Maths, Year 12 Physics, Year 12 Chemistry or Year 12 Biology paper. Each is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, and the results page shows a predicted grade from A to E with typical cut-offs, not the SACE Board's. SACE grades explained shows how grades are made.

Common mistakes about the SA ATAR

• Counting every subject. Only your best 90 credits count.
• Skipping the exam. A non-attempt scores 0.0 for the part, and a scaled score of zero for the subject.
• Using last year's table as a prediction. SATAC says the conversion changes every year.
• Mixing up the TES and the ROA. The ROA shows your grades. The TES shows scaled scores and the ATAR.

Read next

Australia · WACEATAR in Western Australia: how TISC works it out from WACEThe ATAR in Western Australia explained: the TEA, the best four rule, 2025 TEA to ATAR table, who gets an ATAR and when it is released.