After Year 12

University entry without an ATAR

An ATAR is one route into a degree. A completed qualification can also provide entry, through routes that do not use a rank.

Who this applies to

Students in any of these situations.

You are in Western Australia

VET is not an ATAR input in WA at all. A Certificate IV or above instead generates a selection rank that some universities admit on directly.

You are in Tasmania

VET earns TCE credit points but does not feed the Tertiary Entrance score. University entry runs through other routes.

You are doing the VCE Vocational Major

VM subjects receive no study score, so there is no ATAR at the end of Year 12. That is by design, not a shortfall.

You do not have an ATAR

For example, you left school for work, changed plans, or your subjects did not produce a rank.

Three routes without an ATAR

Each route requires a completed qualification. The available route depends on your state and when you apply.

A selection rank

Some states and institutions convert a completed qualification into a rank used in place of an ATAR. Western Australia publishes this route for a Certificate IV or above; elsewhere individual universities set their own equivalents.

It is not an ATAR, and it does not appear on an admissions advice letter. Check the entry terms of each course you want.

A diploma in its own right

Many bachelor degrees admit on a completed AQF Level 5 diploma, assessed as the qualification it is rather than converted into a score. A diploma in a related field often carries credit towards the degree, so the first year is shorter.

The qualification has to be complete. A part-finished diploma earns a Statement of Attainment, which is worth having, but it is not what these routes assess.

Entry based on experience

A few years after school, institutions weigh what you have done since: the qualification, the work, sometimes a bridging or enabling program. Year 12 results stop being the deciding factor.

This is the route in the After Year 12 example: complete a Certificate III, work, then complete a Diploma before applying for a degree.

Things to check

Rules belong to the institution

Each university sets its own entry terms and changes them between admission years. Confirm with the institution for the year you are applying in.

Prerequisites still apply

Subject prerequisites such as Mathematical Methods or Chemistry are met through senior secondary subjects or approved bridging courses, not through certificate study.