It’s Debatable – A Youth Perspective

A real pain in the (ATAR)

Should you take legal studies to become a lawyer? What about business to study finance? Or even biology to become a doctor?

The answer is a resounding no under the ATAR system. It just doesn’t make sense to choose these subjects when law at UQ will probably require a 98 ATAR and medicine is even higher (let alone those most prestigious scholarships).

Essentially, we’ve got a scoring system where future doctors are dropping biology because engineering is better for their scores. They’re acting with an air of uncertainty too because the ATAR system is a black box, based on complicated scaling systems done behind the scenes.

And look, even if the system is perfect and the most absolute fair way to rank students, it’s just plain confusing.

ATAR cutoff. Guaranteed entry. Prerequisites. Estimated scores. Adjustment factors.

Yes, most schools do a good job of explaining these intricacies, but it’s disengaged parents, disadvantaged students and overstretched schools that fall through the gaps.

Maybe perfection is necessarily complex. But that’s still a problem. There’s a lot of uncertainty and it means there there’s plenty of businesses that make a boatload promising to unravel mysteries and game the system.

And people will continue to pay because they feel there’s no choice. Again, it’s hard to emphasis enough just how important your ATAR is: if higher education is your goal, then you live and die by the sword of your ATAR score.

It’s the difference between making your course or having to settle for less. It’s the difference between the university you want and the university you must accept. It’s the difference between the scholarships of your dreams and a debt for your future.

It’s also a zero-sum game too which is interesting.

Necessarily, there can only be around 40 students in Queensland who receive the top score of 99.95. You are being ranked against everyone else and that’s an intense way to frame your studies.

As my business teacher puts it, “You’re competing against every other student in the state for your spot at the top… so what’s your competitive edge?”

It’s a really interesting mindset to have. Maybe it’s the perfect training ground for a competitive outside world. Or maybe it makes school too cut-throat, where students are preying on the downfall of others across the state.

Ask most students and you’ll get confusion on the details but certainty that this score is the most important we’ll ever receive.

And ultimately, the struggles of ATAR are as complex as the system itself. Still, let’s listen to students when we critique the system built to critique us.

Because heaven knows it can be a real pain in the ATAR.

Author: Leonard Cavallaro.

Images credits: Unsplash.

STOP PRESS!

A special message from Leonard:

“I’m very excited to share I’ve been selected as part of the Queensland State Debating Team in 2026! It’s a great opportunity and we’ll spend the next few months preparing hard with the coaches ahead of the national competition held in Brisbane against the other Australian states and territories. Let’s go Queenslanders!”