The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) said that many widely‑circulated ideas about maximising HSC results and ATAR scores are misconceptions. Dr Helen Tam, UAC’s research and statistics manager, explained that the HSC is a credential reflecting a student’s performance in each subject, while the ATAR is a ranking based on the best ten units of those results and is used only for university admissions.
Both agencies stressed that any combination of study subjects can lead to a strong ATAR – there are more than 35,000 possible course combinations. NESA chief executive Paul Martin advised students to choose subjects they enjoy and are good at, citing recent dance graduates who achieved high HSC marks and ATARs. The guidance encourages students to discard “game‑book” strategies and focus on personal interest and aptitude.
Entities
Dr Helen Tam · NSW Education Standards Authority · Paul Martin · Universities Admissions Centre