How is the HSC ATAR calculated?

UAC scales each of your HSC subject marks, picks your best 10 units (which must include at least 2 units of English), sums them into an aggregate out of 500, and converts that aggregate into a percentile rank of the notional Year 7 cohort. That percentile is your ATAR.

What is HSC subject scaling?

Scaling adjusts your raw HSC mark for the academic strength of the subject's cohort. A scaled mark in any HSC subject represents the same percentile of academic strength as the same scaled mark in any other subject. Subjects like Mathematics Extension 2 and Latin Extension have higher mean scaled marks because their cohorts are academically stronger.

Is this calculator official?

No. It is an estimator built by ExamExplained using publicly-released UAC scaling means and an aggregate-to-ATAR mapping curve calibrated against widely-cited points. For your official ATAR, refer to UAC. Use this tool to plan subject choices and target marks.

Why does the calculator require English?

UAC's ATAR calculation requires at least 2 units of English in your best 10 units, even if English is one of your weaker subjects. If you do not include an English subject, the calculator cannot produce an ATAR estimate.

Can I use this calculator before the HSC exams?

Yes. Enter your estimated HSC marks (e.g. trial marks, or projected exam performance) for each subject. The calculator will tell you what your ATAR would be if those estimates held. This is especially useful for planning subject changes or setting target marks.

Why does the calculator pick best 10 units automatically?

UAC counts the best 10 units, so a student with 12 units (e.g. 5 standard 2-unit subjects plus Mathematics Extension 1 and Extension 2) has 2 units dropped automatically. The calculator does this for you, always keeping at least 2 units of English in the top 10.

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NSW · HSC2026

HSC ATAR calculator

Enter your HSC marks for each subject and get an estimated ATAR. Built from publicly-known UAC scaling means, the best-10-units rule, and the aggregate-to-percentile curve.

Your subjects

Add each HSC subject you're sitting and your estimated HSC mark out of 100. Include extension subjects as separate entries.

Tip: enter at least 10 units (a standard subject is 2 units; extensions are 1). The calculator picks your best 10 units automatically, including at least 2 units of English.

Add subjects and HSC marks to see your estimated ATAR.

Estimate only. Uses approximate scaling means; UAC's actual scaling is non-linear and shifts year-to-year. For your official ATAR, refer to UAC.

How this calculator works

The HSC ATAR is calculated by UAC, not NESA. UAC takes your HSC marks, scales each subject for the academic strength of its cohort, picks your best 10 units (which must include at least 2 units of English), sums those scaled marks into an aggregate out of 500, and converts that aggregate into a percentile rank of the notional Year 7 cohort. That percentile is your ATAR.

This calculator does each of those steps with approximations:

For each subject you enter, we scale your HSC mark using a published mean and ceiling for that subject. A mark of around 60 maps to the cohort mean; 100 maps to the published ceiling; in between we interpolate.
We pick your best 10 units, always including at least 2 units of English (UAC's English requirement).
We sum the per-unit scaled marks to get an aggregate out of 500.
We map the aggregate to an ATAR using a piecewise-linear curve calibrated against widely-cited UAC mapping points.

What this calculator is not

This is an estimator, not UAC's official tool. Real scaling is more complex than our linear model, shifts year-to-year, and depends on individual cohort characteristics. The aggregate-to-ATAR curve is non-linear and is recalibrated each year against the actual cohort. For your official ATAR, refer to UAC.

How to use this calculator

Most students use this in three ways:

Estimate from trials. Enter your trial marks for each subject. The calculator tells you what your ATAR would be if those marks held in the HSC.
Plan target marks. Enter your target marks and check whether they hit the ATAR you need for your dream course. Adjust subjects up or down until the estimate matches your target.
Test subject choices. Compare two subject combinations (e.g. Maths Advanced vs Maths Standard) to see which produces a higher estimated ATAR for the same effort level.

Want to understand the maths in depth?

Read our explainer on how the HSC ATAR is calculated, or on how HSC subjects are scaled.

Common questions

How is the HSC ATAR calculated?: UAC scales each of your HSC subject marks, picks your best 10 units (which must include at least 2 units of English), sums them into an aggregate out of 500, and converts that aggregate into a percentile rank of the notional Year 7 cohort. That percentile is your ATAR.
What is HSC subject scaling?: Scaling adjusts your raw HSC mark for the academic strength of the subject's cohort. A scaled mark in any HSC subject represents the same percentile of academic strength as the same scaled mark in any other subject. Subjects like Mathematics Extension 2 and Latin Extension have higher mean scaled marks because their cohorts are academically stronger.
Is this calculator official?: No. It is an estimator built by ExamExplained using publicly-released UAC scaling means and an aggregate-to-ATAR mapping curve calibrated against widely-cited points. For your official ATAR, refer to UAC. Use this tool to plan subject choices and target marks.
Why does the calculator require English?: UAC's ATAR calculation requires at least 2 units of English in your best 10 units, even if English is one of your weaker subjects. If you do not include an English subject, the calculator cannot produce an ATAR estimate.
Can I use this calculator before the HSC exams?: Yes. Enter your estimated HSC marks (e.g. trial marks, or projected exam performance) for each subject. The calculator will tell you what your ATAR would be if those estimates held. This is especially useful for planning subject changes or setting target marks.
Why does the calculator pick best 10 units automatically?: UAC counts the best 10 units, so a student with 12 units (e.g. 5 standard 2-unit subjects plus Mathematics Extension 1 and Extension 2) has 2 units dropped automatically. The calculator does this for you, always keeping at least 2 units of English in the top 10.