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SACE results day, SATAC offers and changing preferences (2026 to 2027)

SACEExplainerResults5 min read

Quick answer

Your SACE results, and your SATAC Tertiary Entrance Statement with your ATAR, are released in SACE Students Online in December. For 2027 entry, apply through SATAC by Tuesday 1 December 2026 for equal consideration, finalise preferences by Wednesday 6 January 2027, and watch for the Thursday 14 January 2027 offer round, the first to include 2026 Year 12 results. The 10 December 2026 round does not include 2026 Year 12 results.

Where your results appear

  • SACE results are released in SACE Students Online in December.
  • Your Tertiary Entrance Statement (TES), issued by SATAC, is also in Students Online. It shows your scaled scores, university aggregate and ATAR (if eligible).
  • If Recognised Studies (for example VET) results reach the SACE Board late, they may not be in your ATAR on release day. Once processed, SATAC recalculates and issues a new ATAR and TES.

SATAC key dates for 2027 entry

Date What happens
Mon 3 Aug 2026 Applications opened for 2027 study
Wed 30 Sep 2026 Early-bird pricing ends; final closing date for Medical Studies, Dental Surgery, Oral Health and Veterinary Bioscience at Adelaide University
Tue 1 Dec 2026 Equal consideration deadline for semester 1: apply and pay by this date to be guaranteed equal consideration
Thu 10 Dec 2026 Mid-December offer round (does not include 2026 Year 12 results)
December 2026 SACE results and ATARs released in Students Online
Wed 6 Jan 2027 Change of preference deadline for semester 1
Thu 14 Jan 2027 Mid-January offer round, emailed by 9 am
Thu 28 Jan 2027 Second January offer round
4 Feb to 11 Mar 2027 Further offer rounds on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ending 11 March

Some courses have earlier closing dates (for example medicine, dentistry and some performance courses). Check each course in SATAC's course search.

Using the change-of-preference window

Between results release and 6 January you know your ATAR, and you can reorder or change your preferences in mySATAC.

  1. Check your selection rank, not just your ATAR. SATAC's adjustment schemes (up to 9 points in total from the equity and language, literacy and mathematics schemes) are added to your university aggregate for eligible courses.
  2. Put your genuine first choice first. Don't demote a course you want just because last year's entry score looked high.
  3. Include a realistic option in your list so you have somewhere to land in the 14 January round.
  4. Check prerequisites for any new course you add.
Exam tip

If your ATAR is lower than hoped, many courses have admission pathways beyond the ATAR, such as VET qualifications and foundation or preparation programs. SATAC's course search lists them for each course.

Early and guaranteed entry

SATAC made offer rounds for 2027 courses from September 2026, and some institutions publish guaranteed-entry scores or run their own early-entry programs for Year 12 students. Each scheme has its own criteria and dates, so check the institution's website for the course you want.

For the ATAR calculation itself, see how the SACE ATAR is calculated.

Sources & how we know this

Last updated: 2026-09-23. Rules change. For the official source see SACE Board.

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