Top university announces new fixed minimum entry points

The University of Sydney will for the first time publish its minimum ATARs – Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranks – for entry into most courses, in a bid to provide more certainty for students and ensure entry is based on academic standards rather than demand, writes Pallavi Singhal for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Students will now know the ATARs they will need to receive an offer for the majority of the university's undergraduate courses, in what Deputy Vice-chancellor Professor Tyrone Carlin said represents "a major change" from previous years. Until now, Sydney University, like most institutions, has provided estimated "ATAR cut-offs" based on the previous year's intake.

"The fixed ATAR will be based on an academic judgment," Professor Carlin said. "You set a level of academic preparedness that you'd expect a candidate to have [for each programme]."
Professor Carlin said minimum ATARs are unlikely to change over the years, increasing certainty for students.
Full report on The Sydney Morning Herald site