Guides
Guides for Year 12
Plain answers to the questions students and parents ask about getting into uni, choosing a course and results week. Every fact is checked against official sources, and each guide says when.
My Shortlist lists bachelor degrees only. Diplomas, foundation and enabling courses aren't here yet; your admissions centre lists them.
Getting in
Not sure how university entry works, or what your options are? Start here.
Something got in the way of my year
Access schemes
If hardship, illness, caring or other circumstances affected Year 11 or 12, an access scheme can lift your selection rank. Who can apply, what evidence you need, and every state's deadline for 2027 entry.
What if you don't get an ATAR?
What if you don't get an ATAR?
No ATAR doesn't mean no uni. Find out about access schemes, VET qualifications, diplomas, uni preparation courses, STAT, portfolios and other pathways – and what they look like in your state.
Can my ATAR be adjusted?
Adjustment factors and selection ranks
Your ATAR isn't always the final number universities use to decide whether you meet the entry requirements for a course. Find out how adjustment factors and access schemes can change your selection rank, and what they can and can't do.
What even is an ATAR?
How ATARs really work
What an ATAR actually is, and why last year's entry rank is not next year's cut-off.
Choosing a course
Once you know your options for getting in, it helps to understand what you're signing up for – including what uni might cost and how many students actually finish.
What will the degree actually cost?
What will the degree actually cost?
What you'll be charged for a degree in 2027, how HECS-HELP lets you pay nothing upfront, when you start repaying, how indexation works, and what the 20% debt cut did. From StudyAssist and the ATO.
Do students actually finish their degrees?
Completion and dropout rates: what they mean for you
How many students finish a degree, how many leave in first year, and why the numbers differ so much between universities and between students. From the Department of Education's own figures.
Results week
Results can bring a lot of questions. Here's what to do next, whatever your ATAR looks like.
What if your ATAR is lower than you expected?
What if your ATAR is lower than you expected?
Your ATAR isn't the end of the story. Find out what your selection rank means, whether you should change your preferences, what other pathways you can try and what happens in later offer rounds.
What if you change your preferences?
What if you change your preferences?
Results dates, change of preference deadlines and offer rounds for 2027 entry in every state, with the rules for reordering your preferences. Checked against each admissions centre.