ATAR Notes: Forum

ATAR Notes Initiatives => ATAR Calculator => Topic started by: Kenston91.10 on May 29, 2013, 11:19:58 pm

Title: ATAR CALC
Post by: Kenston91.10 on May 29, 2013, 11:19:58 pm
hello,
Im new to this.

Is the Atar Calc Accurate?

Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Jayward on May 29, 2013, 11:23:36 pm
pretty accurate. for some of my friends who finished year 12 previously, their atarcalc predictions matched their atars perfectly (assuming only the appropriate year is looked at). for others (anecdotally speaking here), it has only been about a max of 0.4 off their actual scores.
E.g.
ATAR CALC: 93.35
ACTUAL ATAR: 93.75

so its pretty good :D
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: brenden on May 29, 2013, 11:29:39 pm
Yeah, it is very accurate for the relevant year.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: alondouek on May 29, 2013, 11:32:03 pm
It's impressively accurate - for me, it was only off by 0.05.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Markkiieee on May 29, 2013, 11:36:23 pm
Very good
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: michak on May 29, 2013, 11:37:19 pm
It's impressively accurate - for me, it was only off by 0.05.

Yeah same
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: pi on May 29, 2013, 11:45:27 pm
Yeah fairly accurate, I was off by 0.05 from my real ATAR. It uses the actual data that VCAA releases :)
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Lasercookie on May 30, 2013, 07:51:11 am
For predictions on what another year's ATAR will be though, e.g. looking at what ATARCalc's prediction using 2012 data and then comparing that to a 2013 ATAR? It'd probably be a bit off for that. I wouldn't bank on the study scores that ATARCalc predicts 91.10 to be the scores that'll actually give 91.10. Which, guessing by your username, is why I think you're asking this question.

As far as I'm aware, it'll be slightly off for study scores that aren't multiples of 5 (e.g. 31, 37, 48 etc.) since the data that VTAC reports is in those blocks of 5 (http://www.vtac.edu.au/pdf/scaling_report.pdf) and the data in between is approximated by ATARCalc.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: kenkyem on July 20, 2013, 04:23:48 pm
I dont think so. i tried to use it and compared with the one provided in UAC site and the results completly different
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: vox nihili on July 20, 2013, 04:43:51 pm
ATAR calc certainly worked for me. After inputting the scores I actually got, it came up with my ATAR exactly. As has already been said, it bases itself on the VCAA data and uses the correct method of calculating the ATAR anyway. Only limitation is that it only allows for subjects from one year. So if you've done 3/4 over multiple years, it doesn't factor this in. That is unless it's been updated...haven't used it since I finished for obvious reasons!
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: ShortBlackChick on July 20, 2013, 04:54:24 pm
I dont think so. i tried to use it and compared with the one provided in UAC site and the results completly different

Thats probably because its based on VCE ATAR only?
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Lasercookie on July 20, 2013, 04:58:09 pm
As has already been said, it bases itself on the VCAA data and uses the correct method of calculating the ATAR anyway.
It's making an approximation for the scaling between the intervals stated on the VTAC scaling report, as dan15 stated here Re: ENTER / ATAR calculator (estimator) It might have been improved in the past couple of years but I don't think that part of the algorithm would have changed. Anyway there wouldn't be anywhere to pull the accurate scaling data for the scores that aren't multiples of 5. So it's probably a bit of luck for the calculator to give the exact result when your scores are between intervals.

Thats probably because its based on VCE ATAR only?
There's a HSC and WACE version.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: vox nihili on July 20, 2013, 05:07:14 pm
I don't think it really needs to be exactly accurate though. Giving a fairly good approximation is fantastic. Who on earth can guess all their study scores anyway? I certainly didn't have a bloody clue!
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Lasercookie on July 20, 2013, 05:22:49 pm
I don't think it really needs to be exactly accurate though. Giving a fairly good approximation is fantastic. Who on earth can guess all their study scores anyway? I certainly didn't have a bloody clue!
Yeah I completely agree 100%, but the question asked if the calculator was accurate :P I also wouldn't say that it's using the "correct method of calculating the ATAR" if it's only an approximation. I think it'd certainly be interesting if we knew exactly what calculations VCAA and VTAC carry out, but they tend to skimp on a few crucial details with their publications - the WA equivalent, TISC, has published reasonably technical descriptions of how they scale subjects and how they calculate the ATAR, it'd be quite similar for the other states but I'd prefer to see all the states being as transparent as WA with what processes they carry out. (though their scaling report are still reported in intervals, they at least they go outright and say what processes they're doing in other documents, e.g. http://www.tisc.edu.au/static/statistics/misc/scaling-increment-index.tisc and http://www.tisc.edu.au/static-fixed/statistics/ter-frequency/atar-technical-specification.pdf)

But yeah going back on topic, I do agree ATARCalc does it's job extremely well.

edit: added links
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: deonbriany on August 16, 2013, 02:34:15 pm
Why do I have to put in 6 subject when only 5 subjects get taken for my atar?
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: pi on August 16, 2013, 02:40:19 pm
Why do I have to put in 6 subject when only 5 subjects get taken for my atar?

You don't have to put in 6, and 6 (as a maximum) subjects count to your ATAR, not 5.

If you're doing 5 that's fine, but a total of 6 *can* count.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Limista on August 17, 2013, 05:27:18 pm
^ Isn't it the top 4 that count, and 10% of the 5th and 6th subject?
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: b^3 on August 17, 2013, 05:35:55 pm
^ Isn't it the top 4 that count, and 10% of the 5th and 6th subject?
Yeah, but they still contribute. If you do 7 subjects, then only the top 6 will count (unless English is number 7, in which case English counts in the top 4 and the next best 5 count, with the 5th and 6th contributing 10%).
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: louisa1995 on August 19, 2013, 03:05:07 pm
Hi!
I'm doing
Methods
Chemistry
Physics
English
And a VET course called carbon management which gives me two 10% increments to my atar

What sort of grades do I need to get a 65 atar?
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: herrinal on November 01, 2013, 09:34:11 pm
Why do I have to put in 6 subject when only 5 subjects get taken for my atar?

Because between 4 and 6 3/4 subjects can count towards your VCE.
Some students complete a 3/4 subject in year 11 to allow for this
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Azza7 on November 15, 2013, 10:08:35 pm
Hey guys, is the seas monash calc accurate if we are eligible for the right category... my ATAR on the atar calc says 88 and in the monash seas calc it says 90.02??
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: RosalindGermain on December 06, 2013, 12:15:15 pm
hello,
Im new to this.

Is the Atar Calc Accurate?

Hi! Me too. I'm Rosa! :)
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: ninwa on December 06, 2013, 12:34:41 pm
Hi there!
How this forum help me to my Math subject?

Hi Rosa,

I'm assuming you're doing the VCE? You can try posting on the maths forums. There are lots of maths students here so I'm sure someone will be able to help.

You could also do a search and see if there are any relevant notes you can download for your subject.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: Only Cheating Yourself on December 19, 2013, 09:51:56 pm
Is it going to get updated?
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: ninwa on December 20, 2013, 11:35:48 am
Yes, but because we are very busy at the moment, and also because of the upcoming holiday period, it probably will not get done until the new year.
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: yazza on January 11, 2014, 10:17:30 am
sweet
Title: Re: ATAR CALC
Post by: bryce9876 on January 26, 2014, 06:00:04 pm
Any idea on when it will be updated with the 2013 results?