Could I get an ATAR of 90+

[lily.thorburn]

Hi there,

I need an ATAR of 85, but I'm really hoping that I can get 90 or above. I find ATAR calculators to be inaccurate because you can only put in an estimation of what I think my raw marks will be. In reality, they go through scaling, moderation, alignment and probably heaps of other processes that I'm unaware of, but I'm wondering if anyone is able to help me out and let me know what they think.

I go to an OK ranking school, last year we came 96th in NSW but I've been told that class of 2016 was a sketchy year group and we usually rank a lot better. My own year group has been told that we are a strong cohort.

Here are the average marks for all my internal assessments and my estimated overall rank.

English advanced: 88% (15/67)
English Extension 1: 75.3% (7/16)
Biology: 73.5% (12/24)
General Maths: 88% (1/20)
Ancient history: 90% (3/17)
PDHPE: 85% (5/19)

Of course I plan to go hard for the HSC and achieve even higher results. My aim for each subject is 90%, except for biology and Extension 1 english where my aim is 75%

Thank you!

[Opengangs]

Hi, lily.thorburn!

Don't worry too much about your internal marks, because they have little impact on your final HSC. What matters more are your rankings against the cohort, because that, along with the mark difference, are the determining factors that NESA will consider when moderating your raw internal marks.

Any ATAR is possible as long as you, and your cohort, does well in the final HSC exam. So, at this point, you should try and find strategies so that everyone in your cohort does well. From there, all of your marks will get pulled up by the strong achievers. So, don't give up just yet! You're only halfway there.

[jamonwindeyer]

Welcome to the forums Lily! Opengangs is right, and I think your marks have you well on track to achieve your target ATAR provided you work really hard in the HSC Exams. Here is a guide on scaling and moderation, if you were interested!