How Is the WACE ATAR Calculated in Western Australia?

The WA ATAR process involves two bodies. SCSA (School Curriculum and Standards Authority) administers the WACE, sets exams, and moderates school assessments. TISC (Tertiary Institutions Service Centre) handles scaling, calculates the Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA), and converts it into an ATAR.

The unique feature of the WA system is the bonus points — TISC adds 10% of your scaled score in any LOTE (Language Other Than English), Mathematics Methods, and Mathematics Specialist, even when those courses are not in your best four. No other Australian state offers this bonus. The maximum possible TEA is 430.

The Five Stages

  1. School assessment and WACE exam: For each ATAR course, school assessment (50%) and the WACE exam (50%) combine into a single combined score.
  2. Moderation: SCSA moderates school marks using exam results to ensure consistency across schools.
  3. Scaling: TISC scales combined scores using inter-subject comparison. The statewide average scaled score across all courses is fixed at 60 out of 100.
  4. TEA calculation: TISC sums your best four scaled scores, then adds 10% bonuses for LOTE, Methods, and Specialist (if applicable).
  5. ATAR: TISC ranks all eligible students by TEA and assigns ATARs.

The TEA Score: Understanding Your Aggregate

Your Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA) is the number that determines your ATAR. It’s calculated as: best 4 scaled scores (max 400) + LOTE bonus (max 10) + Maths Methods bonus (max 10) + Maths Specialist bonus (max 10) = TEA (max 430).

You need the TEA-to-ATAR conversion table to understand what your TEA means. From the official 2025 TISC table: a TEA of 269.6 is needed for an ATAR of 90.00, 348.1 for 99.00, and 405.5 for 99.95.

ATARMin TEA (2025)ATARMin TEA (2025)
60.00197.285.00251.7
70.00215.790.00269.6
75.00226.495.00295.3
80.00237.999.00348.1
82.00243.099.95405.5

How LOTE and Maths Bonuses Work

Western Australia is the only state that grants bonus points for specific ATAR courses. Here’s exactly how they work.

LOTE Bonus

If you have a scaled score in any Language Other Than English, TISC adds 10% of that score to your TEA. If you have more than one LOTE, only the highest-scoring LOTE attracts the bonus. You receive the bonus even if the LOTE course is not in your best four — it’s added on top.

Mathematics Bonus

If you have a scaled score in Mathematics Methods ATAR and/or Mathematics Specialist ATAR, TISC adds 10% of each score to your TEA. Both Methods and Specialist can earn bonuses simultaneously. As with the LOTE bonus, you receive it even if the Maths course is not in your best four.

Bonus strategy: A student scoring 70 in Methods and 65 in Specialist who doesn’t use either in their best four still gets +7.0 and +6.5 = 13.5 TEA bonus points. That’s the difference between an ATAR of 80 and 85 in some years. The bonuses are free points — they reward breadth of study.

Bonus system update: TISC announced in 2024 that the bonus system would be removed. However, in March 2026, the TISC Board postponed this change until further notice. The bonuses apply for students completing Year 12 in 2026 and 2027. Check the TISC website for the latest status.

How TISC Scaling Works

TISC compares how students in each course perform across all their other courses. Courses with academically stronger cohorts scale up; weaker cohorts scale down. The statewide average scaled score is fixed at 60.

Courses That Scaled Up in 2025

CourseApprox. Scaling Shift
Mathematics Specialist ATAR+9.8
Chemistry ATAR+8.7
Physics ATAR+8.4
Mathematics Methods ATAR+6.0
Economics ATAR+5.0
French / German ATAR+4.0
Literature ATAR+3.0
Computer Science ATAR+3.0

Courses That Scaled Down

CourseApprox. Scaling Shift
Career and Enterprise ATAR-5.0
Health Studies ATAR-4.0
Food Science and Technology ATAR-4.0
Physical Education Studies ATAR-3.0
Media Production and Analysis ATAR-3.0
Mathematics Applications ATAR-2.0
Psychology ATAR-2.0

How to Use the WACE ATAR Calculator

Step 1: Select Your Courses

Choose your ATAR courses from the grouped dropdown. LOTE courses are tagged with [LOTE] and Maths bonus-eligible courses with [Maths bonus]. The calculator starts with five rows.

Step 2: Enter Combined Scores

Enter your expected combined score (0-100) for each course. This is your school assessment (50%) plus exam (50%). If you haven’t sat the exam yet, estimate based on your school marks and trial exam performance.

Step 3: Calculate and Review

Hit “Calculate My ATAR.” The calculator scales each score, picks your best four, automatically calculates LOTE and Maths bonuses, and converts your TEA to an ATAR. The breakdown shows your base aggregate, each bonus separately, and which courses were included in the best four.

Tips for WA Students

The bonuses are free points — use them. If you’re taking Methods and a LOTE, you’re getting up to 20 bonus TEA points that students without those courses simply cannot access. This is worth planning around.

English ATAR is roughly neutral in scaling. It scales close to 0 at the median. Literature scales slightly up (+3). You must complete at least one English ATAR course for WACE, so your choice between English and Literature matters.

Maths Specialist is the highest-scaling course. A combined score of 55 in Specialist scales to about 65 — that’s a 10-point lift. But Specialist is genuinely hard. Only choose it if you’re mathematically strong.

Maths Applications scales down. Applications averages about -2 at the median. If you’re choosing between Applications and Methods and can realistically handle Methods, the scaling difference plus the bonus makes Methods significantly more valuable.

Your best four courses matter most. The bonus system adds at most 30 points to a base of up to 400. Improving your 4th-best scaled score by 5 points is worth more than any single bonus.

Check ATAR course vs General course. Only ATAR courses count towards your TEA. General courses contribute to WACE completion but not to your ATAR. Make sure you’re enrolled in ATAR-level courses for the subjects you want counted.

Calculators for other states: Victoria (VCE) · NSW (HSC) · Queensland (QCE) · South Australia (SACE) · Tasmania (TCE) · ACT (BSSS) · All states

Frequently Asked Questions About WACE ATAR

SCSA combines your school assessment (50%) and WACE exam (50%) into a combined score, then TISC scales it. Your best four scaled scores are summed, plus 10% bonuses for LOTE, Maths Methods, and Maths Specialist (even if they are not in your best four). This total is your TEA, which is ranked against all WA students to produce an ATAR.
ATAR courses are the academically rigorous Year 11-12 courses that include a WACE examination. Only ATAR courses contribute to your TEA and ATAR. General courses count towards WACE completion but not towards ATAR. You need at least four ATAR courses, including one English ATAR course (English ATAR, Literature ATAR, or EALD ATAR).
Your best four scaled ATAR course scores count towards the base TEA. On top of that, bonuses from LOTE, Methods, and Specialist are added regardless of whether they are in the best four. So while four courses form the base, up to three additional bonuses can contribute.
The Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA) is the sum of your best four scaled ATAR course scores (max 400) plus any applicable 10% bonuses for LOTE, Mathematics Methods, and Mathematics Specialist (max 30). The maximum possible TEA is 430. Your TEA is converted to an ATAR by ranking it against all WA students.
If you have a scaled score in any Language Other Than English course, TISC adds 10% of that score to your TEA as a bonus. If you have multiple LOTE scores, only the highest one attracts the bonus. The bonus applies even if the LOTE course is not in your best four. For example, a scaled score of 75 in French adds +7.5 to your TEA.
If you have scaled scores in Mathematics Methods ATAR and/or Mathematics Specialist ATAR, TISC adds 10% of each score to your TEA. Both Methods and Specialist can earn bonuses simultaneously. The bonuses apply even if the Maths courses are not in your best four. Maths Applications does not attract a bonus.
Yes. You can receive up to three bonus additions: one for your best LOTE, one for Methods, and one for Specialist. A student with all three could add up to 30 points to their base TEA. This is why the maximum possible TEA is 430 (400 base + 30 bonuses), though very few students achieve this.
TISC compares how students in each course perform across all their other courses. If a course’s cohort is academically strong across the board, that course scales up. The statewide average scaled score is fixed at 60. In 2025, Maths Specialist scaled up the most (+9.8), followed by Chemistry (+8.7) and Physics (+8.4).
Mathematics Specialist consistently scales highest, followed by Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics Methods. Economics, Literature, Computer Science, and LOTE courses at continuers and first-language level also scale up. Courses that scale down include Career and Enterprise, Health Studies, Food Science and Technology, Physical Education Studies, and Maths Applications.
UWA generally requires an ATAR of 75+, while Curtin, Murdoch, and ECU accept 70+ for most courses. Medicine at UWA requires 99.00+ plus UCAT, law around 90.00, and engineering around 80-85. Many education, arts, and nursing courses sit between 60.00 and 75.00. Check TISC’s course search for current requirements.
This calculator uses the official 2025 TISC TEA-to-ATAR conversion table and approximate scaling adjustments based on published TISC data. The TEA-to-ATAR conversion is highly accurate for the most recent year. Scaling adjustments are estimates since TISC publishes limited per-subject data. Treat results as planning guides.
WACE exam results and ATARs are released in late December, typically around 22-23 December. Students access results through TISC Online and their Universities Admission Advice Letter (UAAL). The exact date is published by TISC each year in advance.
ATAR courses include a WACE examination and contribute to your TEA and ATAR. General courses do not have an exam and count only towards WACE completion, not towards your ATAR. To receive an ATAR, you must complete at least four ATAR courses. Both course types contribute to the WACE breadth requirement.
You must complete at least one English ATAR course (English ATAR, Literature ATAR, or EALD ATAR) to achieve WACE. English counts towards your ATAR if it is one of your best four scaled scores. English ATAR scales roughly neutral (near 0 adjustment), while Literature scales slightly up (+3). If your English score is among your best four, it counts; if not, it is excluded from the base TEA.