Overall Position (OP) to Australian Tertiary Australian Rank (ATAR)

The ATAR will replace the OP as the standard pathway to tertiary study for Queensland Year 12 students from 2020. It will:

  • Combine school-based assessment with external assessment
  • Be a rank that is common in all other Australian states and territories
  • Be calculated by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) not QCAA
  • Be based on a student’s best 5 General subject results, or
  • A combination of 4 General subject results, plus an applied subject result or a completed Certificate III or higher qualification
  • Require the satisfactory completion in one of QCAA English subjects

For more information, click here


Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) for students completing Year 12 from 2020

All students work towards achieving their QCE by the end of Year 12. To be awarded the QCE students must:

  • Achieve 20 credits overall
  • Pass ANY Year 11/12 subject – 1 credit for each Unit passed
  • Complete a Certificate/s course (partial completion can give some credit)
  • Pass at least one Unit of English and Maths

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) governs Queensland’s schooling system. All students are registered with the QCAA in Year 10 and a Learning Account is opened for them. Credits can be banked from Year 10 onwards. Students can also achieve credit from other achievements – click here for more information.

If the above criteria is not met, students who do not accrue enough credits by the end of Year 12 can continue to bank credits for 7 years after they leave school. This may lead to the award of the QCE at a later date.


QCE and ATAR Resources

For more information, visit: