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satac satac
satac    Year 12 subquota
for undergraduate courses

Every undergraduate course has a year 12 subquota.

This page can help you understand:

ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE IN A YEAR 12 SUBQUOTA

In this section, the term 'higher education level' means study at diploma level or above at a university or equivalent eg a college of advanced education, institute of technology, institute of higher education. It also includes bachelor degree courses undertaken at TAFE or other registered training organisations provided that the degree course is listed on the AQF higher education register of qualification for the relevant period of accreditation.

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a national system of classification of tertiary awards offered by tertiary institutions ie universities, TAFE and other registered training organisations.

All universities

If you hold year 12 qualifications as described under 'Minimum year 12 level qualifications accepted' below and you have never studied at higher education level, you are eligible to compete in a year 12 subquota for all undergraduate courses at all four universities.

If however, you hold year 12 qualifications and you have also studied at higher education level, whether you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota for a given course normally depends on the length of your previous study and varies between institutions and from course to course - see below for details.

In all cases below, "one year" in relation to length of study means the equivalent of one full-time year, eg 80 credit points at Charles Darwin University; 36 units at Flinders University or at the University of South Australia; 24 points at the University of Adelaide; or the interstate equivalent.

Charles Darwin University

If you have studied at higher education level for one year or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If however, you have studied at higher education level for more than one year, you are not eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

Flinders University

If you have studied at higher education level for two years or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If however, you have studied at higher education level for more than two years, you are not eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

The University of Adelaide

For most undergraduate programs offered for mid year 2009:
If you have studied at higher education level for two years or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If however, you have studied at higher education level for more than two years, you are not eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

For Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering programs:
If you have studied at higher education level for four years or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If however, you have studied at higher education level for more than four years, you are not eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

University of South Australia

For Education, Arts and Social Sciences programs:
If you have studied at higher education level for two years or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If, however, you have studied at higher education level for more than two years, you are not eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

For Health Sciences programs:
If you have studied at higher education level for one year or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If, however, you have studied at higher education level for more than one year, you are not eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

For all other undergraduate programs offered for mid year 2009:
If you have studied at higher education level for one year or less, you are still eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota.

If you have studied at higher education level for more than one year but not more than two years, you may still be eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota if your studies were in a field unrelated to the program for which you are now applying. Contact Future Student Enquiries, telephone (08) 8302 2376 or 1300 UNINOW or email study@unisa.edu.au.

MINIMUM YEAR 12 QUALIFICATIONS ACCEPTED

SA and NT year 12 1993 to 2008

If you completed the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) or the Northern Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE) in the period 1993 to 2008, in order to be eligible to compete in a year 12 subquota for undergraduate courses at all four universities, you must have:

  • qualified for the SACE/NTCE;
  • obtained a university aggregate and a Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER);
  • fulfilled the Higher Education Selection Subject (HESS) requirements for the course;
  • fulfilled any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

Note that, for the years 1993-1996, the meeting of HESS requirements is determined by the possession of an appropriate "all courses" or "some courses" aggregate.

Detailed information about tertiary entrance requirements under SACE/NTCE are contained in the booklet Tertiary Entrance 2009, 2010, 2011 which is published by SATAC on behalf of its member institutions.

SA and NT year 12 in 1992 or earlier

If you sat year 12 in any year(s) from 1954 to 1992, in order to be eligible to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must have completed a minimum of five year 12 subjects in any two attempts (or any three if you were an adult at the time). In order to be eligible for HESS General courses, you must have a minimum of five Publicly Examined Subjects (PES). You must also fulfil any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

International Baccelaureate (IB)

If you have undertaken the IB Diploma Program, in order to be eligible to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must have completed the IB Diploma. You must also fulfil any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

Detailed information about tertiary entrance requirements under the IB are contained in the booklet IB and Tertiary Entrance in SA and NT 2009, 2010, 2011 which is published by SATAC on behalf of its member institutions.

Interstate year 12

If you sat an Australian year 12 interstate, in order to be eligible to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must received a Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER), or equivalent such as ENTER, UAI, OP. You must also have fulfilled any prerequisite subject requirements for the course. 

  • ACT Year 12 Certificate
  • New South Wales Higher School Certificate (HSC)
  • Queensland Senior Certificate
  • Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE)
  • Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
  • Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)

Australian non-standard year 12 programs

If you sat a non-standard year 12 program anywhere in Australia (eg Waldorf, School of Tomorrow), SATAC will use the guidelines agreed to by its member institutions to assess the qualification and determine your eligibility to compete in a year 12 subquota, whether you have met either HESS General or HESS Restricted requirements and whether you have fulfilled any prerequisite requirements for the course.


Overseas year 12 level qualifications

NZ National Certificate of Educational Achievement (Level 3)
If you have undertaken the NZ NCEA (Level 3), in order to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must have fulfilled all the requirements for entrance to a university in New Zealand as stipulated by the board of the NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority). For details, go to www.nzqa.govt.nz.
You must also have fulfilled any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

New Zealand Bursaries Examination
If you have sat the NZ Bursaries Examination, in order to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must have either:

  • qualified for an 'A' or 'B' Bursary; or

  • achieved at least a Grade C in a minimum of three Bursary subjects and gained the Higher School Certificate.

You must also have fulfilled any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

British 'A' Levels
If you have undertaken British 'A' Levels, in order to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must have obtained a minimum of grade E in at least two 'A' Level subjects. You must also have fulfilled any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

Scottish Highers
If you have undertaken Scottish Highers or Advanced Highers, in order to compete in a year 12 subquota, you must have obtained a minimum of grade C in at least three Higher level subjects. You must also have fulfilled any prerequisite subject requirements for the course.

Other overseas year 12 level qualifications
If your overseas year 12 level qualification is not one of the qualifications listed above, SATAC will use the guidelines agreed to by its member institutions to assess the qualification and determine your eligibility to compete in a year 12 subquota, whether you have met either HESS General or HESS Restricted requirements and whether you have fulfilled any prerequisite requirements for the course.

If you are unsure of the equivalence of your overseas year 12 level qualification, SATAC can give you advice over the telephone and/or in person (for more complex cases). If you need advice about your overseas qualifications, contact SATAC without delay to allow the maximum time for dealing with your enquiry.

If your year 12 qualifications do not make you eligible to compete in the year 12 subquota for some or all of the courses for which you wish to apply, you may be eligible to compete in an alternative (special entry) subquota.

RANKING APPLICANTS IN A YEAR 12 SUBQUOTA

Note that ranks obtained from SA, IB or interstate year 12 qualifications may be augmented by bonus points if you are eligible for consideration under any of the universities' access or bonus schemes.

SA and NT year 12 1997 to 2008

If you completed the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) or the Northern Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE) in the period 1997 to 2008, your rank in a year 12 subquota will be based on your Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER).


SA and NT year 12 1993 to 1996

If you completed the SACE in the period 1993 to 1996, your rank in the year 12 subquota will be based on your 'some courses' aggregate which SATAC will convert to a TER using a statistical table based on percentile rankings.

SA and NT year 12 in 1992 or earlier

If you sat year 12 in any year(s) from 1954 to 1992, your rank in the year 12 subquota will be based on the aggregate of your best five scaled scores from any two attempts (or from any three if you were an adult at the time). SATAC will convert this aggregate to a TER using a statistical table based on percentile rankings.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

If you have completed the IB Diploma Program, your rank will be based on your IB points total (in the range 24-45) which SATAC will convert to a South Australian TER according to the conversion table below. The table was developed by SATAC and has been approved by its member institutions.

IB to SA TER conversion table

IB Points* Equivalent
 SA TER
 45 99.95
 44 99.95
 43 99.95
 42 99.85
 41 99.20
 40 98.85
 39 98.50
 38 98.20
 37 97.75
 36 96.30
 35 95.50
 34 95.15
 33 94.55
 32 93.30
 31 91.35
 30 87.15
 29 83.85
 28 82.90
 27 81.30
 26 78.95
 25 75.55
 24 69.90

*IB points total (in the range 24-45), derived from the results gained in both Higher Level and Standard Level subjects and possibly augmented by bonus points based on the standard achieved in the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge.

Interstate year 12

If in the period 1996 to 2008, you completed an Australian year 12 program interstate, your rank will be based on your home state rank (TER, ENTER, UAI, OP etc) which SATAC will convert to a South Australian TER using a common Australian year 12 results conversion table agreed to by all states and territories.

If you completed a year 12 program interstate in 1995 or earlier, SATAC will convert your home state score to an equivalent South Australian TER using a statistical table based on percentile rankings.


Oveseas year 12 level qualifications

NZ National Certificate of Educational Achievement (Level 3)
If you undertook the NZ NCEA (Level 3) in 2004 or later and you apply for admission to a university in Australia, the NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority) will calculate an NCEA (Level 3) aggregated mark and will convert this aggregated mark to a South Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) using a common index agreed to by the NZQA and all tertiary admissions centres in Australia.

New Zealand Bursaries Examination
If you undertook the NZ Bursaries Examination in the period 1996 to 2003, your rank will be based on your NZ Bursaries aggregated mark from a minimum of three and a maximum of five Bursary subjects. SATAC will convert your aggregated mark to a South Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) using a common index agreed to by the NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority) and all tertiary admissions centres in Australia.

If you undertook the NZ Bursaries Examination prior to 1996, SATAC will convert your aggregated mark to a TER using a statistical table based on percentile rankings.

British 'A' Levels
If you have completed British 'A' Levels, your rank will be based on the aggregate of your grades from a minimum of two 'A' Levels. Each A level grade and AS level grade is converted to a numeric score using the table below.

A Level grade

A Level score

AS Level grade

AS Level score

A

120

A

60

B

100

B

50

C

80

C

40

D

60

D

30

E

40

E

20

An aggregate is calculated using the results from not fewer than two A Level subjects and not more than two AS Level subjects undertaken in the final year. SATAC will convert the aggregate to a South Australian TER according to the conversion table below. The tables were developed by SATAC and have been approved by its member institutions.

Scottish Highers
If you have completed Scottish Highers or Advanced Highers, your rank will be based on the aggregate of your grades from a minimum of three Higher Level subjects. Each Highers grade or Advanced Highers grade is converted to a numeric score using the table below.

Highers grade

Highers score

Advanced Highers grade

Advanced Highers score

A

72

A

120

B

60

B

100

C

48

C

80

An aggregate is calculated using the results from not fewer than three Higher subjects or not fewer than two Advanced Higher subjects undertaken in the final year. SATAC will convert the aggregate to a South Australian TER according to the conversion table below. The tables were developed by SATAC and have been approved by its member institutions.

GCE A Levels/Scottish Highers
to SA TER Conversion Table*

Aggregate

Equivalent SA TER

360

99.95

350

98.65

340

97.00

330

95.35

320

93.70

310

92.05

300

90.40

290

88.75

280

87.15

270

85.50

260

83.90

250

82.35

240

80.75

230

79.20

220

77.70

216

77.10

210

76.20

200

74.70

190

73.25

180

71.85

160

69.15

144

67.05

140

66.55

120

64.20

100

62.00

80

60.00

*This is a 'short' version of the table and there are other values not reproduced above.

Other overseas year 12 level qualifications
If your year 12 level qualification is not one of the qualifications listed above, SATAC will use the guidelines agreed to by its member institutions to assess the qualification and, if applicable, convert your results to an equivalent South Australian TER.


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