Enter your SACE Stage 2 scaled scores and this calculator builds your university aggregate the way SATAC does — then shows you exactly how it got there. Most calculators hand you a number. This one shows the working.
Unofficial estimate. This site is not affiliated with SATAC or the SACE Board of South Australia, and the number below is not your ATAR — only SATAC can issue that.
Scaling data year: 2025 — the 2026 SATAC conversion table loads here automatically once SATAC publishes it in mid-December. Last reviewed: October 2026.
How this aggregate was built
| Subject | Counted as | Points |
|---|
How the SACE aggregate actually works
Your ATAR in South Australia is not an average of your subjects. SATAC builds a university aggregate out of 90 credits, then converts that aggregate to an ATAR using a table published fresh each year (SATAC).
- 60 credits of core — your three best 20-credit Tertiary Admissions Subjects. A valid pair of 10-credit subjects can stand in for one 20-credit TAS.
- 30 credits of flexible — any mix of a further 20-credit TAS, half of a 20-credit TAS, a 10-credit TAS, or Recognised Studies (capped at 20 credits; SATAC).
The flexible component is why a simple "take your best subjects and add them up" calculator gets it wrong. SATAC maximises across every valid combination — and halving a strong 20-credit subject sometimes beats using a weaker subject whole. This calculator runs that same maximisation and tells you which combination won.
Two numbers worth knowing
- An aggregate of 89.30 or above converts to 99.95 — the maximum ATAR. There is no ranking above it.
- An aggregate below 12.70 does not produce an ATAR at all. That is "no ATAR", not an ATAR of zero.
Questions students actually ask
Does taking more subjects raise my ATAR?
It can only help or do nothing. The aggregate is the best valid 90-credit combination, so an extra subject is used only if it improves on what you already have. It is never counted against you.
Is the scaled score the same as my grade?
No. Your SACE grade is converted to a scaled score out of 20 that accounts for the strength of the cohort in that subject. Enter the scaled score, not the raw mark or the grade.
Which year's conversion table does this use?
SATAC publishes a new aggregate-to-ATAR table each year, usually in mid-December. This calculator is built to load the table by year, so the moment the current one is released the results update without the rest of the page changing.
Does this work for Northern Territory students?
Yes. The NTCET runs the SACE curriculum and goes through SATAC, so NT students follow the same 90-credit aggregate rules as South Australian students.
What counts as Recognised Studies?
Study completed outside the Tertiary Admissions Subject list that SATAC still recognises toward the flexible component — vocational qualifications and some interstate or international subjects among them. It is capped at 20 credits, so it can fill part of your flexible component but never your core.
How is the SACE ATAR calculated?
SATAC builds a university aggregate out of 90 credits — 60 credits of core from your three best 20-credit Tertiary Admissions Subjects, plus 30 credits of flexible from any valid combination of further TAS, half of a 20-credit TAS, 10-credit TAS, or Recognised Studies (capped at 20 credits). The aggregate is then converted to an ATAR using a table SATAC publishes each year.
What is a good ATAR in SA?
A "good" SACE ATAR depends on the course you are aiming for. In recent years most University of Adelaide, Flinders and UniSA undergraduate degrees have sat in the 70 to 85 range, degrees like Medicine or Dentistry have required 99.00 and above, and some Diploma or pathway programs have accepted ranks in the 50s. Because the ATAR is a rank against your cohort, 80.00 means you finished in roughly the top 20 per cent of South Australian Year 12 students.
What is the minimum SACE ATAR?
There is no fixed numeric minimum, but an aggregate below 12.70 is reported as "no ATAR" rather than a numeric rank. In practice SATAC publishes ranks down to 30.00 — anything below that is reported as "less than 30.00" rather than as a precise number.
Which SACE subjects count toward my ATAR?
Only Stage 2 Tertiary Admissions Subjects (TAS) contribute toward the 90-credit aggregate. Your three best 20-credit TAS form the 60-credit core, and the remaining 30 flexible credits can come from more TAS, half of a 20-credit TAS, a 10-credit TAS, or Recognised Studies up to a 20-credit cap. Your SACE compulsory subjects such as literacy, numeracy and the Research Project must be completed to earn the SACE, but they do not themselves count toward the aggregate.
What ATAR do I need for university in SA?
It varies by course. Adelaide, Flinders and UniSA publish past guaranteed-entry ATARs for every course through SATAC — in recent years that has ranged from the mid-50s for Diploma and TAFE pathway degrees to 99.00 and above for Medicine and Dentistry. A selection rank including adjustment factors can be higher than the raw ATAR, so a published cutoff is often reachable with an ATAR below it.
Where these rules come from
The 90-credit structure, the core and flexible split, the Recognised Studies cap and the aggregate ceiling and floor above are all taken from SATAC's own published tertiary entrance documentation — the Calculating a university aggregate fact sheet — not from crowdsourced estimates. The calculator applies SATAC's maximisation method rather than approximating it, which is why it can show you which combination of your subjects produced the result.
Scaled scores and the aggregate-to-ATAR conversion are recalculated by SATAC every year from that year's cohort. Where a figure for the current year has not been published yet, this page says so rather than carrying last year's forward in silence.
ATAR Calculator | SACE ATAR Calculator | QCE ATAR Calculator | HSC ATAR Calculator (coming soon) | VCE ATAR Calculator (coming soon) | WACE ATAR Calculator (coming soon) | BSSS ATAR Calculator (coming soon)
References
- SATAC — ATAR and the Calculating a university aggregate fact sheet. Data year 2025; accessed October 2026.
- SATAC — Recognised Studies. Accessed October 2026.
- SACE Board of South Australia — After the SACE. Accessed October 2026.
Disclaimer
This calculator is an unofficial estimate provided for general information only. It is not your ATAR. Only SATAC can calculate and issue an ATAR, and the figure it issues is the only one universities will accept.
- This site is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to SATAC, the SACE Board of South Australia, or any university or admission centre.
- Results depend entirely on the scaled scores you type in. If those are estimates, the output is an estimate of an estimate.
- Scaling and the aggregate-to-ATAR conversion change every year. A result produced before the current year's data is published can differ from your final ATAR.
- Your selection rank may differ from your ATAR once universities apply adjustment factors, and some courses have prerequisites that no rank can substitute for.
- Nothing here is admissions, careers or financial advice. For decisions that matter, confirm with your school's SACE coordinator or directly with SATAC.
We correct errors when we find them, but we cannot guarantee the output is accurate, complete or current, and we accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of it.
Studying in another state? Start from the ATAR calculator hub to find the rules for your own system.