Parents and caregivers guide

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Getting started

Are you currently supporting a person who is considering tertiary education? This guide helps parents and carers strengthen their knowledge of the application process through VTAC by sharing resources and key advice.

VTAC's role

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) is a hub for tertiary course applications in Victoria. VTAC receives, processes and forwards applications to the institutions you have applied to. We don’t decide who gets into a course—that’s the institutions’ job. We just make the process a lot easier for you and them. We also process special consideration claims through the SEAS application and some scholarship applications.

Top tips and resources

Top tips

Use these top tips to help navigate the VTAC application process. 

1. Take note of application deadlines. The VTAC dates and fees page lists the upcoming dates for the current application cycle. Please familiarise yourself with these dates to help support your student with completing applications and tasks on time. 

2. Explore Webinars and other resources: These resources offer step-by-step guidance on applying through VTAC, which can be invaluable for understanding the process in detail. The VTAC Newsletter provides timely advice on the application process through VTAC, including guidance on processes such as the preference and offers system, special consideration through SEAS, the ATAR and subject scaling, and scholarships.  

3. Research courses and understand prerequisites with VTAC CourseSearch: This tool is crucial for researching courses. It includes over 1,700 course listings with details on major studies, prerequisites, career options, ATAR profiles, and more. Check out the fact sheet for tips on making the most of this resource. 

4. Learn about the Preference and Offers System: 

  • List Courses in Order: Applicants should list courses in their preferred order. The most preferred course should be listed as #1, followed by #2, #3, and so on. We do not advise that applicants list courses based on course ATAR profiles as selection rank both achieved by the student and accepted by the course can change each year. 
  • One Offer per Round: Applicants will receive one offer per round from the highest preference they meet the requirements for. For example, if they meet the criteria for preferences #4, #5, and #6, they will only receive an offer for #4.  

In the instance where none of the institutions on the applicant’s preference list choose to make an offer, the applicant will not receive an offer for that round, however, may still be able to receive an offer in future rounds. 

  • Next Round Considerations: Preferences higher than the offered course will be considered in the next round. For example, if they receive an offer for #4, preferences #1-3 will still be in consideration for future rounds. 
  • Change of Preference: This can be done between offer rounds. Applicants can move courses up or down in their preference order, or add new courses for consideration in future offer rounds.  
  • Preference Placement: Preference ranking does not affect the chances of being offered a course. Each preference has an equal chance of receiving an offer. 
  • Official Offer Rounds: Offers are made on specific dates listed on the VTAC dates page. Early offers from universities still require a VTAC application. Ensure preferred courses are listed higher than any early offers to be considered. 

5. Contact VTAC Connect: For additional help, the VTAC Customer Service team is available by phone from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday at 03 9926 1020. 

6. Visit Open Days: Attending open days can provide a great feel for institutions, helping your student to experience campus culture, ask questions, and participate in activities related to their interests. Open days are typically held in August, a compiled list can be found on our website here. 

Resources

Download a fact sheet:

Additional resources:

  • The VTAC Year 10 Guide is designed to encourage students to begin thinking about their post-secondary education life and includes great advice about what to consider – and what not to consider – when choosing VCE subjects.
  • The VTAC Year 11 Guide discusses the process of researching tertiary courses, such as attending open days and considering prerequisite and ATAR requirements.
  • The VTAC Year 12 Guide has detailed information on researching courses and includes step-by-step instructions on how to apply for them through VTAC.
  • Not every tertiary study journey begins straight after secondary school, which is why we also have the VTAC Post-school Guide. It provides advice for those applying without school support and step-by-step instructions on the VTAC process.

Researching courses and careers

Senior secondary qualification

Tertiary courses set a range of requirements for entry. Most of those offered through VTAC require completion of VCE (or equivalent). It is important to research tertiary courses and find out the secondary school qualification required.

If you're supporting someone who is deciding on a senior secondary qualification, see It's your decision in The VTAC Year 10 Guide.

Research tools

VTAC research tools

VTAC has a range of tools and information to support you.

  • CourseSearch is an online database for researching tertiary courses.
  • CourseSearch includes a filter called the VCE Prerequisite Explorer. This filter helps you create and change VCE programs while identifying prerequisite studies needed for entry into tertiary courses.
  • The comprehensive VTAC Tertiary Research Guide 2025 covers:
    • Types of tertiary courses and institutions
    • Researching campus life
    • The cost of study

Visiting institutions: open days and campus events

Open days, campus tours and tertiary experience days give you the opportunity to see facilities and ask questions. While campus tours are small events, open days can be the size of a festival with teaching staff and student services staff on hand to answer any questions you have. It's a good idea to visit a couple of open days over Year 10 and 11. This is so you have less research to do during Year 12.

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Researching pathways

If you’re assisting with course and career research, you'll find there's often more than one way to get to that desired qualification. There may be a preferred pathway for entry into a course but research back up options to that preferred course. Read more about pathways in Pathways for Year 12s.

Explainer: Pathways to tertiary study

Pathways are a great option for those who don't meet the entrance or ATAR requirements for their desired course.

This video explains pathways and why you might choose to take one.

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Transcript of the video: Pathways to tertiary study

A pathway is an option for students to take that leads towards access to a place in a tertiary course.

Pathways are a great option for those who don't meet the entrance or ATAR requirements for their desired bachelor course.

Students may choose to take on a pathway course due to many different reasons. For example, you are uncertain about your next step after Year 12 and want to explore a field without the full commitment of a university degree. You know your dream course, but you did not receive an offer, so you want to use a pathway as an alternative option to pursue your dream career. You’re returning to learning and want a balanced transition into tertiary education.

Institutions offer various pathways ranging from a few months to a year, with some providing credit towards a bachelor course.

Classes are often smaller and there is more support from staff.

What to expect about Pathways: Classes are often smaller. These courses have lower or no ATAR requirements and fewer prerequisites. They are usually called Foundation, Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas. The costs are similar to tertiary study, and some may be free with government support. They can help bridge academic or skill gaps, making you eligible for further study or a desired career. Many pathways include practical experience, such as internships or placements, enhancing employability.

TAFE certificate courses are also a pathway to tertiary study and can provide recognition for prior learning in higher education courses.

Institutions have different application methods for pathways, either direct or through VTAC.

To find information about how to apply to the Pathway, view CourseSearch or contact the institution for application details.

Successful completion of many pathways guarantee credits, so you do not need to apply for a Recognition of Learning.

Sometimes you'll need to apply for credit after receiving a degree offer.

Do your research. Talk to careers practitioners, consult your preferred institutions and attend open days! To learn more information about Pathways visit www.vtac.edu/institutions/pathways

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What are prerequisite studies?

Some courses have prerequisite studies. These are senior school studies that must be completed compulsory to be eligible for entry into a course, because the knowledge and skills from these are required to understand the course's content. Institutions will not select applicants that haven't completed the required prerequisites (or equivalent) for a course.

Prerequisites can change from year to year and are published two years in advance, to help secondary students decide on senior secondary subjects that will be needed for their future tertiary study.

Using the VCE Prerequisite Explorer

The VCE Prerequisite Explorer in CourseSearch is designed so that students in Years 10 to 12  can enter their actual or proposed VCE program or a specific VCE study and see which courses that program or VCE study meets the prerequisites for.

Year 12 students can find courses for which you meet the prerequisites by entering your current VCE studies.

Year 10 or Year 11 students can try different combinations of Unit 3 and 4 studies to compare how each VCE program affects which courses they meet the prerequisites for. 

For detailed instructions on using the VCE Prerequisite Explorer see VCE Prerequisite Explorer in CourseSearch.

IB and interstate prerequisites

Students studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) or an Australian Year 12 other than the VCE, can use our online tool to find interstate subjects meeting Victorian prerequisites.

exploring

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Understanding course preferences

How to apply for courses

See step-by-step instructions for applying for courses or download the submitting course preferences factsheet.

Understand the preference system

Applicants should understand the preference system to get the best offer available to them.

VTAC allows applicants to select a minimum of one and maximum of eight course preferences. They must list each course in order of preference, with the one they most want at the top of their list.

Applicants can only receive one offer in each round and that will be the highest listed course they are selected for. This is why they must list courses in order of preference.

Example preference list

When applicants choose course preferences, they should:

  • only list courses they meet the essential requirements and admission criteria for,
  • only list courses they would be happy to study,
  • always list the course they most want to do at the top, and
  • also include some 'pathway courses' in their list.

Preference 1 1234567881 Dream course
Preference 2 1234567781 Second best course
Preference 3 1234567681 A ‘pathway course' with similar subjects to the dream course, which could give credit if they transfer into the dream course at a later date.
Preference 4 1234567891 Another ‘pathway course' like preference 3 but with fewer opportunities to gain credit.
Preference 5 1234567651 A course in a similar field to the first and second preference, but without credit options.
Preference 6 1234567641 A course in a similar field to the first and second preference, but without credit options and traditionally less competitive than the higher preferences.
Preference 7 1234567541 A course in a similar field to the first and second preference, but without credit options and traditionally less competitive than the higher preferences.
Preference 8 1234567341 A broad course which provides a good foundation through which to apply for further study later on.

The following scenarios could occur, with the preference list above:

Scenario 1: they receive an offer for their ideal course. Congratulations!

Scenario 2: they receive an offer for their second best course, and are still automatically eligible for a higher offer (their ideal course) if there are vacancies in later rounds.

Scenario 3: they receive an offer for a ‘pathway course'. they will still be eligible for an offer for their ideal course if there are vacancies in later rounds.

Explainer: Understanding preferences and offers

Each course you list in your VTAC application is called a preference. In each offer round, you will only be eligible for one offer which will come from the highest preference willing to make you an offer.

Press play to learn more about how preferences and offers work within your VTAC application.

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What is special consideration (SEAS)?

What SEAS is

The Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) is designed to make sure institutions get a sense of your full potential if you have experienced difficulty during your education. It enables institutions to consider these circumstances and their impact when ranking eligible applicants for a course before making offers. SEAS also addresses the under-representation of certain demographics in some courses.

What SEAS is not

SEAS does not change your educational results or qualifications. And if you are granted special consideration it does not guarantee you an offer. If you apply for SEAS, you still need to meet the ‘essential requirements' and ‘admission criteria' for a course, including prerequisite studies.

SEAS categories

There are four categories in SEAS. You can apply for all the categories that are relevant to your situation, so long as you apply to each category for a different reason.

student with backpack

How to apply for SEAS

You can apply for SEAS consideration through the equity schemes and scholarship application in your VTAC account. You can begin this application after you have lodged a course application. The equity schemes and scholarship application will open on 4 August 2024 and close 5:00 pm 13 October 2025.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to apply.

Providing evidence

Most SEAS categories require you to provide evidence, and if you don't supply it your application will not be considered. Quality, not quantity, is the key to providing good and useful evidence. Evidence required may include:

  • a written statement that you complete,
  • a statement of support from a ‘responsible person' who has specific knowledge of your circumstances, and/or
  • financial documentation.

Find out what evidence you need to supply and start preparing it well before the deadline.

The scholarship application has similar questions to the SEAS application…

Which is why every person submitting a Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) application should also submit a scholarship application. You can even use the same supporting evidence, just make sure you indicate when uploading each item that it is for both the SEAS application and the scholarships application.

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The ATAR explained

What is the ATAR?

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, or ATAR, is a ranking given to qualifying students on completion of Year 12. It is a tool designed specifically to assist some tertiary institutions in selecting applicants for some courses.

Your ATAR represents the percentage of people in your age group that you have performed higher than. If you get an ATAR of 50, it means you have performed better than 50 per cent of your age group. If you get an ATAR of 75, it means you have performed better than 75 per cent of your age group. If you get an ATAR of 80, it means you have performed better than 80 per cent of your age group and so on, up to the maximum ATAR of 99.95.

There is no pass or fail ATAR. If you want to know what counts as a ‘good' ATAR, the answer is that it's the ATAR you need to get into the course you want.

Explainer: Subject scaling for the ATAR

Every VCE subject is scaled before it can contribute to the ATAR.

In this video we explain how and why it's done.

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Transcript of the video: Subject scaling for the ATAR

Every VCE subject is scaled before it can be used in the ATAR. In this video we're going to discuss how we do it and why.

Firstly, scaling is not about how hard or how easy we think subjects are - it's about measuring how competitive each subject is. But what does that mean?

Well first we have to talk about VCE study scores.

The first thing to understand about VCE study scores is that there are actually rankings - or relative positions - that measure your performance compared to all other students who took that study. They're reported as a figure between 0 and 50 and 30 is always the average.

So if you achieve a study score of 30 in Chemistry, for example, that means that you have performed better than

50% of all VCE Chemistry students in that year. Now, each VCE subject has a unique student cohort - for example, the group of VCE students undertaking Literature is different to the group doing Chemistry, which is different to the one doing Economics. So because each group is unique and because study scores rank performance in each subject alone, it can be harder to be average and get 30 in some subjects than in others. Not because of an inherent difficulty in the subject but because of who else is doing it. Let's use a sporting analogy by taking two races of the 100-metre sprint.

One is the Victorian final the other is the Olympic final.

Both are running the same distance, under the same rules, but it will be harder to get middle place in the Olympic final because you're running against a more competitive group. In some VCE subjects

It can be harder to get the middle study score of 30 because you're undertaking it with a more competitive cohort of students.

Whether it's a race or a study ranking middle will always be harder when the competition is greater.

Scaling allows us to determine how competitive each subject is and then gives us a result as if every Year 12 had done the same subject. So how do we do it? Using Chemistry as an example, we look at all of the VCE students who did Chemistry and how they performed in all of their subjects. If the Chemistry students average above 30 for their studies, including chemistry, then this tells us that their overall performance is above average - the subject was more competitive so scaling goes up. If the students average lower than 30, say 28, scaling would go down as it would demonstrate that the competition was lower and that it was easier to achieve the average score of 30.

Scaling isn't about individual students or schools either, subjects are scaled exactly the same for the entire state. With scaling we can compare each student fairly because it determines that the level of achievement in one subject is the same as every other study. it means that you won't be unfairly disadvantaged by choosing a subject which is very competitive or unfairly advantaged by choosing a subject which is less competitive. Every subject is scaled from scratch each year so if the subject was scaled down last year it doesn't mean that's going to happen again this year. The competition can - and does - change each year.

Sometimes people look at the scaling process from previous years when choosing their subjects, but this can be a mistake. If you choose a subject that you're not good at and don't enjoy just because it gets scaled up

It's likely that you won't perform very highly and that even after scaling your overall scale study score would be lower than if you had chosen a subject that you were good at. The way to ensure that you achieve your best ATAR is to choose studies according to what interests you, what you're good at, and which studies you need to achieve your future study goals.

Which studies can count towards an ATAR?

There are rules and restrictions about which studies can count towards an ATAR. To qualify for an ATAR in Victoria, a student must:

  • qualify for the VCE, and
  • achieve study scores in at least four permissible Unit 3 and 4 VCE studies, including one from the English group.

‘Permissible' studies can change from year to year. VTAC creates guides to understanding scaling and ATAR rules and restrictions.

Students completing year 12 in 2024, 2025 or 2026 should refer to the following guides:

How is the ATAR calculated?

The answer to this question is explained in full in The VTAC ATAR and Scaling Guide for 2027

In brief:

  1. The calculation of your ATAR begins with your VCE study scores, provided by VCAA.
  2. VTAC then scales these scores to ensure fairness. This produces scaled study scores.
  3. An aggregate is then created by adding up:
    • Your primary four: that is, your highest scaled study score in one of English, English (EAL), Literature or English Language, and the three next highest VTAC scaled study scores permissible.
    • Your increments: Often ten per cent of any fifth and sixth permissible scaled study scores that are available.
  4. Students are then ranked in order of these aggregates, which are placed on a percentile scale with intervals of 0.05. The group of students with the highest aggregates will be assigned the highest ATAR of 99.95. ATARs below 30.00 are reported as ‘less than 30' on printed ATAR statements, however the actual ATAR is available through the online results service.

How is the ATAR used in course selection?

Many courses get more applications than there are places, so entry into these courses is competitive. A range of criteria are used to assess your suitability for the course and to rank you against others who have applied to the course. Some courses use the ATAR as one of these criteria.

Courses that use the ATAR in selection publish an ATAR profile. This is a summary of selection data from the previous selection round. The piece of information that is most useful when applying is the ‘lowest selection rank'. This represents the minimum selection rank (ATAR or adjusted ATAR) needed to have been offered a place in that course in that selection period, provided other course requirements were met.

Lowest selection ranks are not set ahead of selection—they are produced as a result of the selection process. You can use the lowest selection rank from the previous year as a broad indicator of how competitive entry into a course was, however it is not a definite indicator of the selection standard in the future. The popularity of a course and the number of places available can change from year to year.

To find out if the courses you are interested in use the ATAR in selection, see the ‘essential requirements' and ‘admission criteria' sections of each course entry in CourseSearch. To learn more about the ATAR profile see The ATAR Profile Explained (PDF).

Explainer: Selection ranks and ATAR profiles

How can you get the best indication of the ATAR you'll need to be competitive for a course you're interested in? You can find this answer in the course' ATAR profile.

But there's a lot of information in each ATAR profile. Check out our video on how to best make use of this data.

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Transcript of the video: Selection ranks and ATAR profiles

When doing your course research you'll probably find yourself asking what ATAR do i need to get into this course?

For most courses in Victoria nobody will know the exact figure until offers are released, but looking at last year's data can give you a good indication of how competitive a course is

This is detailed in the course's ATAR profile which gives you heaps of information about everyone who has made an offer for the course in the most recent selection period. You'll see the highest median and lowest ATAR and selection rank to be made an offer

There's a lot of information in each ATAR profile but the key figure is the lowest selection rank

To explain why we'll need to look at what all of this data really means.

The ATAR table is pretty straightforward it tells you the range of ATARs that were mate offers for the course but most courses consider more than the ATAR which is why the selection rank table is even more relevant.

So what is a selection rank? Your selection rank for a course is based on your ATAR but it also includes any adjustment factors that are specified by the course and for which you are eligible.

Common adjustment factors are special consideration through the special entry access scheme and subject adjustments - for example a science course may offer an adjustment if you have studied a relevant VCE subject like Chemistry.

So a course will first check that their applicants meet basic eligibility requirements. like prerequisites. and then give each person a selection rank based on a combination of ATAR, adjustment factors and any other published criteria.

If there are 25 places available offers will be made to the 25 applicants with the highest selection ranks.

Generally your selection rank will be the same as your ATAR or higher. Although your ATAR never changes each course has different requirements so your selection rank could be different between courses.

In this course the lowest selection rank was 76.70, which means that anybody with that ATAR or above was made an offer assuming that they met all other criteria.

So, if you applied to this course with an ATAR of 76.70 you would have received an offer but what about the lowest ATAR to be made an offer?

All this tells you is that at least one person with that ATAR was made an offer. Let's say Melanie applies with her ATAR of 69.40. She has a seize application and she did Chemistry in VCE which this particular Science course offers a subject adjustment for. Her selection rank goes up making her application more competitive for the course.

The lowest selection rank for this course is 76.70, which she meets thanks to those adjustments. Peter on the other hand applies with a higher ATAR of 73.45 but without any adjustments he doesn't meet the lowest selection rate - he misses out.

Amal doesn't have any adjustments either, but his ATAR of 76.70 meets the lowest selection rank - he's made an offer. Finally we have Gwen who receives a subject adjustment because she also studied Chemistry, but her ATAR is higher than the lowest selection rank so she's also made an offer.

So the difference between these figures, the lowest ATAR only tells you that at least one person was made an offer with that particular ATAR. It doesn't mean that everyone with an ATAR higher than that automatically got in.

The lowest selection rank tells you the point at which every applicant was admitted - that everybody with that ATAR or higher got in, which is why this is the information that's of most use to you.

But remember, the ATAR profile is information from the last application period, it is not set in advance, so use it as a guide and not a guarantee. Use VTAC CourseSearch to check out the ATAR profiles for courses you're interested in at vtac.edu

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Offers and enrolment

When are offers released?

December and January rounds

There are many offer rounds, but most Year 12 offers are made in the December and January rounds.

December offers will be released on 23 December 2025, and the January round of offers will be released on 13 January 2026.

Subsequent rounds

After the January Round, there are multiple subsequent rounds. Course authorities can only make offers in future rounds if there are places available—some courses may have filled their quotas after the January round. Typically, there are fewer offers made in each subsequent round.

Supplementary offers

Some institutions make supplementary offers after February Round 1 if they have places available. A supplementary offer is for a course not listed as a course preference.

For all dates for all offer rounds, see VTAC's important dates.

Early offers

Some institutions run early offer programs. Official offers are made through VTAC. Courses should be in the order of your preference, regardless of what early offer applications submitted.

Accept an offer by enrolling

Enrol in the course to accept an offer. Enrolment procedures will be outlined in the offer email sent by the institution. Enrolment deadlines are generally within a short period from when the offer is made.

Hoping for a better offer in a future round?

VTAC recommends that applicants accept any offer received, as that offer will usually lapse before the release of the next round's offers. By accepting an offer, applicants can fall back on it if no further offers are made. Institutions still consider higher preferences in later offer rounds.