THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS IN WHICH A STUDENT CAN QUALIFY FOR UNIVERSITY

Firstly, there is the approach that most students take and that is to achieve results in year 12 that meet the minimum requirements, or 'clearly in' score, needed to be selected into a University course of their choice.

Secondly, there is distance learning.

Thirdly, some Universities conduct their own aptitude tests in order to select students most likely to succeed at University, rather than relying on year 12 results alone.

Other considerations, such as the Early Achievers Program

Each of the approaches mentioned will be discussed in more detail below.

ENTERING UNIVERSITY BY MEETING MINIMUM YEAR 12 REQUIREMENTS

Each University has a set of entrance requirements. The most obvious requirement is a minimum year 12 entrance score which must be met to be considered for a course at each University. Universities in general will offer their courses to those students who achieve the highest entrance scores, based on your year 12 results.

An entrance score is known as either an ENTER (VIC), OP (QLD), UAI (NSW/ACT) or TER(TAS/SA/NT/WA), depending on the state.

Below are the definitions for the abbreviations above;

ENTER= Equivalent National Tertiary Rank

OP = Overall Position Rank

UAI = University Admission Index

TER = Tertiary Entrance Rank

TCE = Tasmanian Certificate of Education

In general the ENTER, UAI or TER are channeled through Tertiary Admissions Centres. These centres go by different names in different states as shown below:

VIC - Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Visit Australian Student and select the ‘Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre’.

NSW & ACT - Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Visit Australian Student and select the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC.

QLD - Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). Visit Australian Student and select the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC).

SA & NT - South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC). Visit Australian Student and select the SA Tertiary Admissions Centre.

TAS - Tasmanian Qualifications Authority. Visit: TAS Tasmanian Qualifications Authority.

WA - Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC). Visit: WA Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC

Note: The 'Overall Position Rank', must be converted to an ENTER, UAI or TER score if looking at interstate universities.

How can a student find out what the minimum entry score is for their course?

Rather than hunting around, trying to determine the minimum entrance score for each university course, there are some excellent course search sites available. The Australian Student Website for example, has made this task very simple. You can either visit Australian Student and select the state in which the university belongs, or follow the below links to the Australian Student site.

VIC : 'University Course Search'

NSW/ACT : 'University Course Search'

QLD : 'QTAC Course Search'

SA : 'University Course Search'

TAS : 'University Course Search'

WA : 'University Course Search'

DISTANCE LEARNING VIA OPEN UNIVERSITIES

The most important points to note about Open Universities, is that in general, there are no entry requirements for most undergraduate courses and that students can study from home without ever needing to step a foot on campus.

For further information, have a look at 'Open Universities Australia' OUA). OUA is owned and operated by seven leading universities, these being Curtin University, Griffith University, Macquarie University, Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University and the University of South Australia. OUA has four study periods per year and as such, allow courses to be started in March, June, September or December. Students of OUA can choose to either jump straight into studying for a degree, or alternatively, choose one or two subjects of interest to begin with to see how things go.

The beauty of OUA is the freedom to schedule study around current commitments, but still allow students to graduate with a degree from a leading Australian University. If you are considering studying via OUA, you will have a number of study options available.

Firstly, there is the opportunity to undergo a bridging program or vocational qualification. Bridging units are basically short programs, aimed at quickly building skills to prepare students for a university degree. Vocational qualifications are short training courses aimed at supporting your current employment.

Secondly, there is the option of enrolling as an undergraduate in pursuit of a degree.

Thirdly, OUA offers postgraduate study for students who want to build on their degree or work experience to further their studies.

To read more about distance learning at Open Universities Australia, including fees and fee-help, go to: https://www.open.edu.au/wps/portal

APTITUDE TESTS.

A number of aptitude tests are mentioned below, but these can vary between states and Universities, so be sure to investigate a little further if considering these options.

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Test

UMAT - Undergraduate Medicine Admissions Test

GAT - General Achievement Test

uniTest

Each of these tests will be covered below.

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Test The STAT which is administered by VTAC, allows applicants to enroll in courses which would otherwise not be possible. Applicants who successfully complete the STAT are given the opportunity to enroll in a specific courses. To view the available courses refer to various University Websites.

According to the Monash University website (http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/admissions/aptitude-tests.html), STAT specific courses are available to applicants if

"they have no school, TAFE or university results recent enough to be considered for entry (ie, within the past 10 years), or

they have TAFE or other tertiary qualifications with ungraded assessment and no other basis for entry; or

they have VCAL or other secondary study with ungraded assessment but no other basis for entry."

UMAT - Undergraduate Medicine Admissions Test

The UMAT which is administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research, is used to assist in the selection of students into undergraduate degrees for medicine and some health sciences.

GAT - General Achievement Test While Universities use year 12 results as the primary basis for selection, they will consider looking at GAT scores, particularly for students with a score in the middle-band. The GAT will only be considered however, if authorised by the applicant. Consideration of the GAT can result in a bonus of 5 points added to the year 12 score. If the bonus is applied, a slightly higher ranking will result which can lead to a course offer being made to the applicant.

uniTEST

The Unitest was introduced as part of a pilot programme by the Australian Government to encourage the use of aptitude tests as an aid in the University selection process. The uniTest was not intended to replace the current tertiary ranking system which uses the UAI, ENTER and TER, but is intended to be used as an additional tool to identify students with the capacity for higher education. Research has shown that by combining both Year 12 results and aptitude test scores, a good indication of the likely success of a student at university can be ascertained.

As part of a pilot programme, the two universities which started trialing the Unitest process were Monash University and The Australian National University (ANU).

In regard to taking the uniTest, according to the ANU website, “Anybody who has already applied to the ANU through UAC (Universities Admissions Centre), if you are a Domestic applicant or an International applicant who has undertaken an Australian Year 12 qualification and has an Entrance Rank/UAI of 70 or above, can take this test. If you are an International applicant with international qualifications you should apply direct to the University and not sit this test. “

According to the Monash University Website, the UniTest has currently been discontinued. The reason for this is due to the introduction of the GAT process mentioned earlier.

EARLY ACHIEVERS PROGRAM

The ACU National's Early Achievers Program is a great way for both year 12 and non-year 12 students to obtain a guaranteed place in the undergraduate course of their choice.

The ACU understands that a student is worth more than just their academic score. Successful students need to demonstrate a commitment to their community through contribution to school, church, sporting or cultural organisations, in addition to achieving solid results throughout years 11 and 12. Australian Catholic University's (ACU National) Early Achievers program offers successful applicants a guaranteed place in any of its undergraduate courses prior to the release of OP scores.

For further information on eligibility and enrolment forms, visit the ACU National's Early Achievers Program

An interesting article can also be found at this link on the ACU site: ACU Media Release - Early entry for supportive students

SUMMARY

While the above will give you an overview on some of the ways in which you can make it into University, it is meant only as a guide. Do not assume that the above is gospel or an exhaustive list. The education system is constantly changing, so make sure you do your own research and get the answers that you need. Speaking with your school careers advisor or attending University open days are useful. Feel free to post questions or any information obtained, onto the Australian Student forum. There will be many students with the exact questions or concerns that you have. So if you can share anything via the forum, I'm sure there would be some grateful students out there.