The NSW Universities Admission Centre is defending the ATAR,  again, (CMM March 23 ). This time UAC is responding to another claim (number quintuple in a series) that smart school students game the academic rank by doing maths below their ability.

UAC says its analysis shows that Year Ten students who are good at maths continue to study it a higher level for the HSC. And it would not necessarily help, even if they did count their capacity down, by taking on lower level maths. “Studying particular subjects won’t guarantee a student a high ATAR – what really matters is how well the student does, compared to everyone else.”

Good-oh, but just in case anybody isn’t convinced UAC also announces that the 2020 maths syllabus will make it possible to look at all subjects using a common scale, which could improve the way students’ maths achievement is reflected in the ATAR.