WACE ATAR, scaling and study resources for WA
WACE is Western Australia's senior certificate. Start with Polarbear's calculator, then explore TISC scaling, the TEA, SCSA dates, past papers and subject-planning guidance for WA students.
Your official state system
How the pieces connect
- Certificate
- Western Australian Certificate of Education
- Curriculum and assessment
- SCSA
- ATAR and admissions
- TISC
Source checked
Official authorities
This hub connects guidance from the bodies responsible for assessment, ATAR calculation and admissions in Western Australia.
ATAR and admissionsTISC (opens in a new tab)
Curriculum and assessmentSCSA (opens in a new tab)
How the WACE ATAR works
Your ATAR comes from your TEA (Tertiary Entrance Aggregate): the sum of your best four scaled scores (each out of 100), plus a 10% bonus on your best language, Mathematics Methods and Mathematics Specialist scaled scores. TISC converts your TEA to an ATAR using its official TEA-to-ATAR table, after SCSA and TISC standardise and scale your marks - so a scaled score reflects how you ranked in a course, not your raw mark.
Scaling source: TISC 2025 Course/Subject Statistics Summary - Scaled Scores for Specified Percentiles (TR320C). Rules and dates are reviewed separately on each linked guide.
Your study workspace
Everything for WACE, in one place
Start with the highlighted resource in each task, then use the supporting guides when you need more detail.
Calculate
Calculate and understand your ATAR
Use the available calculator or learn exactly how your state admissions centre derives the rank.
Guide
Understand the number
How the WACE ATAR is calculated
Your TEA, the best-four scaled scores, the 10% LOTE and Maths bonuses, and the TEA-to-ATAR table - explained for WA.
- GuideWACE subject scaling for 2026 planning - latest 2025 TISC dataFor 2026 planning, compare WA courses using the latest available 2025 TISC scaling data.
- GuideBest- & worst-scaling WACE subjects for 2026 planning - 2025 TISC dataPlan 2026 subject choices with the latest 2025 TISC data: the highest- and lowest-scaling mainstream WA courses and what the rankings mean.
Plan
Plan subjects, exams and results
Use current state terminology, official dates and the rules that shape subject and university choices.
Guide
Know what comes next
WACE subject combinations
List A and List B, ATAR eligibility, TISC's unacceptable combinations, the 10% bonuses, and the prerequisites that shape a WA combination.
- GuideWhat ATAR do you need for uni in WA?How WA cutoffs really work - selection rank vs ATAR, minimum rank vs lowest rank offered, and the five TISC universities.
- 2026 datesWACE exam timetable 2026When the 2026 WA written ATAR exams run (28 October - 19 November), and where to find the full SCSA per-subject timetable.
- 2026 datesWACE results & ATAR release 2026When your WACE results (SCSA, mid-to-late December) and WA ATAR (TISC, from 20 December 2026) come out, how to get them, and what happens next.
Practise
Practise with state-specific material
Find official past-paper pathways, practice resources and published examples where they exist.
From planning to practice
Turn the guide into your next study step
Ask follow-up questions, build practice sets and get feedback inside Polarbear when you are ready to move beyond the rules.
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Hub reviewed 19 August 2026 by the Polarbear editorial team. Linked pages carry their own source years and review notes. Estimates are planning aids, not official results or admissions advice.