ATAR is used as an indicator of university success and retention in Australian universities. The higher the ATAR, the better their chances of completing their university course. The impact on completion risk weakens as ATAR decreases. Students have the same risk of non-completion whether their ATAR is 30-49 or 50-59 (Cherastidtham et al., 2018). Higher ATARs correspond with higher first-year GPA and lower risk of a failing first-year GPA (Universities Admissions Centre, 2019). ATARs over 80 are a good predictor of academic success at university; however, ATARs below 80 are less reliable (Palmer et al., 2011). While universities offer pathway options for students who don’t meet the required ATAR of bachelor courses, some pathway options use ATAR as an academic entry requirement. For example, diploma courses typically require a lower ATAR (e.g. 50) than the related bachelor course (e.g. 70). Many in-school enabling programs require students to be ATAR-eligible or enrolled in ATAR subjects. While alternative selection methods are used by universities, these diverse admissions processes can be complex and unclear (Pilcher & Torii, 2018).
How useful is ATAR as an academic entry requirement for non-traditional pathway courses to predict academic success and retention? Are alternative selection methods better suited?