How will doing low scaling subjects affect my ATAR? (1 Viewer)

[Pheonix45]

So to get an UAI of 99.95, I have to come in the top 5 for everything?

 

[_deloso]

So to get an UAI of 99.95, I have to come in the top 5 for everything?

preferably Top 1 in everything since 99.95 means first in state..

 

[umz93]

Id say you would have to come first in everything and then KILL the externals

 

[Pheonix45]

Can more than one person get the same ATAR? So basically if a UNI course requires a 99.95 ATAR then only one person in whole state from that year can do that course??

 

[clry]

Can more than one person get the same ATAR? So basically if a UNI course requires a 99.95 ATAR then only one person in whole state from that year can do that course??

^ lol'd.

 

[tambam]

Anyway, just to offer an alternate perspective (don't hate me for this guys, because its actually true), if you're aiming for a really high atar, say 99+, then scaling would actually be quite a big factor.
Hypothetically, because i don't know the exact percentages,
But say for chemistry, the way scaling works is that something like being in the top 10% in chemistry would get you the same mark as someone in the top 2% in business studies.
So realistically, you would have to be VERY good at a subject that scales poorly, to get the same mark as someone who is FAIRLY good at a high scaling subject.

Also, some subjects are capped at a certain mark.
For example, in general maths you can't get a mark higher than like, low-mid 90s i think?

When i picked my subjects, I went in with the attitude 'it doesn't matter what i do, as long as i'm good at it.'
But when you see that most people who get 99+ have crazy science/maths combos, it does make you doubt.

 

[tambam]

http://www.uac.edu.au/documents/atar/2010-ScalingReport.pdf
Page 35 onwards shows hsc marks, scaled marks, maximum marks for each subject.

 

[fiesycal]

You're looking at a 1 unit subject, meaning it's out of 50. 40/50 = 80% bud. But that aside, did it not occur to you that you actually need to get the marks for the 'scaling' to work in your favour?

If you really don't get over the hump, then there's no point doing that subject. A 90 in say, general maths, will be better than a 70 in 2 unit. Because yes, the difficulty is that different. Probably more. So choose subjects you love, so therefore subjects you'll want to work in, and therefore get good marks in. Honestly, NEVER choose a subject because it 'scales well'.

Bro, your wrong, just wrong. If you do MX2 its worth 2 units ie out of 100. Don't give advice if you don't know what you're talking about. Let's not forget Shadowdude who's MX2 raw exam mark was below 50% but his aligned was 82 and scaled would have been higher. Also the difficulty between general and 2unit is not that large, we pretty much did the general course in year 10. I disagree that you should never choose a course based on scaling, it shouldn't be the only factor but it should still be a factor. If you're doing all humanities that are fairly low scaling yes its 'possible' to get a high atar (depending on your definition of high) but it would also take arguably more effort. Using your general maths example, anyone who is decent at maths should definitely go 2u maths instead of general, there is hardly any extra effort and scaling does make a difference. All that is before you factor in the fact that humanities tend to be more subjective than the maths and sciences.

Why do you think ruse, baulko etc don't offer subjects like standard english and general maths?

 

[fiesycal]

Yea of course, I agree with you, but I think its stupid when people are aiming for 90+ and people just tell them do whatever cause scaling doesn't matter.

 

[PhysicsGirl]

Yea of course, I agree with you, but I think its stupid when people are aiming for 90+ and people just tell them do whatever cause scaling doesn't matter.

Exactly. True, you can get an ATAR of 99.95 with any combination of subjects but it is much harder and a lot more effort. Actually, if you are aiming for an ATAR off 99+, I would strongly recommend doing 4 unit maths if you are like, moderately good at maths. You will find that most people who get ATAR's of 99+ have done 4U Maths. Think about it; a 2U person will have to have much higher ranks and do much better in 2U to get the same mark as a person doing 4U.

ALWAYS pick the subjects that you like, but don't ignore scaling either. It makes no sense to say "Oh, pick whatever subjects you like, you can still get ATAR of 99.95." It's going to require a lot more effort.

 

[PhysicsGirl]

Bro, your wrong, just wrong. If you do MX2 its worth 2 units ie out of 100. Don't give advice if you don't know what you're talking about. Let's not forget Shadowdude who's MX2 raw exam mark was below 50% but his aligned was 82 and scaled would have been higher. Also the difficulty between general and 2unit is not that large, we pretty much did the general course in year 10. I disagree that you should never choose a course based on scaling, it shouldn't be the only factor but it should still be a factor. If you're doing all humanities that are fairly low scaling yes its 'possible' to get a high atar (depending on your definition of high) but it would also take arguably more effort. Using your general maths example, anyone who is decent at maths should definitely go 2u maths instead of general, there is hardly any extra effort and scaling does make a difference. All that is before you factor in the fact that humanities tend to be more subjective than the maths and sciences.

Why do you think ruse, baulko etc don't offer subjects like standard english and general maths?

Exactly, doing General Maths if you are decent at Maths is a waste of time in my opinion and just puts you at a disadvantage. Pick at least Mathematics if you want to get into some kind of course Math related otherwise you will just have to do a bridging course.

 

[ohexploitable]

physicsgirl fuck

stop assuming everyone is as smart as you are, only a small percentage of ppl are as gifted as you are

not everyone can just say "oh yeah i'll just do EXTENSION 2 maffs"

most of us find general maffs hard, just because you are mathematically gifted doesn't mean you should be so arrogant about it

you know why it's called extension maffs? it's because it's meant to be challenging for most ppl, if you find it easy then good for you, just be humble

 

[M3H]

physicsgirl fuck

stop assuming everyone is as smart as you are, only a small percentage of ppl are as gifted as you are

not everyone can just say "oh yeah i'll just do EXTENSION 2 maffs"

most of us find general maffs hard, just because you are mathematically gifted doesn't mean you should be so arrogant about it

you know why it's called extension maffs? it's because it's meant to be challenging for most ppl, if you find it easy then good for you, just be humble

+1

 

[ohexploitable]

4 unit maths breeds arrogance

.

 

[PhysicsGirl]

I am just talking about the advantages of doing 4U.

 

[ohexploitable]

I am just talking about the advantages of doing 4U.

Exactly, doing General Maths if you are decent at Maths is a waste of time in my opinion

also, i am referring to your other thread too, "Why do people think Mathematics Extension 2 is so hard?"

 

[tambam]

physicsgirl fuck

stop assuming everyone is as smart as you are, only a small percentage of ppl are as gifted as you are

not everyone can just say "oh yeah i'll just do EXTENSION 2 maffs"

most of us find general maffs hard, just because you are mathematically gifted doesn't mean you should be so arrogant about it

you know why it's called extension maffs? it's because it's meant to be challenging for most ppl, if you find it easy then good for you, just be humble

+2
And you said on another thread you spend 60% of your studying time on 1/4 of a subject....
So if its as easy as you say it is, why do you still need to put so much effort into it?

By all means, do maths if you're good at it (especially 2U because its still quite simple) , but don't do maths ext2 just because it scales well, because its probably not worth the time you put into it.
Or on the other hand, you don't try and are crap at it but think just cos it 'scales well' you will get good marks when you probably would be better off doing a subject you enjoyed and were actually good at.

 

[PhysicsGirl]

Anyway, to OP, just pick the subjects that you like, that is honestly the best you can do for yourself. But if you are aiming for an really high ATAR, it might take a lot more effort and hard work if you do all "low scaling" subjects. That is all. And you will be to be ranked like 1st in everything. If you are not aiming for a really high ATAR, then just pick the subjects that you like and that you will succeed in.

 

[PhysicsGirl]

+2
And you said on another thread you spend 60% of your studying time on 1/4 of a subject....
So if its as easy as you say it is, why do you still need to put so much effort into it?

The workload is heavy; that has nothing to do with it's level of difficulty. The less practice you do, the more likely you are to make silly mistakes and get things wrong. You would hate to get something wrong if you knew how to do it but you just made a very silly error, that's why you practice; it's how you get good marks in maths. If you do Ext 2, you WILL have to do a lot of questions and practice. It's what maths is about.

 

[ohexploitable]

do a lot of questions and practice. It's what maths is about.

Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty — a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture, without appeal to any part of our weaker nature, without the gorgeous trappings of painting or music, yet sublimely pure, and capable of a stern perfection such as only the greatest art can show. The true spirit of delight, the exaltation, the sense of being more than Man, which is the touchstone of the highest excellence, is to be found in mathematics as surely as poetry.

-Bertrand Russell

there is much more to maffs then just repeating the same kinds of questions over and over again (rote learning) just to get some, in the bigger picture, meaningless high school score