QTAC Information Sheet

Selection Process and Assessment

How does QTAC allocate tertiary places to applicants?

QTAC applies two selection principles to all applications:

Eligibility - Applicants for a course must satisfy the Minimum Entry Requirements (eg prior study, folio, audition, English language proficiency, subject prerequisites). If an applicant does not satisfy the entry requirements for a course, their application is not considered for that course.
Merit - Applicants who do satisfy the Minimum Entry Requirements then compete for a place on the basis of their QTAC Selection Rank. Offers are made to applicants in descending rank order until all quota places are filled.

Eligibility

Institutions, not QTAC, set the entry requirements for their courses. Except for folio, audition or interview requirements, which are assessed by the individual institutions, it is QTAC's role to ensure that applicants satisfy any entry requirements. See Minimum Entry Requirements for more information..

Merit

Prior to the allocation of tertiary places, eligible applicants are placed in an ORDER OF MERIT.

The Order of Merit is expressed in two scales:

Overall Positions on a scale from 1 (highest) to 25 [current Queensland Year 12 students]
QTAC Selection Ranks on a scale from 99 (highest) to 1 [all other applicants].

Points of comparison between OPs and ranks are established each year on the basis of the actual distributions of OPs/ranks and on size and retention rates of the various groupings so that equitable selection on the basis of merit for all applicants can occur.

What is a selection rank?

A selection rank or set of ranks is determined for each applicant on the basis of the applicant's qualifications, including tertiary studies. If applicants have more than one qualification, they will usually be allocated more than one selection rank. Selection ranks are derived from tables or lists of conversions called schedules, on a scale from 1 to 99 (99 being the highest).

Allocation of Selection Ranks

The use of Selection Ranks allows QTAC to compare applicants with diverse and different qualifications. The process compares the qualifications of each applicant according to established standards and precedents approved by institutions and, in so doing, determines and establishes the relative position of each applicant for entry to a course.

Applicants who present a number of separate qualifications in their application are allocated a number of selection ranks. Selection ranks are not added together to form an overall score, rather one rank is used as the primary (first order) rank.

The selection rank that is used as the first order rank may be the highest rank, but can vary depending on the entry policies of the institution. Many institutions will use a selection rank obtained from one full-time year or more of tertiary study in preference to ranks obtained from other qualifications. Applicants should contact the admissions office of the institution that they wish to apply to in order to obtain detailed information about the institution's use of selection ranks.

Further information regarding the allocation of selection ranks is available on this website.

What is a cut-off selection rank?

A cut-off selection rank is the minimum selection rank required for entry to a particular course in a particular year. Course cut-offs are not predetermined. Each year, cut-off selection ranks are determined by the number of places available (quota) in a course, the number of applicants who apply for the course, and the standard of those applicants. Consequently, past cut-off selection ranks, such as those published in the QTAC Guide, should only be used as indicators of what a future cut-off might be.

What is a first order selection rank?

Some applicants will have more than one selection rank. Where an applicant has several selection ranks (eg a selection rank for Year 12 results, a selection rank for a preparatory course, a selection rank for employment and a selection rank for tertiary study), the first order selection rank, which will be used for that applicant, depends on the policy of the particular institution applied to.

The selection rank that is used to compare one applicant with other applicants is called a first order selection rank and is determined according to specific institution rules.

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