Admission Requirements to Universities in Australia

There are three common pathways to getting yourself admitted into universities in Australia. The most straightforward mode is to obtain grades in Year 12 that meet a university’s minimum requirements or to have high enough grades to meet the criteria set forth for your chosen course in university. Second, you can also qualify for a university education through the universities’ distance learning programs. A third method would be to get good scores in   aptitude   tests  that some universities use for selecting students.

With regards to the first mode, universities set minimum requirements based on students Year 12 entrance scores. In this regard, students who obtain the highest entrance scores from their Year 12 usually have no trouble getting into their chosen university courses. Entrance scores are known differently in different states in Australia. In Victoria, they call their entrance scores ENTER, short for Equivalent National Tertiary Rank; in Queensland, they are known as Overall Position Rank or OP; in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, they use the acronym UAI for University Admission Index; and in Tasmania and other states, they are called TER, which means Tasmanian Certificate of Education.

The different agencies that oversee these scores are the states’ Tertiary Admissions Centres. Interested students can find out the minimum entrance scores for their preferred university courses through the Australian Student Website. Just navigate through the listings of different universities under each state.

A more convenient option is to avail of the course offerings at Open Universities Australia (OUA). Seven of Australia’s top universities have joined hands in operating the OUA. These are Curtin University, Griffith University, Macquarie University, Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University and the University of South Australia. Majority of the undergraduate courses offered by OUA do not have entry requirements. Students do not need to be physically present in the campuses, as all of their studies can be done at their homes. It allows students to fulfill other commitments while continuing with their studies. They obtain credentials from a recognized Australian university upon graduation.

The OUA has different course offerings to choose from. You have the option of enrolling in a short bridging program that would equip you with the skills you would need to cope with the demands of obtaining a university degree. You can also choose to earn vocational qualifications through training programs aligned with the skill specifications of companies and industries. You may also enroll in the OUA undergraduate course offerings to obtain a university degree. The OUA also offers postgraduate courses for students and professionals interested in further education.

The last pathway for availing university education in Australia is through  aptitude  tests . Applicants, who for varied reasons do not have the required Year 12 scores, may take a university-specified  aptitude  test . One  aptitude  test  that an aspiring university student can take is the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). This test is administered by the VTAC. You can consult different university websites to find out what courses accept STAT results as entrance credentials.

Other  aptitude  tests  used by universities for selecting students are the General Achievement Test (GAT) and the uniTest. Universities use scores from these tests in combination with Year 12 results to determine applicants’ chances of success in completing a course.