This scheme recognises high performance in English and mathematics by applying adjustment factors to boost your selection rank.
If you demonstrate excellence in high-level English or mathematics in your Year 12 exams, you can add up to five adjustment factors to your ATAR or IBAS to raise your selection rank.
To be eligible for the Academic Excellence Scheme, you must:
From 2025, if you achieve a Band 3 or 4 in HSC Mathematics Advanced (or equivalent) and apply for a course that has had the mathematics prerequisite removed for 2025 entry, you will be eligible to receive one adjustment factor through the Academic Excellence Scheme.
| 2024 subjects |
Required band | |
|---|---|---|
| NSW HSC | English Advanced | 5 or 6 |
| English Ext. 1 | E4 | |
| English Ext. 2 | E4 | |
| IB Diploma | English A: Language and Literature (HL) | 5, 6 or 7 |
| English A: Literature (HL) | 5, 6 or 7 |
| 2024 subjects | Required band (1 adjustment factor) |
Required band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW HSC | Mathematics Advanced | 3 or 4 | 5 or 6 |
| Mathematics Ext. 1 | E2 or E3 | E4 | |
| Mathematics Ext 2 | E2 or E3 | E4 | |
| IB Diploma | Mathematics: Applications and Interpretations HL | 4 | 5, 6 or 7 |
| Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches SL | 5 | 6 or 7 | |
| Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL | 4 | 5, 6 or 7 |
Place your selected course as your highest eligible preference. If you are eligible for adjustment factors, these will automatically be added to your ATAR (or equivalent). There is no additional application process.
Explore the courses available for entry through this scheme. The adjustment factors you will be awarded will depend on your performance in either English or mathematics and which course you apply for.
| Course | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|
| B Architecture and Environments | 3 | 5 |
| B Design (Interaction Design) | 3 | 5 |
| B Design and B Advanced Studies (Interaction Design) | 3 | 5 |
| B Design in Architecture | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|
| B Arts | 3 | 5 |
| B Arts and B Advanced Studies | 3 | 5 |
| B International Studies | 3 | 5 |
| B Languages | 3 | 5 |
| B Politics, Philosophy and Economics | 3 | 5 |
| B Visual Arts | 3 | 5 |
| B Visual Arts and B Advanced Studies | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 3 or 4 / E2 or E3 | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Commerce | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Commerce and B Advanced Studies | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Commerce and B Arts | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Commerce and B Science | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 3 or 4 / E2 or E3 | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Economics | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Economics and B Advanced Studies | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Economics and B Arts | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|
| B Education (Early Childhood) | 3 | 5 |
| B Education (Health and Physical Education) | 3 | 5 |
| B Education (Primary) | 3 | 5 |
| B Education (Secondary) | 3 | 5 |
| B Education and B Advanced Studies (Secondary) | 3 | 5 |
| B Social Work | 3 | 5 |
| B Arts and B Social Work | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 3 or 4 / E2 or E3 | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Advanced Computing | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Advanced Computing and B Commerce | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Advanced Computing and B Science | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Advanced Computing and B Science (Health) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Advanced Computing and B Science (Medical Science) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Aeronautical Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Biomedical Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Electrical Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Environmental Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Flexible First Year) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Mechanical Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Mechatronic Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Software Engineering) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours and B Arts | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours and B Commerce | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering) and B Design in Architecture | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours and B Project Management | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours and B Science | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Biomedical Engineering) and B Science (Health) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Engineering Honours (Biomedical Engineering) and B Science (Medical Science) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Project Management | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 3 or 4 / E2 or E3 | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Applied Science (Exercise Physiology) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Arts and M Nursing | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Nursing (Advanced Studies) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Pharmacy (Honours) and M Pharmacy Practice | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Pharmacy and Management (Honours) and M Pharmacy Practice | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and M Nursing | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science (Health) and M Nursing | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and M Nutrition and Dietetics | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|
| B Music | 3 | 5 |
| B Music (Composition) | 3 | 5 |
| B Music and B Advanced Studies (Composition) | 3 | 5 |
| B Music (Music Education) | 3 | 5 |
| B Music (Performance) | 3 | 5 |
| B Music and B Advanced Studies (Performance) | 3 | 5 |
| Course | Band 3 or 4 / E2 or E3 | Band 5 | Band 6 / E4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Agricultural Science | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Agricultural Science Honours | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Animal and Veterinary Bioscience | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Liberal Arts and Sciences | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Liberal Arts and Sciences (Advanced) | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| B Psychology | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| B Psychology Honours | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| B Science | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science (Advanced) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science (Health) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science (Medical Science) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and B Advanced Studies | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and B Advanced Studies (Advanced) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and B Advanced Studies (Health) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and B Advanced Studies (Medical Science) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and B Arts | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Science and M Mathematical Sciences | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| B Veterinary Biology and D Veterinary Medicine | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| B Wildlife Conservation (Taronga) | 1 | 3 | 5 |
The following courses are not available for entry through the Academic Excellence Scheme:
Adjustment factors will automatically be added following the release of your Year 12 results to UAC. For most eligible students, this will mean that the subject-based adjustment factors will raise your selection rank by up to 5 points for eligible courses from December round 2 offers released by UAC.
Most undergraduate courses at the University of Sydney have Guaranteed Entry. This means, if you achieve the guaranteed selection rank and any other non-ATAR admission criteria that may apply to that course, you are eligible to receive an offer if you placed that course as your highest eligible preference.
Guaranteed Entry only applies to the first UAC offer round you are eligible to receive an offer in. Guaranteed Entry is also subject to available places in the course you apply for.
The Academic Excellence Scheme aims to encourage prospective students to put their course of choice as their highest eligible preference even if their ATAR is a few points below the entry requirements. This is because the subject-related adjustments can raise your selection rank for eligible courses helping you potentially achieve the guaranteed rank.
Yes. All other admission criteria including the mathematics course prerequisites still apply where relevant. The Academic Excellence Scheme supports admission into the course only by applying adjustment factors to raise your selection rank for eligible courses.
IB applicants eligible for the Academic Excellence Scheme will have any adjustment factors added to their ATAR equivalent rank and not their IB score (out of 45). See UAC for how your IB score will convert to a rank.
No. Only one subject in either English or mathematics will be considered. Points based on adjustment factors do not accumulate if you have achieved the required band in more than one subject. For example, if you achieved a Band 6 in HSC Mathematics and E4 in Mathematics Extension 1, only one of these results is required to be considered under the Academic Excellence Scheme.
The maximum number of points that you can receive under the Academic Excellence Scheme for eligible courses is 5, except for the Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Veterinary Biology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine which do not award the maximum.
From Semester 1 2025, you can combine your adjustment factors from two eligible entry schemes up to a maximum of 10 adjustment factors.
Some competitive courses have a maximum number of allowable adjustments that is lower than the 10 potential adjustments you could receive from combining two eligible schemes. Combining adjustment factors does not override any course exclusions from schemes or maximum number of allowable adjustments at a course level across schemes. For example, you could receive 5 adjustments for one course from the Academic Excellence Scheme and 5 adjustments from the Educational Access Scheme for the same course. If the maximum number of allowable adjustments for that course is 8, you will receive 8 adjustments.
Eligible entry schemes are the Educational Access Scheme, Academic Excellence Scheme, and Elite Athletes and Performers Scheme. All other schemes are excluded.
You will be awarded the adjustment factors from the two schemes that are of highest benefit to you.
As long as you have not undertaken any tertiary study you can still receive adjustment factors from this scheme for up to one year after you complete Year 12 (or the equivalent).
Contact admission.pathways@sydney.edu.au if you have any questions.