The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) is a group of three scholastic aptitude tests used for admission into
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
programs at
Australian universities, for students without a recent
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is the primary criterion for domestic student entry into undergraduate courses in Australian public universities. It was gradually introduced to most states and territories in 2009–10 and has sinc ...
(ATAR). Some universities require STAT testing for admission to particular programs or courses. The
Australian Council for Educational Research
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), established in 1930, is an independent educational research organisation based in Camberwell, Victoria (Melbourne) and with offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Dubai, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Lond ...
designs the examinations. The central tertiary admissions centre in each
Australian state and territory and the
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...
administer the STAT examinations.
The STAT assesses core competencies in critical thinking and reasoning, rather than knowledge. Three types of STAT are in use:
* STAT Multiple Choice: The standard test used by tertiary admissions centres. This two-hour examination has 70 questions, half of which test verbal (humanities and social science) competencies and half test quantitative (mathematical and scientific) competencies.
* STAT F: Some universities use this test to determine eligibility for specific courses. This examination is also two hours with 70 questions, half verbal and half quantitative.
* STAT Written English: Some tertiary admissions centres and universities use this one-hour test of the candidate's competence in written English, in addition to either the STAT Multiple Choice or the STAT F. Some universities require this examination for applicants from other countries.
STAT results are expressed as a numerical score from 100 to 200, 200 being a perfect score. The score indicates the candidate's potential academic capacity in relation to past or potential candidates, as the questions are relative across years and test forms. STAT scores are then translated into ENTER scores for university admission through calculation of the percentile rank of the candidate in relation to the test-taking population for the previous six years.
See also
*
Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (also created by ACER)
*
ACT Scaling Test (also created by ACER)
*
SAT (College admission test used in the United States)
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College admission in Australia
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Education in Australia
Education in Australia encompasses the sectors of early childhood education (preschool) and primary education (primary schools), followed by secondary education (high schools), and finally tertiary education, which includes higher education (un ...
External links
ACER's STAT pageNSW University Admissions Centre which also processes tertiary admissions in NSW and the ACT
Queensland Tertiary Admissions CentreSA Tertiary Admissions Centre which also covers entrance to NT universities
University of Tasmania application informationVictorian Tertiary Admission CentreWA Tertiary Institutions Service Centre{{Admission tests
Higher education in Australia