The report noted that only five out of 37 universities required intermediate or advanced maths to get into a Bachelor of Science, while only one out of 34 institutions offering engineering degrees required advanced maths. n other words, a student who should be doing advanced or extension mathematics might pick the easier option because they’re more likely to excel at it. It’s thus more likely to contribute to a higher overall ATAR ranking, at the expense of necessary knowledge. A Mitchell Institute study released last month cast doubt on the relevance of the ATAR ranking, reporting that just one in four undergraduate students were admitted into university based on their ATAR results last year. Instead, universities are turning to aptitude tests, interviews, bonus point schemes, essays, portfolios and auditions to assess a candidate’s value.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/work/why-its-time-to-ditch-the-atar/news-story/10cd2894c6be0d859cc2deb375acbefa