• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Is it possible to achieve 99+ ATAR from taking both histories? (3 Viewers)

Senator111

Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Messages
67
Location
Upper North Shore
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
My teachers said, Ignore scaling. Sure you can pick all the high scaling subjects but you prob. won't do as well.

Pick the subjects your good at and enjoy, you will be movitaved more, do better at them and at the end of the day get a higher mark
That is what I did and am ultimately happy with my choices. I did not wnat to do anything i have no interest in, as it would have diminished my willingness to work.
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
I don't like it when people praise the one person in a very long list of people who got the highest ATAR's or UAI's to prove a point. Yes, Daniel Swain whoever he is got 100 UAI, but each year 80 or so people get the top stuff - and he's one in around many thousands of people who also had that distinction.

So yes, you can get 99+ - but you have to be at the top of your game, and get near 100 for them. Do what you like - but if you just want the ATAR, do a science, and more importantly the higher maths. Maths Extension 1, Chemistry and Physics is a very common combination at the upper ATAR's, two of the forty eight 99.95's this year did that combination - along with other subjects.
Not true - what you need to get in both histories would vary depending on your other subjects. In fact, a > 92 for modern history scales better than the equivalent mark in chem :)

A classmate of mine got 99.95 with both histories and no science. She didn't do 4U maths either.

Of course its possible. More than posible in fact.

I got 99.95 with no science, and no maths counted for my ATAR. I also did Modern Hist and History extension.

I wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who says that you should do a science or 3/4U maths as if its some kind of prerequisite. It may advantage you if you are good at science or maths, but if not, it could even harm you.
+1 and GG for your friend :D

@Cecily - Do what you love as you're most likely to perform better in them. Although ancient history is capped (so you'd swap ancient for phys/chem not modern!) it's capped at a very, very high mark so don't worry. Just do well in them and the effect of negative scaling won't have such an impact ^^
 

bubbrubb

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
82
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
I am ALL for the idea of doing what you like.

HOWEVER.

Do you REALLY know what you want?

I loved history in yr 10 and got 98 in SC. Accordingly, i did modern history. I loved it in yr 11 and ranked 4 in the grade. Like all you history buffs i hated physics and chem and was coming bottom 10 in both. (noone flame me because i made the perhaps offensive assumption that if you like history you don't like science --.--').

Come year 12...
i dropped physics out of hate and kept chemistry because i didnt want to lose my asian heritage even tho i got 60 percent in first exam... BUT THEN... i started to love chem and got almost 4th in the grade in the next test while modern i started to hate and got almost last...

By the time the HSC came around I hated modern history as it was totally different to yr 11 and totally different to year 10. Chemistry, on the other hand, was a beauty.

So there you go. ASK YOURSELF WHETHER DEEP DOWN INSIDE YOU LIKE SCIENCE OR NOT! (or whether or not you actually like history)
 

Starstruck

New Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2009
Messages
20
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
The advice in this thread has pretty much covered everything I would have otherwise said, but, make sure you choose subjects you would be happy about studying.

Ask yourself, could you stay up in the early hours of the morning pouring through history books with a highlighter and post-its? Would you prefer practicing physics formulas or learning chemical definitions/formulas etc. If you prefer studying history, it goes without saying that you will probably study it more, be paying more attention in class etc. and subsequently you should do better overall in the subject.

Scaling doesn't affect you negatively if you come 1st in your class at your school. Don't pick things you hate, simply because it scales well. If you like the subject, scaling is an added bonus.

Look at the subject syllabus itself, look at what you will be learning and check out some of the past papers for the subject, so you know what types of questions/exercises you will be doing.

Hope I helped, good luck with your choice :)
 

kaz1

et tu
Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Messages
6,960
Location
Vespucci Beach
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
Uni Grad
2018
the person in my modern class got 99.95 this year with both ancient and history... tho he got state rankings in 4 subjects... he did humanities and ext 1 maths.

so its very possible ;) but you have to be the top of your game in histories.
It's definitely possible, Daniel Swain got 100 UAI without maths or science.
Those are shit examples, it just shows you have to be the states elite to get 99+.
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
I am ALL for the idea of doing what you like.

HOWEVER.

Do you REALLY know what you want?

I loved history in yr 10 and got 98 in SC. Accordingly, i did modern history. I loved it in yr 11 and ranked 4 in the grade. Like all you history buffs i hated physics and chem and was coming bottom 10 in both. (noone flame me because i made the perhaps offensive assumption that if you like history you don't like science --.--').

Come year 12...
i dropped physics out of hate and kept chemistry because i didnt want to lose my asian heritage even tho i got 60 percent in first exam... BUT THEN... i started to love chem and got almost 4th in the grade in the next test while modern i started to hate and got almost last...

By the time the HSC came around I hated modern history as it was totally different to yr 11 and totally different to year 10. Chemistry, on the other hand, was a beauty.

So there you go. ASK YOURSELF WHETHER DEEP DOWN INSIDE YOU LIKE SCIENCE OR NOT! (or whether or not you actually like history)
I like science and history but i won't flame you because of that ;)

The advice in this thread has pretty much covered everything I would have otherwise said, but, make sure you choose subjects you would be happy about studying.

Ask yourself, could you stay up in the early hours of the morning pouring through history books with a highlighter and post-its? Would you prefer practicing physics formulas or learning chemical definitions/formulas etc. If you prefer studying history, it goes without saying that you will probably study it more, be paying more attention in class etc. and subsequently you should do better overall in the subject.

Scaling doesn't affect you negatively if you come 1st in your class at your school. Don't pick things you hate, simply because it scales well. If you like the subject, scaling is an added bonus.


Look at the subject syllabus itself, look at what you will be learning and check out some of the past papers for the subject, so you know what types of questions/exercises you will be doing.

Hope I helped, good luck with your choice :)
That is incorrect. Even if you're first in your school, if you get a shat mark scaling will affect you negatively.
 
Last edited:

mckensara

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
282
Location
Northshore area :)
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Those are shit examples, it just shows you have to be the states elite to get 99+.
i got 99.20 and i did 5 unit history, visual arts, english advanced and legal studies.
(obviously, all quite low scaling subjects). I also did not rank that highly in these subjects apart from modern history, i also did not go to a selective school. i would hardly classify myself anywhere near the "state elite".

i got
96 modern history - school rank 2nd/44
48 hex - school rank 5/13
97 ancient history - school rank 6/18.

so really, just fuck scaling. everyone who picked the "high scaling subjects" in my grade in order to get a 99+ didn't. Luckily for me i chose my subejcts before i had an understanding of this stupid philosophy.

even though I despise both of these sciences (and I'm already taking Biology).
i also always hated science and maths, and it was a struggle for me to even open a text book and to me history was always more interesting. i think you already know that taking the histories is the best op, yet you are letting this scaling shit get to you. dont let it its all bullshit.

perhaps take up history extension if you are so worried?
 
Last edited:

Shadowdude

Cult of Personality
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
12,145
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Yeah, I picked my subjects before I knew of the scaling crap... then I realised about it, then laughed because I didn't need to change anything. Except Legal, but Legal is fun...
 

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
"Didn't need to change anything"
Well, what a stupid assertion to make! This implies that you should listen to biatchs, e.g. mrs bard and others who says, "What are you doing this for? Do this. It's a better ATAR aimer subject. Shuffle this. Wriggle that subject. Crush your chef dreams for me. get hospo down the can" and other babble.

I honestly think that you mislead people with your crap about capping and scaling. NO SUBJECT has a "cap" No one from UAC would admit that it is as simple as "just a cap. You can't get more than 91 points for aggregate".


A cap is:
The maximum mark achieved in a course. E.g. general maths = 91
It's not capped
It's cuz the standard expected (100) was not achieved.

And the person who comes first doesn't always get 100% in everything so to give them 100 would be unfair and inaccurate. There is no cap. they're just over-simplifying it (UAC is) to the point that original meaning is lost

P.S. I do Hospitality and if I got approx 85 in it I could count it for ATAR and still get around 99.10
 
Last edited:

Shadowdude

Cult of Personality
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
12,145
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
There are caps, to ensure scaling is done. In the grand scheme of the ATAR, scaled marks make up the aggregate. If 100 in General Maths gives you 50 aggregate, and 92 in MX2 gives you 50 aggregate, they are on level ground. So that's why a 100 in General Maths gets you like 44 or something.

Look at table A3, capped subjects is where the Max. Mark is 50, but the Max. Scaled Mark is not 50.
 

johNNyboy772

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
43
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Ancient history won't help as much as history extension and modern history

the short answer is prolly 'no you can't get a perfect atar with both histories' but theres nothing stopping u from getting close to 99.95 :)
 

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
There are caps, to ensure scaling is done. In the grand scheme of the ATAR, scaled marks make up the aggregate. If 100 in General Maths gives you 50 aggregate, and 92 in MX2 gives you 50 aggregate, they are on level ground. So that's why a 100 in General Maths gets you like 44 or something.

Look at table A3, capped subjects is where the Max. Mark is 50, but the Max. Scaled Mark is not 50.
I have looked at the A3 table. It doesn't prove anything because it only gives "Maximum Scaled Mark" which means "maximum mark achieved" not "max mark achievABLE"

So to summarise Edwin you're wrong I'm right :p:karate:
 

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Ancient history won't help as much as history extension and modern history

the short answer is prolly 'no you can't get a perfect atar with both histories' but theres nothing stopping u from getting close to 99.95 :)
Misleading and incorrect.

I know a girl called on BoS jennieTalia who stopped going online in September 2009...she did the 2008 NSW HSC.

Well she did:

English (Advanced) - got a Band 6
English Extension 1 - got a Band E4
Studies of Religion I 1 unit - got a Band 6 equivalent

Electives:

  1. Ancient History (HSC Mark: 96)
  2. Modern History (HSC Mark: Band 5)
  3. Drama HSC Mark: Band 6
Her ATAR (MCK school published it): 96.20.

Her position in the (my) school: fifth in ATAR stakes. Made the "over 90's club" of 13 people. LOL that's how many were at the Last Supper :p

lucky number! :)


Anyways:

  • Ancient did more for her ATAR than Modern cuz "I liked Ancient way better and so got a better mark".
  • Modern History slightly bored her compared to Ancient. And she thought most people considered Ancient a better course
 

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Yeah, I picked my subjects before I knew of the scaling crap... then I realised about it, then laughed because I didn't need to change anything. Except Legal, but Legal is fun...
Scaling Noob alert.

Legal Studies scales quite well. And are you even in Year 11? Or are you in year 10? You know less than me about scaling
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 3)

Top