Choosing the right Year 12 subjects and developing effective study habits is essential for students aiming to get into medicine. This guide breaks down ATAR requirements, subject prerequisites, and practical study tips to help you succeed.
Medical schools assess your ATAR against their mandatory ATAR requirements, which students must meet to be considered competitive applicants. Your ATAR ranks your achievement from 0 to 99.95 based on your individual subject results, comparing you with other students in your cohort.
This is why making informed decisions such as choosing subjects that align with your strengths and developing strong study habits can make a significant difference to your Year 12 results.
Let’s look at the top three exam study preparation tips that can elevate your chances of achieving a high ATAR and building a successful future in medicine.
When it comes to securing a high ATAR, it begins with strategic year 12 subject selection.
This includes choosing subjects you enjoy and are naturally good at, as you’ll perform better and stay motivated giving yourself the best chance of achieving a high ATAR. It’s also important to understand how your subjects are scaled and how scaling affects your ATAR, and to consider selecting subjects that may scale to your advantage.
Understand how many subjects contribute to your ATAR depending on your state
- VCE – Victorian Certificate of Education
- HSC – Higher School Certificate
- QCE – Queensland Certificate of Education
- WACE – Western Australian Certificate of Education
- SACE – South Australian Certificate of Education
- TASC – Tasmanian Certificate of Education
A good starting point is our article, Year 12 Subjects That Help With Medicine, which details the subject combinations that best prepare you for medical school coursework, the ATAR subjects that strengthen your application, and the self-directed study habits required in medicine.
The most important tip is selecting the correct high school subject prerequisites required for the medical school admission process as undergraduate medical schools across Australia have specific, mandatory ATAR requirements and subject prerequisites.
The table below can help guide your subject selection by showing the prerequisites for various undergraduate medical programs.
1. Be Proactive and Build Consistent Study Habits
Understanding your content on the day it’s taught prevents knowledge gaps from building up and reviewing content before class helps you stay ahead, and strengthens long term memory retention.
2. Prepare for Internal assessments, Tests and Exams with Past Papers
Using practice questions ensures you not only know the content but can apply it to different scenarios for deeper understanding. Find the study method that suits you best mind maps, flashcards, or teaching the concepts to someone else.
3. Learn From Your Mistakes
Don’t let one bad result stop you. Each assessment is a learning opportunity, and consistent effort always adds up.
4. Prioritise Your Mental Health
Study when you can without pushing yourself to burnout sacrificing your wellbeing will affect your grades more than taking a needed break. If you feel overwhelmed, reach out to teachers, friends or family. Using your support network is one of the strongest ways to stay on track.
Thank you for reading. We wish you the very best in your Year 12 studies, and remember Fraser’s is here to support you every step of the way as you work toward your future in medicine.
Where to Next?
Read more articles from our team
- Year 12 Subjects To Help With Medicine
- Undergraduate Medicine Guide to VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre)
- Undergraduate Medicine Application Guide
- Importance of The WACE Certificate for Year 12 Students
