How to choose Year 11 and Year 12 subjects

Choose Year 11 and Year 12 subjects by checking four things: what you want to study, how you will be assessed, what your school offers and which prerequisites you need. Scaling belongs in that discussion, but it cannot tell you whether a subject suits you.

The ATARMAxxing subject selector puts subject content, assessment information and planning checks together. You can compare options before taking a plan to your school. You do not need a career picked out or an account to start.

Start with your actual curriculum

A subject name can sound familiar across states while its content and rules differ. Start in the tool for the qualification you will study:

• VCE subject selection for Victoria
• HSC subject selection for New South Wales
• QCE subject selection for Queensland
• WACE subject selection for Western Australia
• SACE subject selection for South Australia
• NTCET subject selection for the Northern Territory
• TCE subject selection for Tasmania
• ACT subject selection

Read the qualification guidance beside the subject profiles. Completing a certificate, qualifying for an ATAR and meeting a university course prerequisite are separate checks. A list of subjects does not settle all three.

Compare the work, not just the subject names

Open a few subjects you are considering and compare them. Look at the topics, assessment tasks and the kind of work described. A subject with extended writing asks something different of you from one built around problem solving, practical work or a major project.

Make your comparison concrete. If two subjects interest you, ask which topics you would want to work on each week and which assessment formats let you show what you know. The challenge notes are prompts for that discussion, not a prediction of your mark.

For subjects with resources on the site, open the linked hub and read a sample. Seeing an explanation or practice task gives you something specific to discuss with a teacher. The Year 11 and Year 12 resource directory keeps year levels labelled so you can check the right course.

Check prerequisites for the year you will enter university

Use the university course finder to compare published requirements, then open the official course source. Check the intended intake year, required subjects, minimum results and any additional selection tasks. A current course listing may not settle the requirements for a later intake.

The selector only runs exact prerequisite checks for a limited set of verified examples. Unverified means you still need to check; it does not mean there is no requirement. The sources and coverage page explains those limits. Our guide to comparing university entry requirements shows how to read the different figures.

Use scaling as context

A historical scaling number describes a particular year and statistic. It is not a bonus promised to you for choosing that subject. Read the source labels in the profiles and use the scaling guide to understand what the figures mean.

Do not replace a subject you can work at consistently with one you dislike just because a table looks attractive. Put prerequisites, your strengths, interest and workload beside the historical data before deciding.

Take a plan and specific questions to your school

1. Build a shortlist and compare the subjects you are genuinely considering.
2. Use the planning view to organise the Year 11 and Year 12 sequence.
3. Write down every unknown prerequisite or qualification check.
4. Ask your school about availability, timetable clashes, eligibility and the process for changing a subject.
5. Print or export the plan so you can discuss the same version together.

The curriculum tools include private save, import, export and print controls. Read their privacy and expiry information before saving on a shared device. Keep an exported copy somewhere you control if you need to return to the plan later.

ATARMAxxing is independent of the curriculum and admissions authorities. Its subject profiles help you prepare the questions; your school and the current official sources confirm the requirements.