'The stress is over': NSW and ACT year 12s receive ATAR results

Thousands of students secured a place at university before the results were released through 14,000 early entry offers.

But it was a tense wait for the students who discovered on December 14 if their entry score would be sufficient to secure their dream tertiary course.

Dux of Presbyterian Ladies' College in Armidale, NSW, Chiyo Brown said despite her academic success the ATAR score was not her primary concern.

"It's not just about how well you did in the exams but how much effort you put in before that, I think that should be the bigger focus," she said.

"People say it comes down to a number but getting in the habit of putting in consistent work is going to be really valuable no matter what you're doing."

The talented pianist and violinist achieved an ATAR of 92.85 for her work studying chemistry, advanced maths, advanced English, English extension one and two, Japanese, Music two and extension.

"It's difficult for anyone to be 100 per cent happy with their HSC exams, it's a stressful time, but it was lovely to have a support network" at PLC and in the Armidale community, she said.

Year 12 student Lewis Shepherdson was awarded dux of the regional NSW school Farrer Memorial Agricultural School in Tamworth and said despite the hard work his HSC experience was a calm one.

"I had done a lot of prep beforehand so it wasn't a matter of staying up the night before trying to pump out a practice exam," he said.

"It wasn't really a stressful process at all."

Mr Shepherdson worked hard for his ATAR score of 99.45 by studying four hours each evening and nine on Sundays in the lead-up year.

Studying in regional Australia means Mr Shepherdson had "a lot less resources" than students in major cities.

But said he couldn't have "asked for a better support network, whether that be my teachers or my friends."

His teachers would spend time working one-on-one after classes and respond to his emails at any time of the night or day.

"It was really helpful to have teachers as dedicated as I was," he said.

Mr Shepherdson has cleared the 94 entry score hurdle for his target course commerce at the University of Melbourne where he plans to study in 2024.

Meanwhile Lismore year 12 student Mya Stanley soared to First in Class in two subjects: mathematics standard 2 and business services examination, despite the floods that devastated her hometown in February 2022.

And Zac Thompson was the pride of Illawarra after topping the state in the HSC subject investigating science.

In the state's Central Tablelands, Bathurst High School is celebrating its results as high achievers aim for careers in medicine and journalism.

In NSW and ACT 49 students received the highest possible ATAR of 99.95 including 12 female graduates and 37 male.

The high-scoring cohort "came from a mix of government and non-government schools and studied a wide range of courses", according to the University Admission Centre.

Students from 37 out of 116 courses managed to nab the highest score.

The median ATAR in NSW and ACT was slightly lower than in 2022 with an average score of 71.05.

They inched ahead of Victorian students who scored an average ATAR of 69.31.

More than 17 per cent of NSW and ACT students received a score of higher than 90.00 while 35 per cent scored at least 80.00 and 51.8 scored more than 70.00.

NSW Deputy Premier and education minister Prue Car congratulated the more than 67,000 students students receiving their results.

"I want to congratulate each and every student on this momentous achievement. Regardless of the outcome, you can all take pride in all your hard work," she said on X.

"Whether you choose to pursue further study at university or TAFE, train in a trade or start a new job, I wish you all the very best on your next step."

Universities Admissions Centre chief strategy and engagement officer Kim Paino told students not to "lose heart" if their ATAR was lower than desired.

"You can still leave your first preference in place because lowest selection ranks change from year to year," she said.

"If your ATAR is higher than you expected, think carefully about what you want to study in 2024."

Ms Paino said students should resist advice not to "waste" ATAR scores on a course with a lower selection rank than their entry score.

"It's your ATAR, so it's your choice," she said.

"Remember too that many students don't go straight into their first preference in their first year of tertiary study and instead start in a general degree and apply to transfer after a year of study."

NSW and ACT students are able to view their ATAR from 9am and will receive an email with a quick link to the login screen.

ATAR results were released state by state throughout December with Victorian and Tasmanian learning their entry scores earlier in the week.

Queensland students receive their results on December 15 followed by Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia on December 18.