Western Australia's academic elite are celebrating after the release of Year 12 results, with a select group of eighteen students securing the highest possible Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.
A Handful of Perfect Scores
Out of 10,265 students who received an ATAR after completing at least four subjects, only 18 school leavers attained the coveted rank of 99.95. This remarkable achievement places them in the top 0.05 per cent of all their peers across the state. The results, released on Friday night, highlight the extraordinary effort of these teenagers.
This year's cohort marks a shift from 2024, where all top-scoring students were boys. In 2025, six young women joined twelve young men in reaching the pinnacle rank. The majority of these high achievers, thirteen in total, came from the public school system, with a significant contingent from selective schools.
Selective School Success and Future Goals
Perth Modern School, Western Australia's only fully academically selective public school, was a standout performer. Ten of the perfect scores came from its cohort, including the school's dux, Aakash Jois. The remaining five top-scorers attended private institutions.
For Aakash, 17, checking his results brought a wave of relief and happiness. "There's probably a bit of relief that all the hours I've put in have paid off," he said. Like many of his fellow top-achievers, Aakash has set his sights on a career in medicine, pending the outcome of interviews and aptitude tests.
"I just like the learning aspect of (medicine), given that you can continue learning for the rest of your life," he explained. "And I think being able to do that while having a direct impact on people's lives is something that really drew me towards it." He noted that his focus intensified in the lead-up to Year 12, after earlier years where sports and other activities took precedence.
Understanding the ATAR and Top Subjects
The ATAR is a ranking number between 0 and 99.95 that indicates a student's position relative to all other Year 12-aged individuals in WA. The highest rank is 99.95 because the score increments in steps of 0.05; a rank of 100 is impossible as it would require a student to outperform everyone, including themselves.
Andrew Crevald, chief executive of the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre, provided insight into the subjects that correlated with high achievement. For school leavers in the most popular courses, the highest median ATARs were found in:
- Mathematics Specialist (97.00)
- Mathematics Methods (92.55)
- Chemistry (90.80)
- Physics (90.60)
- Literature (88.95)
These results underscore the academic rigour and dedication required to reach the very top of the state's graduating class.
