The Overall Position (OP) was a tertiary entrance rank used in Queensland, Australia to guide selection into universities. Like similar systems used throughout the rest of Australia, the OP shows how well a student has performed in their senior secondary studies compared with all other OP-eligible students in Queensland. The system was introduced in 1992 and ended with the 2019 cohort.[1]
The OP is calculated and used similarly to the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in other states. Instead of being a percentile rank (0.00 - 99.95), however, OPs are measured on a scale from 1 to 25, where 1 is the highest and 25 is the lowest. This range of possible results is bell curved so the percentage of students receiving the very highest and very lowest results is much less common than those receiving mid-range OPs. In 2018, 733 students received an OP1, according to Minister for Education Grace Grace. 49.7% of Queensland high school students were eligible to obtain an OP in 2018.[2]
A table is produced in conjunction with other tertiary authorities to allow conversion between Overall Position, ATAR, Universities Admission Index, SAT, and the A-Level scales.
From 2020, the OP rank was replaced with the ATAR, bringing Queensland in-line with all other Australian states and territories.