TISC Preferences After WACE Exams: A WA Parent's Guide

2 days ago

1 min read

Your Year 12 is about to sit their ATAR exams, and it is easy to think the university decisions are finished once the TISC application is in. They are not, and the weeks after the last exam are when a calm plan helps.

Here is what I suggest to the parents I work with:

Know the dates. The 2026 ATAR written exams run from 28 October to 19 November. ATAR results are released online at 8am on Sunday 20 December, and preferences can be added or rearranged until 11.59pm that same night, before main-round offers on 24 December.
Talk about Plan B now, not on results day. Agree on a second and third preference while things are calm. A course with a different entry score or a TAFE pathway can still lead towards the career they want.
Check preferences together. Ask your teen to log in to TISC and read their preferences to you. Is the order still what they want?
Remember there is a second round. Preferences reopen after main-round offers and close at 11.59pm on 13 January 2027, with second-round offers on 20 January.
Keep it in perspective. An ATAR is one number, not a verdict on your child.

You can check every date on the TISC Important Dates calendar and the SCSA ATAR examinations page.

Not sure which preferences make sense? Get in touch with me to talk it through, or book a Gold session (A$495) so we can map out the options before results day.