No SATs or high fee: Australia brings ATAR board to Indian schools

Indian schools can now offer the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), marking the first time in over two decades that a foreign government-supported school board has begun operations in the country.
WACE, developed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) in Perth, is now recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) for both Class X and XII qualifications. That means WACE graduates from India are eligible for university admission across the country.
DPS North Bangalore, DPS East Bangalore, and Shaheen International School in Bidar are the first to adopt the WACE curriculum. Over the next three years, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) plans to partner with at least 100 schools across tier 1, 2, and 3 cities in India.
Business Standard spoke to Ange Smith, principal consultant for international education at the SCSA, and Syed Sultan Ahmed, chairperson of the Association of International Schools of India, to understand how WACE would benefit Indian students—particularly those looking to study abroad.
How WACE could benefit Indian students planning to study abroad
Global university access: Students receive an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), which is accepted by universities worldwide, including in Australia, the UK, and the US.
No additional entrance tests: ATAR combines school-assessed coursework and final exams—students don't need to take separate entrance exams like SAT, IELTS, TOEFL.
Eligibility for scholarships: Students opting to study in Western Australia can apply for the Premier's Bursary worth AUD 20,000 (about Rs 11.27 lakh).
Australian student ID: Each student receives a lifelong Western Australian student number, giving them preferential treatment during Australian university admissions—sometimes even as domestic applicants.
Familiarity with Australian education system: Studying under WACE helps students adapt more easily to university life in Australia.
ATAR offers global admission pathway
A key feature of the WACE programme is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), a score widely accepted by universities around the world.
'ATAR is globally recognised and is equivalent to senior secondary qualifications in Australia. Many universities provide equivalence charts comparing ATAR with IB and Cambridge. WACE students can use ATAR scores to apply not only in Australia but around the world,' said Ange.
Syed added, 'The ATAR consolidates certification and university eligibility. It's one system for both. Students also become eligible for a Premier's Bursary of AUD 20,000 ( approximately Rs 11.27 lakh) if they choose to study in Western Australia.'
Unlike other competitive exams, ATAR doesn't involve separate testing. 'Students don't sit an additional test—ATAR is based on both their school performance (50%) and a final exam (50%),' he said.
Familiarity with Australia gives students an edge
According to Syed, WACE students hold an advantage when applying to Australian universities.
'This means no cramming or excessive testing. It's a more balanced, skills-driven approach. In terms of visas, too, students from WACE schools often have an edge. They're already familiar with Australian educational processes and are even treated differently—often not as 'foreign' students—because they have an Australian student identification number,' he said.
Ange said, 'Our collaboration is aligned with the Indian government's goal of bringing global standards into local education. The model fits perfectly with NEP. And with Australia becoming a preferred destination—especially as Canada, the US, and the UK tighten rules—we expect more Indian students to consider Australia.'
Australia top choice for Indian students in 2025
Australia is now the leading overseas study destination for Indian students, edging ahead of the United States, according to a March 2025 survey by IDP Education.
The survey, based on responses from over 6,000 students including nearly 1,400 from India, found that:
28% chose Australia as their top preference
22% picked the United States
21% selected the United Kingdom
Canada fell to 13%, a six-point drop from March 2024
'Despite the rise in visa and tuition fees, Australia continues to see strong interest from Indian students. Many families approach it as a long-term investment, weighing factors like academic quality, post-study work rights, safety, and the overall student experience,' said Piyush Kumar, regional director at IDP Education.
Australia's position has also been helped by 15 of its universities making it to the QS World University Rankings 2025 top 200. Extended post-study work rights under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) have further boosted its appeal.
Affordable alternative to IB and Cambridge
WACE is pitched as a more cost-effective model for schools and families compared to other international boards.
'It's far more accessible than IB or Cambridge. While schools set the fees, the cost for them to run WACE is just 15–20% of what they'd pay other boards. That makes a quality international education reachable for the middle class in smaller towns too,' said Syed.
According to him, a CBSE school charging Rs 1–1.2 lakh annually can offer WACE with a 15–20% fee increase, opening up global opportunities without the Rs 45 lakh price tag often associated with the IB.
Ange said the board has been offering international programmes since 1987 and began global expansion in 2019. 'India has been one of the most rigorous but rewarding. After AIU approval, we focused on identifying partner schools in India,' she told Business Standard.
Curriculum designed to support local needs
WACE currently operates in 16 countries. In India, the board is developing a separate Class X board exam to meet specific state-level requirements.
'Some Indian states may require a 10th board certificate for transitions, so we are developing one specifically for this context,' said Ange.
The curriculum focuses on five subjects for Classes XI and XII, with an optional sixth. English is compulsory, but university admissions are based on the best four ATAR subjects.
'ATAR is based 50% on final exams and 50% on school-assessed coursework. This reduces pressure and supports consistent performance over two years,' she added.
The curriculum also integrates STEM from kindergarten through Year 10. 'Schools can introduce STEM-focused courses for Years 11–12, which count towards their WACE certification,' Ange said.
Although WACE currently does not have a separate vocational stream, schools can customise a non-exam-based general pathway in consultation with SCSA.
'Moreover, Australia excels at integrating sport with education. That kind of well-rounded, co-curricular emphasis is embedded in WACE too,' she said.
Scope for expansion in non-metro cities
WACE has already started in three schools—two in Bengaluru and one in Bidar, Karnataka. The goal is to expand to 100 schools in three years, with a focus on tier 2 and tier 3 towns.
'Most international schools are currently in metros—about 90%. There's enormous potential in industrial townships and lesser-known cities. Think Jamshedpur, Bhilai, Kanpur, Ranchi—even Uttarakhand,' said Syed.
He added that many schools in smaller cities have maxed out their growth potential under CBSE and are looking for ways to upgrade quality and brand value without sharp fee hikes.
Curriculum pillars
The WACE curriculum is built around seven core capabilities:
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and communication technology
Ethical understanding
Civic and social responsibility
Critical and creative thinking
Intercultural understanding
'Opportunity is at the centre of what we do. We love working with teachers, schools, and students to help them flourish. And because this is backed by the Australian government, support doesn't vary based on how much a school pays—unlike with many other international boards,' Ange told Business Standard.
The entry of WACE follows a string of education linkages between India and Australia, including the establishment of Deakin University and the University of Wollongong campuses—Australia's first foreign universities in India.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

43 minutes ago

• Time of India

India's next phase of growth must focus on per capita GDP: Report

India has overtaken several economies in terms of GDP over the past decade, but its citizens' per capita income remains poor. In that context, a report by Llama Research suggested that the next phase of India's growth must translate into individual prosperity. Manufacturing scale-up, digital formalisation, and rising income tiers are some of the reasons that are at India's advantage. Noting that India ranks the lowest on per capita income among the top 10 economies, Llama Research asserted, "This isn't a flaw, it's a window of compounding potential." Tech savvy population, solid policy, room for long-term capital formation, and macro stability are some other positives for India, according to the report. "India is not just rising in rank, it's building the foundations to lead from the ground up," Llama Research said in the report 'India's growth: Journey from size to strength'. Live Events To realise the vision of 'Viksit Bharat', a developed nation dream by 2047, India will need to achieve a growth rate of around 8 per cent at constant prices, on average, for about a decade or two, the Economic Survey document for 2024-25 tabled on January 31 asserted. India has made quite a turnaround, climbing the ladder of economic growth. This can be gauged from the 11th in 2013-14, India has positioned itself to become the fourth largest economy. Even as India has overtaken many countries in terms of the size of the economy over the past decade, the per capita income in India remains very low. In 2013, India was placed in the league of 'Fragile 5' economies. The term 'Fragile 5' was coined by a Morgan Stanley analyst and refers to a set of five emerging countries, including India, whose economies were not doing well. The other four countries were Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey. Currently, India is the fifth largest economy, and among the fastest-growing major economies. It is projected to remain so over the next few years, as many global agencies have anticipated. In the current financial year, India is set to overtake Japan to become the world's 4th largest economy, as projected by IMF. As was widely expected, the Indian economy grew by 6.5 per cent in real terms in the recently concluded financial year 2024-25. In 2023-24, India's GDP grew by an impressive 9.2 per cent. According to official data, the Indian economy grew 8.7 per cent and 7.2 percent, respectively, in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Time of India

44 minutes ago

• Time of India

Real estate becoming the new wealth-building avenue? Moneydhan founder shares emerging investment trend

While most Indian investors chase double-digit gains through mutual funds, a growing segment is quietly building wealth through strategic real estate bets — earning internal rates of return (IRR) as high as 18–22%, according to Sujith SS, founder of Moneydhan. In a detailed LinkedIn post, Sujith highlighted how India's emerging affluent are increasingly turning to early-stage property investments to outperform traditional assets. 'While mutual fund investors cheer a 12% CAGR over a decade, someone like Riya is silently clocking 18–22% IRR by compounding in hard assets,' he wrote, sharing insights from a real client case study. Check full post here While mutual fund investors celebrate 12% CAGR over 10 years… by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Riya quietly crosses 18–22% IRR by compounding hard assets . This is how India's new-age rich play the long game. Read more 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟬 Live Events A new branded project launches in Gurgaon. On paper, it's 36 months to possession. On the ground, it's just a hoarding and a sales office. But someone, let's call her Riya, books two units. Not one. Why? •••• She's buying early due to 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁. At launch, the flat costs ₹1.2 crore. Similar "ready to move" flats nearby, are going for ₹1.5 crore. That's a 20% discount, right from Day 1. Riya books it with a staggered payment plan: 🔹10 % now 🔹30% 1st milestone 🔹30% 2nd milestone 🔹30% final payment. No EMI yet. No loan disbursement. Just early commitment. 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮 ,𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗨𝗽 The tower is halfway up. The price has inched to ₹1.4 crore. Demand is growing. NRIs and HNIs enquire with the builder. Rental brokers want to know, when handover will happen. Riya watches quietly. 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟯 - 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱? Possession nears. The builder starts giving keys. The market value of her flat is now ₹1.75 crore!! She has two options 🔸Sell the unit and book a clean ₹50 lakh gain after all payments. 🔸Rent it out, earn 6% yield, and refinance against it at cheap rates. Guess what, She does both. Sells one, rents the other. ( she has 2 units remember) Money that came after selling is invested into a pre-leased commercial unit near NH8. That commercial unit starts giving her 8% annual returns from Day 1. --------- This isn't random is a structured wealth play. Over 7–10 years, Riya repeats this process 3–4 times. Each time ●• Buys early, before the crowd. ●• Waits for value to unlock. ●• Exits smartly or converts to rental income. ●• Moves profits into high-yield commercial assets. This was the real story for a client we have. He needs us to diversify now into equities and other liquid assets. And before you jump the gun, Read more... 🟧 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗻 𝟏. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 If the builder delays, your plan collapses. 𝟐. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 You're counting on 20–30% growth by possession. 𝟑. 𝗡𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 RERA is not as fast or effective as promised. 𝟒. 𝗘𝗻𝗱-𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 You need someone willing to pay premium for ready units. 𝟓. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 The shift from residance to pre-leased needs due diligence. 🟦 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲: 🔹 Bank Loans You start paying EMIs once disbursement begins, even if the flat is incomplete. 🔹 Registration & Stamp Duty 6–7% of property value reduces net gain. 🔹 Capital Gains Tax 20% with indexation if held over 2 years. 🔹 Rental Vacancies 1–2 months empty can shave off your yield. How people reacted? "Intensive capital is the key to invest into a real estate, atleast 10-15 lakhs," said one user. "As far as I know , some smart players made huge money in the booming Mumbai market , while May lost their shirts and pants in this game , since 2000s. So it is not something new . This was aided by the game of the builder financing your emi ( many ended up paying only emi and possession was a distant dream). There was a tacit support from banks also when disbursements were made not strictly on the basis of the progress of the project , aiding the unscrupulous promoters to divert the money instead of completing the project. My expectation from a responsible advisor like you is that such products are not recommended even with warning. People tend to ignore the warning or may not even understand the same," added another user.

India Today

an hour ago

• India Today

The new Indian beauty standard: What you should know

For years, professional makeup products carried the baggage of being inaccessible—either too complicated, too expensive, or too foreign. But that myth is now being dismantled. According to Bonish Jain, the focus has shifted to developing products that combine high performance with they're a college student, a working professional, or a beginner, users today want tools that are easy to use, effective, and trustworthy, without needing a beauty degree to figure them out. India Today spoke with Bonish Jain, Director and Founder, and Vaishnavi Jain, Head of Product Development at PAC Cosmetics, to understand how makeup that was once seen as 'too pro' is now becoming intuitive, inclusive, and proudly shift toward accessibility is reflective of a broader beauty movement in India: one that values ease, familiarity, and high-impact results at 'MADE FOR INDIA' REALLY LOOKS LIKEThe phrase "Made for India" is often used in branding, but truly applying it requires an understanding of nuance. For a makeup brand, that means taking into account not just undertones and skin shades, but also how the product wears in heat, humidity, or long workdays. Every aspect—from pigment payoff to texture to longevity—is informed by how Indians live and look. It also means challenging Eurocentric beauty standards and creating solutions grounded in local realities and consumers are incredibly value-conscious. But that doesn't necessarily mean they only shop by price. As Bonish points out, performance builds loyalty. Customers returned not because something was cheaper, but because it worked mindset has helped homegrown brands build genuine credibility. With rising competition in the beauty space, trust—earned through honest formulation and results—has become the most valuable INCLUSIVITY, NOT JUST CLAIMING ITInclusivity in Indian beauty is not a buzzword anymore—it's an expectation. And that means rigorous testing. Vaishnavi Jain shares that their approach involves multiple rounds of trials with both professional artists and real users from across idea is to ensure that a product doesn't just 'look good in theory,' but performs on a wide variety of skin tones and textures in daily life. It's this kind of feedback-driven development that allows products to feel authentic, relatable, and usable across geographies and RISE OF INGREDIENT-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERSToday's buyers want more than just a flawless finish—they want to know how that finish is achieved. What's in the formula? Is it safe? Does it offer skincare benefits too?This growing ingredient-consciousness signals a deeper shift in consumer behaviour: from trend-driven buying to science-backed decisions. Vaishnavi highlights that Indian consumers are now asking informed questions and seeking transparency around formulation, testing, and efficacy, especially in the makeup space, where skincare integration is becoming more FROM NICHE TO NECESSITYWhile sustainable packaging is still emerging in the Indian beauty market, it is no longer a distant goal—it's on the radar. As Vaishnavi notes, there's a steady rise in awareness about waste, material usage, and environmental footprint. Even if not mainstream yet, sustainability is expected to become an integral part of brand strategies going shift also mirrors changes in global beauty ecosystems, where brands are now judged as much on their values as on their is not a monolith—it's a mosaic of skin tones, traditions, and beauty practices. To build a brand that resonates nationally, understanding these regional nuances is Bonish puts it, beauty in India is diverse in its expression. From dewy minimalist looks in the metros to vibrant bridal palettes in smaller towns, cultural relevance drives emotional connection. And this is what allows a product to feel personal, not Indian beauty consumer is evolving—curious, confident, and clear about what they want. And the most successful brands are the ones listening closely. Whether it's inclusivity in shades, transparency in formulation, or relevance in design, what's emerging is a makeup movement that feels intuitive, inclusive, and unapologetically more Indian-led innovations enter the mainstream, the message is clear: professional makeup no longer belongs only to backstage artists or influencers. It belongs to everyone—one brushstroke at a time. advertisement