To apply through QTAC, create an account in the QTAC Application Portal, add up to six course preferences in order, submit the application and pay the fee. QTAC then gives you one offer per offer round, for the highest preference you are eligible for. As of October 2026 applications for 2027 entry are open, the cheaper Year 12 fee band closed on 30 September, and you can still apply. The first two offer rounds after ATARs are released on 18 December are Wednesday 23 December 2026 and Thursday 14 January 2027.
This page follows the journey for a Year 12 school leaver heading to 2027 entry, from the application to deferral and what to do if the offer you want does not arrive. How your selection rank is built from your ATAR and adjustment factors has its own article, QTAC selection rank and adjustment factors. Every date and fee below is as of October 2026 and comes from QTAC or from a university repeating QTAC's dates. QTAC updates its pages through the cycle, so confirm on qtac.edu.au before you act.
How do I apply through QTAC?
QTAC is one application for 17 institutions in Queensland and northern New South Wales. Its own summary is six steps.
Research the courses
Use QTAC's Course Search to find each course's code, entry requirements and offer round. Check prerequisites first, because without them you are not considered whatever your ATAR; choosing Year 11 subjects explains how they work.
Create one account, with a personal email
Register in the QTAC Application Portal. QTAC says not to use a school email, that an account can only be unlocked by an identity check over the phone, and that duplicate applications are not refunded.
Add your preferences
Search by name or course code, select Add, and build a list of up to six. The order matters, as below.
Complete your details and education
A Queensland Year 12 student enters their LUI (Learner Unique Identifier); QTAC says the form will not accept an Education Queensland ID or a USI. If documents are needed, QTAC emails you after you lodge and you upload them in the portal.
Submit and pay
QTAC says it will not process your application until it receives payment, and an unpaid fee is one of the reasons it lists for not receiving an offer.
Keep checking the portal
Log back in to watch the status beside each preference and the Alerts tab. Preferences, documents and offers all run through this login.
What if I am past 30 September?
You can still apply. QTAC's fee schedule has the lower Year 12 fee ending on 30 September and a higher fee running from 1 October to 28 February 2027, so 30 September is a fee date, not a closing date for applications. A QTAC news post from September 2025 called last year's lower fee the “early bird” fee, with an “early bird deadline”, and told applicants who had not yet applied “it’s not too late!”
Those are QTAC's figures for current Year 12 students, as of October 2026, and UQ repeats them. Other applicants pay a different schedule, so see QTAC's fees page for current fees. Being past 30 September changes the fee, and QTAC says “Some courses have fixed closing dates, so be sure to apply on time.” Two kinds of date matter more now.
- The due date for the round you want. As of October 2026 QTAC's table lists Monday 7 December 2026 for both the 23 December and 14 January rounds and Tuesday 8 December for the 21 and 28 January rounds, and UQ gives 7 December for January. QTAC's Application Services and How to Apply pages instead say “the due date of 8 December 2026”, so plan to 7 December, which meets both. QTAC calls such dates “guidelines” that “do not guarantee applicants will receive an offer or be assessed in time for the Offer Round”.
- A fixed closing date on your course. QTAC lists these on its institution dates page. As of October 2026 examples include UQ's Doctor of Medicine provisional entry for school leavers (“QTAC applications and changes of preferences close 30 September 2026”, already passed) and UQ's Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) on 30 October 2026.
How does QTAC preference order work?
You can list up to six preferences, and UQ's guide to the process notes they can be from different universities. QTAC says its system “lines up your preferences in light of your ATAR/selection rank”, and states the offer rule this way.
In practice QTAC works down your list from preference 1. The first course where you meet the entry requirements, and your selection rank is high enough in that round, is the course you are offered, and you are not offered the courses below it in that round. QTAC's FAQ says “your course preferences are considered in the order you list them.” Your selection rank for a course is your ATAR plus any adjustments that course allows, the subject of the selection rank article.
QTAC says “Using all 6 preferences maximises your chances of receiving an offer”, and suggests a structure for the six.
| Preferences | Role | What QTAC suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Desired courses | The courses you most want to study |
| 3 and 4 | Back-up courses | Less competitive courses you still want to study |
| 5 and 6 | Pathway courses | Courses that let you upgrade into a course you really want |
The second rule: order by offer round date
Courses are not all offered in the same round. QTAC says to put courses in different rounds in chronological order, sooner above later, and warns: “If you list mid-year intakes above semester one intakes, you will only be considered for these semester two courses.” A January 2025 QTAC blog post on missing out adds that if your first preference “is for a future round not a current one, your application will not have been considered in today's offer round.”
An invented illustration: in the January round you meet the entry requirements and selection rank for preference 3 but not for 1 or 2. You get one offer, for preference 3, and none for 4 or 5. A Semester 2 course at preference 6 stays last because its round comes last. Whether 1 and 2 stay alive in later rounds depends on how you respond, covered below.
How do I change my QTAC preferences?
Log in, open your preference list, reorder it by dragging, add or delete courses, then save and confirm. QTAC's help pages label the button differently (“Change preferences” on its FAQ, “Edit Courses” on Application Services), so follow what you see. QTAC says you cannot change preferences on a smartphone.
QTAC says you can change preferences “as many times as you like, both before and after receiving an offer”. The cost is the catch: “The first three times you click the ‘save’ button are free; subsequent changes will incur a fee”, and as of October 2026 its schedule shows $75 from the fourth change. Decide your order, then change it once.
The other limit is time. QTAC turns the change service off before the big rounds, and it “will reopen once offers have been released”. As of October 2026 the last moments to change are noon on Monday 21 December 2026 for the 23 December round and 11:45pm on Thursday 7 January 2027 for the 14 January round.
Your QTAC year at a glance
As of October 2026, from QTAC's key dates and institution pages:
- 4 Aug to 30 Sep 2026
Applications for 2027 entry open on 4 August. The lower Year 12 fee band ends on 30 September.
- October to late November
Early rounds run, and some institutions use them for Year 12 early offers made before ATARs are released. Your QCAA exams fall in the same weeks; see the 2026 external assessment timetable.
- Mon 7 Dec 2026
QTAC's due date to apply and submit documents for the December and January rounds.
- Results, then Fri 18 Dec
QCAA results come first, described under Results day. QTAC releases ATARs at 9:00 am on 18 December.
- Wed 23 Dec 2026
The December round: preferences lock at noon on Monday 21 December, offers come from 11:00 am, and the response date is Wednesday 30 December.
- Thu 14 Jan 2027
The January round: preferences lock at 11:45 pm on Thursday 7 January, offers come from 8:30 am, and the response date is Monday 18 January.
- 21 Jan onwards
Further rounds fill remaining places. QTAC lists first-term classes starting on 22 February at UQ and 1 March at ACU and Griffith.
QTAC offer round dates for 2027 entry
An offer round is a date on which offers are released. QTAC says it runs over 30 across the admissions year and that institutions choose how many to join. This is QTAC's table from its key info page, as of October 2026, trimmed to the rounds from now to mid-February; a dash means QTAC lists no date. The 1 October round, with a response date of 5 October, is already past, and the full table continues to 24 June 2027.
| Offer round | Apply and submit documents by | Last change of preferences | Offers released | Respond by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 9 Oct 2026 | – | – | from 2:00 pm | Tue 13 Oct |
| Fri 16 Oct 2026 | – | – | from 2:00 pm | Tue 20 Oct |
| Fri 23 Oct 2026 | – | – | from 2:00 pm | Tue 27 Oct |
| Fri 20 Nov 2026 | Thu 5 Nov | – | from 8:30 am | Fri 27 Nov |
| Wed 23 Dec 2026 | Mon 7 Dec | Mon 21 Dec, 12:00 pm | from 11:00 am | Wed 30 Dec |
| Thu 14 Jan 2027 | Mon 7 Dec | Thu 7 Jan, 11:45 pm | from 8:30 am | Mon 18 Jan |
| Thu 21 Jan 2027 | Tue 8 Dec | – | from 8:30 am | Mon 25 Jan |
| Thu 28 Jan 2027 | Tue 8 Dec | – | from 8:30 am | Mon 1 Feb |
| Thu 4 Feb 2027 | Mon 25 Jan | – | from 2:00 pm | Mon 8 Feb |
| Thu 11 Feb 2027 | Mon 1 Feb | – | from 2:00 pm | Mon 15 Feb |
QTAC says its “two busiest rounds” occur “at the end of the year and the beginning of the following year, during which most institutions make offers”, but it does not name them. We bolded 23 December and 14 January because they are the first two rounds after ATAR release in QTAC's table and the only two with a preference-change cut-off before the 3 June round. UQ, for one, calls 14 January 2027 “the main university offer round” for Semester 1 and describes a December round “just after ATARs are released”. That is our reading, not a QTAC label, and many institutions also make offers in other rounds, such as the early rounds below. Find the dates for your own courses in Course Search or on QTAC's institution listings.
What happens when results and your ATAR arrive?
You do not send QTAC your ATAR. QTAC says that if you complete Year 12 in Queensland in 2026 and are eligible, “your ATAR will be taken into account when QTAC calculates your selection rank”. Your QCAA results arrive first, covered in the Results day section of our external assessment article, and how QTAC turns them into an ATAR is in how the Queensland ATAR is calculated.
Your job on the day is narrower. Select the Details button beside each preference, where QTAC shows each entry requirement as satisfied or not, then compare your ATAR with what you know of each course. For a rough preview before results, the ATAR calculator gives an estimate, never your official ATAR.
How do I accept, defer or decline an offer?
QTAC notifies you by email, and may also send an SMS. Its FAQ says you “generally only have four days to respond”, and the table's respond-by dates run from four to seven days after release, so the exact deadline is the one on your notification. Log in to Application Services, choose Accept, Reject or Defer (Defer only where the course allows it), then select your response again to confirm. The choice that matters is outright or conditional.
Outright response
QTAC: “An outright response (accept, defer or reject) finalises your response to the offer. Once you respond outright, you will no longer be considered for higher preferences in future offer rounds.”
Conditional response
QTAC: “A conditional response allows you to accept your offer while remaining eligible to be considered for higher course preferences in future offer rounds. If you receive an offer for a higher preference in the same semester, your new offer will replace your previous offer.”
For an offer below your first preference, the portal asks whether to “Reserve the offer, but still wish to be considered for higher preferences”, which is a conditional response. A first-preference offer cannot be conditional, because nothing sits above it; QTAC says to reorder your preferences before the next round if you want to stay eligible for other courses. Declining is final: “By declining your offer outright, you notify QTAC that you no longer wish to study or be considered for any other preferences.”
How does deferral work, and what does it commit you to?
QTAC's FAQ says: “Deferring an offer allows you to put your start date on hold for a 12-month period.” It adds that “Some institutions don't allow deferment, or don't allow deferment for certain courses.” Defer appears as a response only when the course permits it, and QTAC says “Rules for course deferral vary by institution.” For a shorter or longer period than 12 months, its FAQ says to discuss your options with the institution. As of October 2026 its Offer Support page gives these examples.
| Institution | What QTAC's Offer Support page says |
|---|---|
| The University of Queensland | Up to one year for a Semester 1 offer, except where a program is being discontinued and in its final intake. |
| QUT | Eligible, except courses with audition, interview, portfolio or questionnaire requirements, and some others, such as courses not offered the following year. |
| Griffith University | Most undergraduate programs can usually delay starting for up to one year, but not all programs allow it. |
| Australian Catholic University | Any course except Foundation Studies, for a maximum of 12 months, with applications until Tuesday 30 March 2027, the Semester 1 census date. |
| CQUniversity | “You cannot defer a course offer with CQUniversity.” Some courses may let you start in a later term, but only a limited number, depending on unit availability. |
What does a deferral commit you to? QTAC's pages are brief, so the answer comes from its response rules and the institution entries.
- Deferring outright finalises your response. QTAC counts defer with accept and reject as an outright response, which ends consideration for higher preferences. If you are still hoping for one, respond conditionally; QTAC says each response option can accept, decline or defer where the course allows deferment.
- It can need a second step. Southern Cross University says to use the deferment option when responding to the QTAC offer and also submit a request to the university, and UNE says to send a request through AskUNE. UQ says the most common protocol is to defer through QTAC and wait for the university to contact you with conditions.
- It points at next year's intake. Several institutions say you do not need to reapply through QTAC the following year.
- Changing your mind later has limits. UQ says some Queensland universities allow deferral after you have accepted, so ask the admissions team directly, and that it cannot change an offer response after classes have started.
What if I don't get an offer, or it isn't my first choice?
Missing an offer in one round is not the end. QTAC's guidance says offers keep being made through January and February, in order of merit, and places can open up because not every applicant accepts. Start with the reason.
- Select Details beside each preference. QTAC shows “Not Satisfied” where an entry requirement, such as a prerequisite, has not been met.
- Compare your selection rank with the course's latest minimum selection threshold, as a guide rather than a promise.
- Check the mechanics QTAC lists: an unpaid fee, preferences ordered incorrectly (including a later-round course placed first), or an application lodged too close to the round. If you still cannot tell, call QTAC on 1300 467 822.
Then act. Reorder or add preferences for the next round, including less competitive and pathway courses. If you received a lower preference, QTAC advises responding conditionally, because if you don't respond and don't receive an offer in a future round “you may miss out on studying at university this year.” If a later offer replaces it after you have enrolled, QTAC says you can accept the new offer first, but follow the first institution's withdrawal procedure by the appropriate census date or you will be charged fees.
If this feels heavy, talk to your school's careers adviser or guidance officer, and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) says it is there 24/7.
What can parents and guardians do?
The application is the student's, and QTAC deals with the applicant, but a parent or guardian can carry the logistics. For the wider picture, see our parent's guide to QCAA senior assessment.
- As of October 2026, put 7 December, 18 December, noon on 21 December and each response date in a shared calendar.
- Check the fee is paid, the account uses a personal email the student keeps, and the ATAR account exists as well as the application.
- Agree the if-then plan for the ATAR weekend before the ATAR exists.
- Ask QTAC how its “authorised person” details work before calling on the student's behalf; the setting appears in QTAC's list of things an applicant can update.
- Plan for the holidays: as of October 2026 the 23 December offer needs a response by 30 December.
Let the student own the decisions about courses and responses, and make sure nothing lapses by accident. QTAC's Remind Me service for Year 12 is its tips-and-reminders service, which QTAC's Application Services page says to sign up for.
