From next year, students that score 39 or less in the Baccalaureate will receive a lower universities admissions index score than in the past, SMH reports.

In a market where every UAI point to 100 can decide whether a student can take on a top subject at an elite Aussie uni, the new rule will be vicious. A score of 30 will equate to a UAI of 86.25, instead of 90.4, awarded to last year’s candidates.

The regional International Baccalaureate representative for Australasia, Greg Valentine, said the revised UAI scale failed to recognise the breadth and rigour of the Baccalaureate. “It flies in the face of what is happening worldwide,” he said.

SMH reports Professor George Cooney, who chairs the Technical Scaling Committee, responsible for UAI calculations in NSW, claims the new rules merely brings NSW into line with Queensland and Victoria.