Cookie Policy

Last updated: July 31, 2025

Introduction

At ATAR Calculator, we believe in transparency about how we collect and use data when you use our academic planning tool. This Cookie Policy explains how and why we use cookies and similar technologies on our website to provide you with the best ATAR calculation experience while protecting your privacy.

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone) when you visit our ATAR Calculator website. These files contain information that helps us provide you with a better experience by:

Remembering your calculation preferences and state selection settings
Ensuring our ATAR calculator functions properly across all devices
Analyzing how users interact with our ATAR calculation tools
Improving the performance and accuracy of our service
Providing academic themes suitable for educational planning

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Always Active)

These cookies are necessary for our ATAR Calculator to function properly and cannot be disabled:

Security Cookies: Protect against malicious activity and ensure safe browsing for students
Session Management: Maintain your ATAR calculation session and prevent loss of data
Load Balancing: Ensure optimal performance of our ATAR calculation service
Error Prevention: Help us identify and prevent technical issues during calculation generation
Data Privacy: Ensure your academic data remains private and secure

Functional Cookies (Optional)

These cookies enhance your experience with our ATAR calculator:

Calculation Preferences: Remember your state selection, subject choices, and scaling preferences
Display Settings: Save your preferred academic theme and accessibility settings
Recent Calculations: Store your calculation preferences for easy access (stored locally only)
Feature Exploration: Remember which ATAR calculation features you've used
Language Settings: Remember your preferred language for international users

Analytics Cookies (Optional)

These cookies help us understand how users interact with our ATAR calculation tool:

Usage Analytics: Track which ATAR calculation features are most popular (anonymized data only)
Performance Monitoring: Measure calculation speeds and identify areas for improvement
Educational Effectiveness: Understand how our tool helps with academic planning insights
Privacy Analysis: Ensure our content remains secure and private
Accessibility Insights: Improve our service for users with different needs

Academic Enhancement Cookies (Optional)

These cookies may be used to provide relevant ATAR calculation content:

Academic Personalization: Show relevant ATAR insights based on usage patterns
Educational Tips: Display helpful information about ATAR calculation interpretation
Feature Announcements: Notify you about new ATAR calculation features and tools
Academic Updates: Provide insights for HSC changes and university requirement updates

How We Protect Your Academic Privacy

No Personal Academic Data in Cookies

IMPORTANT: We never store personal academic information, calculation data, or ATAR results in cookies. All ATAR calculations in our calculator happen locally in your browser and are never transmitted to our servers. We especially protect your personal privacy in accordance with international privacy guidelines.

Privacy-Safe Data Practices

We only collect the minimum data necessary to provide our ATAR calculation service:

Calculator preferences and settings (no personal academic data)
Technical information for website functionality
Anonymous usage patterns to improve ATAR calculation accuracy
Error logs to fix technical issues (no personal information)
Privacy monitoring to ensure secure academic planning

Third-Party Services

Educational Analytics

We may use trusted, privacy-focused third-party services to help us understand how our ATAR calculation tool is being used:

Anonymous Analytics: Provides secure website usage statistics
Performance Monitoring: Helps us identify and fix technical issues
Security Services: Protect against malicious activity and maintain academic privacy
Educational Research: Anonymous data to improve ATAR calculation accuracy

Content Delivery

We use content delivery networks (CDNs) to ensure fast loading of our academic interface:

Static asset delivery (educational images, CSS, JavaScript files)
Geographic load balancing for optimal performance worldwide
Security protection and privacy-focused content filtering

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Academic Cookie Controls

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Here's how to manage cookies in popular browsers:

Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions

Cookie Consent Management

When you first visit our ATAR Calculator, you can choose which types of cookies to accept:

Accept All: Enable all cookies for the best ATAR calculation experience
Essential Only: Use only necessary cookies (may limit some calculation features)
Custom Settings: Choose specific cookie categories that suit your academic needs
Manage Preferences: Change your settings at any time for ongoing control

Impact of Disabling Cookies

Essential Cookies Disabled

If you disable essential cookies, you may experience:

Security warnings or reduced protection for your academic data
Loss of ATAR calculation session data and preferences
Potential functionality issues with our ATAR calculation tools
Inability to save calculation preferences or accessibility settings

Functional Cookies Disabled

Disabling functional cookies may result in:

Need to re-select calculation preferences each visit
Loss of personalized state and subject settings
Inability to maintain consistent ATAR calculation configurations
Default academic theme and language settings only

Analytics Cookies Disabled

Your ATAR calculation experience won't be affected, but we won't be able to:

Understand which academic features are most helpful
Identify areas for improving the calculation experience
Track performance issues that might affect ATAR calculations
Optimize the educational value of our tool

Cookie Retention and Deletion

Automatic Expiration

Different cookies have different lifespans to protect your academic privacy:

Session Cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
Calculation Preference Cookies: Stored for up to 6 months
Educational Analytics Cookies: Stored for up to 1 year
Security Cookies: Stored for the duration of your session

Manual Deletion

You can delete cookies at any time by:

Clearing your browser data and cookies
Using private/incognito browsing mode
Adjusting your cookie preferences on our website
Using browser extensions that manage cookies

Mobile and Tablet Considerations

Our academic, touch-friendly interface works great on mobile devices. Similar data collection principles apply across all devices:

Calculation preferences and ATAR settings storage
Anonymous usage analytics for educational improvement
Privacy-focused error reporting and performance monitoring
Academic content delivery optimization

Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect:

Improvements in academic privacy protection
New ATAR calculation features in our calculator
Updated privacy regulations and best practices
Enhanced academic security measures

We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date.

Legal Compliance and Academic Protection

Our cookie practices comply with privacy protection and academic security laws:

GDPR: European Union General Data Protection Regulation
CCPA: California Consumer Privacy Act
PECR: UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
International Standards: Global best practices for educational and academic services
Privacy by Design: Built-in protection for academic data

Contact Us About Cookies

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Academic Privacy: [email protected]
Cookie Questions: [email protected]

Your Academic Rights

Regarding cookies and data collection, you have the right to:

Know: Understand what cookies we use and why
Choose: Accept or decline non-essential cookies
Access: Request information about your cookie data
Delete: Remove cookies from your device at any time
Academic Protection: Special protections for educational and personal data
Withdraw Consent: Change your cookie preferences easily

Remember: Our primary goal is to provide you with a safe, accurate, and enlightening ATAR calculation experience. We use cookies responsibly to enhance your experience with our ATAR Calculator while protecting your academic privacy and maintaining the highest standards of educational security.

For more information about how we protect your personal data, please also review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.