ATARNotes+ is a subscription-style library from ATAR Notes: course notes, topic tests, flashcards, text guides, videos and trial exams for VCE, HSC, QCE and WACE. AusGrader is a bank of real past exam questions with official marking criteria, where you write an answer and get it marked. They sound similar, but they do different jobs. One helps you learn and revise the content. The other helps you practise the real thing and find out what your answer was worth.
Disclosure: this post is written by AusGrader. ATAR Notes runs a big free community (forums and free resources) that many students rely on, and we have a lot of respect for it. We have done our best to represent ATARNotes+ accurately and fairly, using publicly listed product details at the time of writing. If anything is out of date, please reach out and we will correct it promptly.
1. The Short Answer
ATARNotes+ is mostly ATAR Notes' own written content: notes, tests, flashcards, guides, videos and Neap trial exams, all read online. It is built to help you learn and revise a course.
AusGrader is built around practice. You work through official past exam questions from VCAA, NESA, QCAA and SCSA, type or photograph your handwritten answer, and get it marked against the official marking criteria.
Learning the content and practising exam answers are two separate steps. ATARNotes+ is strong on the first. AusGrader is built for the second. Plenty of students will want both.
2. At a Glance
| ATARNotes+ | AusGrader | |
|---|---|---|
| Main content | Course notes, topic tests, flashcards, text guides, course videos, Neap trial exams with solutions and marking guides | Official past exam questions by topic, sample answers, official marking criteria, multiple-choice explanations, study guides |
| Boards | VCE, HSC, QCE, WACE, Years 7 to 12 | VCE, HSC, QCE, WACE (SACE coverage is limited) |
| Subject coverage | Broad, including English and Maths | 14 VCE, 19 QCE and 12 WACE subjects (sciences, maths, business, humanities, PE). HSC today is Biology, Chemistry and Physics only. English for VCE, HSC and WACE arrives in 2027 |
| AI | AnswerBot add-on, which explains content | AI grading of your answers against the official criteria |
| Marks your answer | No. You self-mark topic tests against suggested solutions | Yes, typed or a photo of your handwriting. Self-marking is coming soon |
| Price | One-time payment, starting from around $59 for a 3-month pass at the time of writing. Longer passes and add-ons cost more | Free questions and answers. Unlimited grading is $100 one-time for 2026 ($50 in NSW) or $150 for 2027 Access |
| Free option | Yes, the free ATAR Notes forums and resources | Yes, including 10 AI-graded answers |
| Format | Online reader, no printing or download | Web, iOS and Android |
3. What ATARNotes+ Does Well
ATAR Notes has helped a lot of students over the years, and the free forums and resources are a big part of that. ATARNotes+ builds on the same strengths: notes written for students, by people who know how the courses are assessed.
The breadth is the main draw. One pass covers VCE, HSC, QCE and WACE across Years 7 to 12, with notes, topic tests, flashcards, text guides and course videos in one place. Neap trial exams come with solutions and marking guides, which is useful when you want a full paper under exam conditions.
It is also a one-time payment that does not auto-renew, which is a fair way to charge. If you need to learn or relearn a topic, especially in English or Maths, it is a strong option.
4. AnswerBot vs AI Grading
Both products use AI, but for different things. ATAR Notes describes AnswerBot as a custom AI trained on over 100,000 pages of ATAR Notes books. You ask it a question and it explains content. It is an optional add-on, and it does not mark your answers.
AusGrader's AI does the opposite job. You write an answer to a real past exam question, typed or a photo of your handwriting, and it marks it against the official marking criteria, showing where you gained and lost marks. It is not there to teach you the topic. It is there to tell you what your answer was worth.
If you are stuck on a concept, an explainer like AnswerBot is the right tool. If you want to know whether your answer would get 3 marks or 5, you need something that marks. For a wider look at AI tools, see our comparison of AI study tools for Australian students.
5. Real Past Exams vs Publisher-Written Practice
Neap trial exams and ATARNotes+ topic tests are good practice. They are written by experienced teachers, they come with solutions, and they are a sensible way to build stamina. But they are not the board's own questions or the board's own marking.
AusGrader uses the official past questions from VCAA, NESA, QCAA and SCSA, with the official marking criteria attached. That matters because the way a board words a question, and the way it awards marks, is exactly what you will face in the real exam.
There is a second difference. With topic tests, you compare your answer to the suggested solutions and decide your own mark. That works, but it is easy to be too generous or too harsh on yourself. We cover that in how to mark your own practice exams. On AusGrader, grading is done for you, handwriting included, and topic analytics show where your marks are going. You can also build custom timed tests (3 downloads are free).
6. Subject Coverage, Honestly
AusGrader covers 14 VCE, 19 QCE and 12 WACE subjects today: sciences, maths, business, humanities and PE. In HSC we cover Biology, Chemistry and Physics only, and we are expanding to Maths, English, Social Sciences (HSIE) and PDHPE. English for VCE, HSC and WACE arrives in 2027. Browse what is live on the VCE, HSC, QCE and WACE pages.
If you need HSC English or Maths today, ATARNotes+ covers them and we do not yet.
ATARNotes+ also reaches further than us in other ways, with Years 7 to 12 and a wider spread of subjects. If your subject is not on our list, check what we have before you pay for anything, and use ATARNotes+ or the free ATAR Notes forums in the meantime.
7. Price
ATARNotes+ is a one-time payment, starting from around $59 for a 3-month pass at the time of writing, with longer passes and add-ons costing more. Each pass covers all titles. Neap resources and AnswerBot are optional add-ons. It does not auto-renew.
On AusGrader, the past questions, sample answers, marking criteria, multiple-choice explanations and study guides are free. AI grading is free for your first 10 answers. After that, unlimited grading is $100 one-time for 2026 ($50 in NSW), or $150 for 2027 Access. It does not auto-renew either.
The two prices buy different things, so they are not a like-for-like swap. One pays for a library of learning material. The other pays for marking.
8. Use Both
A sensible study routine uses each tool for what it does best. Learn or revise a topic from the free ATAR Notes forums and books, or from ATARNotes+ if you want the full library. Then practise that topic on AusGrader with real past exam questions, get your answers marked, and see which parts of the topic still cost you marks. Go back to your notes for those parts and repeat.
9. Who Should Pick Which
Pick ATARNotes+ if:
- You need to learn or revise the content, with notes, flashcards and videos in one place.
- You need HSC English or Maths today, or a subject AusGrader does not cover yet.
- You want Neap trial exams with solutions and marking guides.
- You like a single pass that covers every title, and you are happy reading online.
Pick AusGrader if:
- You want to practise on real board questions with the official marking criteria.
- You want to know what your answer was actually worth, typed or handwritten.
- You want to see which topics are costing you marks.
- Your subject is on our list and you want to start free.
Or use both:
Learn with ATAR Notes, practise and get marked on AusGrader. They fit together well. For other options, see AusGrader vs Atomi and AusGrader vs Edrolo.
FAQs
Is ATARNotes+ worth it?
It can be, if you want a full library of notes, topic tests, flashcards, videos and Neap trial exams across VCE, HSC, QCE and WACE, and especially if you need English or Maths. It is a content library, so it suits learning and revising. For marked practice on real board questions, pair it with a tool that grades your answers.
Does ATAR Notes AnswerBot mark my answers?
No. AnswerBot is an optional add-on, a custom AI trained on over 100,000 pages of ATAR Notes books, and it explains content. It does not mark your answers. With ATARNotes+ topic tests you self-mark against suggested solutions.
Is AusGrader free?
The past questions, sample answers, marking criteria, multiple-choice explanations and study guides are free. AI grading is free for your first 10 answers. Unlimited grading is $100 one-time for 2026 ($50 in NSW) or $150 for 2027 Access, with no auto-renewal.
Does AusGrader cover HSC English or Maths?
Not yet. HSC on AusGrader is Biology, Chemistry and Physics today, expanding to Maths, English, HSIE and PDHPE. English for VCE, HSC and WACE arrives in 2027. If you need HSC English or Maths today, ATARNotes+ covers them and we do not yet.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many students will get the most from doing so. Use the free ATAR Notes forums and books, or ATARNotes+, to learn and revise. Use AusGrader to practise real past exam questions and get your answers marked.
See What Marked Exam Practice Looks Like
Learn the content wherever suits you, then find out what your answers are worth.
- Real past exam questions, free, from VCAA, NESA, QCAA and SCSA, filtered by topic.
- Sample answers and official marking criteria on every question.
- AI grading, live now, for typed and handwritten answers. Self-marking coming soon.
- Topic analytics and custom timed tests, on web, iOS and Android.
Free to start. 10 graded questions included, no credit card required.
The Bottom Line
ATARNotes+ and AusGrader are not really rivals. ATARNotes+ is a broad library for learning and revising, and the free ATAR Notes community is a genuine asset for students. AusGrader is for the next step: practising on real board questions and getting a mark you can trust. If you need HSC English or Maths today, ATARNotes+ is the one that covers them.
For more comparisons, see our best VCE study tools comparison or AusGrader vs Cambridge Checkpoints.