Allocate+ preferences explained: FIFS vs preference-based enrolment

By Smoov Team

3 April 2026

TL;DR

Allocate+ has two fundamentally different enrolment models, and the optimal strategy is completely different for each. FIFS (first-come first-served) rewards speed - have your plan ready and execute the moment the window opens. Preference-based rewards strategic ranking - rank every activity, take the full window, think about cross-subject interactions. Most students don't know which model their uni uses. If you're applying the wrong strategy, you're either stressing for no reason or missing out by being too casual.

Allocate+ is the class enrolment system used by dozens of Australian universities - but "Allocate+" is the software, not the enrolment model. The system supports two fundamentally different ways of assigning students to classes, and your university chooses which one to run. The mistake most students make is not knowing which model their uni uses, then applying entirely the wrong strategy on enrolment day.

Two models, completely different strategies

The distinction that matters most is simple: does speed matter, or doesn't it?

In FIFS (first-come first-served)mode, the answer is yes - emphatically. The moment the enrolment window opens, students compete for spots in real time. Popular tutorial times fill in minutes. If you haven't already decided which classes you want - with backups ready - you will end up choosing from whatever is left. Being online, plan in hand, at the exact moment enrolment opens is a genuine competitive advantage.

In preference-based mode, speed is irrelevant. You submit a ranked list of your preferred class times, and after the enrolment window closes, the system runs an allocation algorithm across all student rankings simultaneously. There is no benefit to clicking faster. What matters is ranking thoughtfully - making sure all your acceptable options are ranked, not just your top choice.

The biggest mistake students make is applying the wrong strategy. Students at USYD stress-refreshing the page at midnight, trying to grab spots that aren't actually allocated in real time. Students at UTS casually deliberating for an hour while their preferred tutorials fill. Both situations are avoidable with one piece of information: which model does your uni use?

If your uni uses preference-based allocation, there is no benefit to being online the second enrolment opens. The window usually runs for days. Use that time to rank thoughtfully instead of clicking frantically.

Which universities use which model?

Here is the breakdown for major Australian universities that use Allocate+:

FIFS (first-come first-served): UTS, Macquarie, RMIT, Swinburne, Deakin, La Trobe, and most other Allocate+ institutions. At these universities, the moment the window opens is the moment that matters.

Preference-based: USYD (branded as "Sydney Timetable") uses preference-based allocation. You rank your preferred classes, and the system runs allocation after the window closes. Your speed during the window has no effect on the outcome.

Hybrid: Monash runs an initial preference-based round followed by a FIFS adjustment period. You need both strategies - rank well in the first round, then be ready to move quickly in adjustments if you didn't get your preferred allocation.

Not Allocate+ at all: UNSW uses myUNSW rather than Allocate+. The enrolment process is different enough that Allocate+-specific advice doesn't apply.

If your university isn't listed, check your student portal or enrolment guide - it will usually describe whether allocation is immediate or processed after a window. When in doubt, treat it as FIFS and prepare accordingly.

Plan your timetable free with Smoov

How to win at FIFS enrolment

At FIFS universities, preparation is everything. The enrolment window opening is not the time to start thinking about which classes you want - by then, you need to already know.

Have your full plan ready before the window opens. Know your first choice for every activity and have at least one backup for each.

Be online the moment the window opens. Popular tutorials at UTS and Macquarie can fill in under five minutes. Not in the first wave means competing for leftovers.

Enrol by scarcity - start with the activity that has the fewest available spots and work your way down. The 10am Wednesday tutorial fills faster than the 4pm Friday one.

Don't optimise each subject independently. A great tutorial for one subject that clashes with your backup for another creates a cascading problem mid-enrolment.

Account for the adjustment period. Spots open back up in the first two weeks as students swap classes. Check back two or three times after initial results.

Smoov generates multiple complete schedule options, not just one. Use the top two or three options as your Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. If Plan A's tutorial fills, you can switch to Plan B immediately without recalculating anything.

How to win at preference-based enrolment

Preference-based enrolment rewards thoughtfulness over speed. The window is usually open for several days - use them.

Rank every activity, not just the ones you care about. An unranked activity gets assigned whatever the algorithm decides after everyone else's preferences are satisfied. That is almost never in your interest.

Think about cross-subject interactions. A tutorial ranked first for one subject might create an impossible situation if you don't get your first preference for another. Rank with your whole week in mind, not each subject in isolation.

Don't submit on day one and forget. Review your rankings over the course of the window - your thinking often improves after sleeping on it.

Weight your lower-ranked options carefully. If your third-ranked option would create a terrible week but your fourth-ranked option would be fine, move the fourth option up.

Smoov's preference rankings mode is built specifically for this. It analyses your full solution space - every valid combination of classes across all your subjects - and computes a ranked preference list for each activity based on how often each option appears in high-scoring schedules. Instead of guessing which tutorial time to rank first, you can see which options give you the most flexibility across your full timetable.

The preference window feels low-stakes because there's no real-time competition. That can make it tempting to rank quickly and move on. The students who get the best allocations are the ones who treat the window as time to optimise, not time to tick a box.

What Smoov does differently for each model

Smoov auto-detects your university's enrolment model when you import your subject data. Once it knows which model applies, the solver and enrolment guide adapt accordingly.

In FIFS mode, the solver picks the best overall schedule from all valid combinations and presents it as your primary option, with ranked alternatives. The enrolment guide gives you direct instructions - "select Tutorial Group 3 for COMP1234" - so you can execute quickly when the window opens without having to think. Every extra second spent deciding during a FIFS window is a second a faster student might take your spot.

In preference mode, the solver generates a full ranked preference list for each activity - not just a single recommendation. It analyses how often each class option appears across all high-scoring schedule combinations and ranks them accordingly. You get a per-activity ranking you can submit directly as your preferences, rather than having to reason through cross-subject interactions manually.

Both modes use the same constraint engine underneath. Your availability blocks, lifestyle preferences, and hard constraints all apply regardless of which enrolment model your uni uses. Read the full guide for a walkthrough of how to set up your preferences and run the solver.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

A few patterns show up repeatedly regardless of enrolment model:

Optimising per subject instead of across all subjects.

Picking the best tutorial for each subject in isolation ignores how they interact as a week. Two subjects that both have good individual options can combine into a terrible schedule. Read

the full Allocate+ tips post

for more on this.

No backup plan for FIFS.

Building one perfect schedule and assuming you'll get it is a common failure mode. If any single activity fills before you get there, you're rebuilding on the fly in a live window. Prepare at least two complete schedule options before enrolment opens.

Incomplete rankings for preference mode.

Submitting rankings for only your top one or two preferences leaves the algorithm to fill gaps however it sees fit. Always rank every available option for every activity, even if some feel unlikely.

Ignoring the adjustment period.

Whether FIFS or preference-based, most universities run an adjustment or swap period after initial allocation. Spots that were unavailable on day one often open back up as students change their plans. Check back regularly in the first two weeks of semester.

5 Allocate+ tips most students miss How to plan your UNSW timetable How to plan your USYD timetable How to plan your Monash timetable