VCE scaling is how VTAC adjusts each study’s raw study score (0–50) to a VTAC scaled study score (0.00–55.00) so different subjects can be compared fairly. Scaling reflects the strength of the subject’s cohort each year. Your ATAR is then based on your scaled scores, not the raw ones.
Quick definitions
Before we dive in, here are the key terms you’ll see across this guide and what they mean in plain English.
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Raw study score (VCAA): The score you earn in a VCE subject out of 50 before scaling.
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VTAC scaled study score: The number VTAC calculates to compare students across different subjects (range 0.00–55.00). It’s based on how students in that subject performed in their other subjects that year.
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ATAR: A rank, not a mark. VTAC converts your scaled scores into an aggregate, then ranks you against the cohort to produce your ATAR.
Why does VCE scaling exist?
In short, it keeps things fair when different subjects attract different mixes of students and difficulty profiles.
Subjects attract different cohorts and difficulty profiles. Scaling makes comparisons fair by adjusting for cohort strength, so a 35 in one subject reflects the same overall achievement level as a 35 in another after scaling is applied.
How VTAC calculates scaled study scores
Here’s the simple, year-by-year process VTAC uses to convert raw scores into scaled scores so subjects can be compared fairly.
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VTAC starts with your raw study score in each subject.
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VTAC looks at the performance of all students who took that subject in their other subjects.
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If a subject’s cohort tends to perform more strongly across their program, scores in that subject are scaled up; if less strongly, they’re scaled down.
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The result is your VTAC scaled study score (0.00–55.00).
Important: Scaling changes every year because it depends on that year’s cohort. There’s no fixed table you can rely on from one year to the next.
How your scaled scores become an ATAR
This is the bridge between individual subject results and your overall rank.
VTAC builds an aggregate from your scaled scores, then converts it to an ATAR by ranking you against all other students. Your aggregate is usually calculated from:
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Your best English-group subject (English, English Language, Literature, or English EAL), plus
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Your next three highest scaled scores, plus
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10% of your fifth scaled score (if you have one), plus
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10% of your sixth scaled score (if you have one).
The English group is compulsory in the primary four — one of those English subjects must be counted among your top four scaled scores.
Should you pick subjects for scaling?
This is the big strategic question students ask every year.
Short answer: No — choose subjects you enjoy and can do well in. Our proprietary analysis shows the pattern clearly: 86% of students who achieved a 90+ ATAR chose subjects they enjoyed, and 80% picked to their strengths, while among students who scored below an 85 ATAR, only 58% said their subjects suited their abilities. In other words, enjoyment and fit are strong predictors of performance — stronger than trying to “game” scaling.
What this means for scaling: some studies may scale up, but if they don’t align with your strengths, a middling result can drag down your aggregate; a high raw score in a lower-scaling subject often beats a lower score in a high-scaling one. Because scaling shifts with each year’s cohort, chasing last year’s tables is risky. Prioritise prerequisites, interests, and demonstrated strengths first — consider scaling second.
A simple example (for intuition)
Use this high-level walkthrough to see how the moving parts fit together without getting lost in specific numbers.
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You complete six VCE subjects including an English.
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VTAC scales each raw score to a scaled study score.
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VTAC forms your aggregate using the best English, next three highest scaled scores, and 10% increments from any fifth and sixth studies.
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Your ATAR is then the rank derived from that aggregate compared with the state.
Note: we’ve kept this example conceptual so it stays accurate year to year.
Common myths, busted
These quick clarifications clear up the most common misunderstandings about scaling and the ATAR.
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“Scaling is a bonus/penalty attached to a subject.”
Not exactly. It’s cohort-based and recalculated every year; it’s not a fixed add-on. -
“If I choose high-scaling subjects, I’ll get a higher ATAR.”
Only if you also perform strongly in them. Otherwise, your aggregate may suffer. -
“Raw scores go straight into the ATAR.”
Incorrect — the ATAR uses VTAC scaled study scores.
What to do next
Turn the theory into action with these practical next steps for planning your program and support.
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Get clear on the ATAR basics: Read a plain-English guide to how the ATAR works.
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Plan for strengths: Pick a balanced program you enjoy and can sustain.
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Seek targeted support: The right tutor can help you maximise performance in the subjects you’ve chosen.
Learnmate connects you with subject-matter experts across VCE who can tailor support around your goals, study design requirements, and exam skills.
FAQs
VTAC converts raw study scores to scaled study scores (0.00–55.00) based on cohort performance so different subjects can be compared fairly.
Yes. It depends on how each year’s cohort performs across their subjects, so scaling movements aren’t fixed.
One of English, English (EAL), Literature, or English Language must be included in your top four scaled scores (the “primary four”).
Your ATAR is calculated from VTAC scaled study scores via an aggregate, not from raw scores.
Generally no — pick subjects you enjoy and can excel in; scaling varies and high performance matters most.
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