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Biology: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Biology scaled to 41.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 41.0 in 2026. Biology scales close to the raw score; at a raw 40 its scaling has stayed about the same since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 30.5.
Biology scaling: raw to scaled study scoreOfficial VTAC scaling reports 2022–2025, plus the 2026 forecast (a recency-weighted blend of the last six reports).
| Raw study score | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| 45 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.0 |
| 40 | 41.0 | 41.0 | 41.0 | 41.0 | 41.0 |
| 35 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 |
| 30 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 30.8 |
| 25 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 |
| 20 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Biology is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SACs | school-assessed | 20% |
| Unit 4 SACs | school-assessed | 30% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 50% |
Biology grade cut-offs 2026: forecastThe lowest mark each grade starts at, forecast from the last three years' official VCAA cut-offs. Typical error is shown as "likely ±".
Coursework Unit 3 school-assessed · out of 80 · forecast state average 65%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 73 | 68 | 63 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 32 | 25 | 11 | 7 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 73 | 68 | 63 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 32 | 25 | 11 | 6 |
| 2024 actual | 72 | 67 | 62 | 56 | 48 | 41 | 33 | 25 | 11 | 8 |
| 2023 actual | 73 | 68 | 63 | 56 | 48 | 41 | 33 | 25 | 11 | 8 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 120 · forecast state average 71%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 107 | 99 | 89 | 79 | 68 | 58 | 51 | 33 | 24 | 12 |
| likely ± | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.0 |
| 2025 actual | 108 | 100 | 90 | 79 | 68 | 59 | 52 | 34 | 24 | 12 |
| 2024 actual | 106 | 97 | 88 | 78 | 68 | 58 | 50 | 32 | 24 | 12 |
| 2023 actual | 106 | 97 | 88 | 78 | 67 | 56 | 48 | 29 | 24 | 12 |
Written Examination external · out of 240 · forecast state average 60%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 206 | 194 | 179 | 160 | 137 | 114 | 92 | 75 | 57 | 24 |
| likely ± | 7.4 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9.8 | 7.4 | 4.3 |
| 2025 actual | 208 | 195 | 180 | 160 | 136 | 112 | 89 | 71 | 54 | 24 |
| 2024 actual | 203 | 191 | 177 | 161 | 140 | 118 | 99 | 82 | 63 | 24 |
| 2023 actual | 206 | 193 | 178 | 160 | 137 | 115 | 93 | 74 | 55 | 24 |
Cut-offs change every year with how hard the assessment is, so a harder paper can move every grade together. See the full 2025 grade distribution for Biology →
About Biology
Cells to ecosystems: molecular biology, immunity, evolution and experimental design, with a data-heavy exam.
- Core for health-science ambitions (medicine, physio, biomed)
- Large cohort with excellent resources
- Content rewards organised memorisation more than abstraction
Typical time commitment: 4–6 hours a week outside class.
Biology questions
What does a study score of 40 in Biology scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Biology scaled to 41.0. ATARtools forecasts about 41.0 for 2026, from a recency-weighted blend of the last six reports. Treat it as a guide: VTAC publishes the real 2026 numbers in December.
Is Biology scaled up or down?
Biology scales close to the raw score. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 31.0, a raw 40 to 41.0 and a raw 45 to 46.0. For 2026 the forecast is 30.8, 41.0 and 46.0. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Biology Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 206 out of 240 (likely ±7.4 marks) and an A from about 194. For reference the A+ cut-off was 208 in 2025, 203 in 2024 and 206 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Biology assessed?
Unit 3 SACs (20%), Unit 4 SACs (30%), End-of-year exam (50%). School-assessed marks are statistically moderated against the external exam results, then the study score is scaled by VTAC for the ATAR.